Obviously, as you will see below, Jerry Slocum is the author to look for in anything related to mechanical puzzles. He has donated his collection of 5,000 books about mechanical puzzles to the Lilly Library at Indiana University. All books are listed in the Lilly Library catalog. The curator of the collection at the Lilly is Andrew Rhoda.
Following the works by Jerry Slocum below are additional excellent mechanical puzzle books by other authors, recommended and annotated by Andrew Rhoda. Scroll down for an alphabetical listing.
At the end of the short listing below is an image supplied by Jerry himself showing his publications, with his own annotations.
Slocum, Jerry, and Dieter Gebhardt. The Anchor Puzzle Book. —, 2012. The complete story of the stone puzzles first sold by F. Ad. Richter company in 1890 and still being made today. The 152-page hardcover book shows all of Richter’s puzzles and variations, plus over 650 puzzles to solve, and includes a DVD with catalogs, advertising, drawings and all 4000 (!) problems from 53 Anchor Stone puzzles.
Slocum, Jerry, and Anne Williams. The Art of the Puzzle: Astounding and Confounding. Katonah, NY: Katonah Museum of Art, 2000. Catalog for puzzle exhibition contains two long essays on jigsaw puzzles and mechanical puzzles, complete checklist for exhibition, and preface by Will Shortz.
Slocum, Jerry, and Jack Botermans. Puzzles Old and New. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 1986. Excellent book on mechanical, dexterity, and paper puzzles, including those made by the Embossing Co., McLoughlin Bros., Parker Bros., Pressman, Selchow & Righter and other game companies; 160 pages of historical data, color photos, puzzle plans, bibliography.
—. New Book of Puzzles. W.H. Freeman, 1992. 101 classic & modern puzzles to make & solve.
—. The Book of Ingenious and Diabolical Puzzles. New York, NY: Times Books/Random House, 1994. Guide to antique and modern puzzles with color photos includes 600 antique & new puzzles on 160 pages, with history & photos.
—. Optical Illusions and Other Puzzles. Books UK, Ltd., 1995. Optical illusions, hidden figures & other puzzles.
Slocum, Jerry. The Puzzle Arcade. Palo Alto, CA: Klutz Publ., 1996. Mechanical, word and logic puzzles for all the family from 7 to 100 years. – Spiral bound with puzzles in pouches; includes hints and solutions.
—. Swipe This Pencil. Klutz Press, 2003.
—. The Tangram Book. Sterling, 2003.
—. The 15 Puzzle Book. Beverly Hills, CA: Slocum Puzzle Foundation, 2006.
—. The Tao of Tangram. New York: Sterling, 2007.
—. Tangram Master. New York: Sterling, 2008.
—. The Famous 15 Puzzle. New York: Metro Books, 2009.
—. The Cube: The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Bestselling Puzzle – Secrets, Stories, Solutions. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2009.
Beasley, John. The Ins & Outs of Peg Solitaire. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1985. An in-depth work on peg solitaire puzzles.
Coffin, Stewart. The Puzzling World of Polyhedral Dissections. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1990. Coffin’s work on designing geometric interlocking puzzles.
Coffin, Stewart. Geometric Puzzle Design. Wellesley, Mass.: A K Peters, Ltd., c2007. A follow-up publication by Coffin on designing geometric interlocking puzzles.
Danesi, Marcel. The Puzzle Instinct: The Meaning of Puzzles in Human Life. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002. For those interested in the psychology of puzzles.
Golomb, Solomon. Polyominoes: Puzzles, Patterns, Problems, and Packings. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1994. Golomb’s work on the various kinds of polyominoes and the puzzles that are related to them.
Hoffmann, Professor. Puzzles Old and New. London, England: Frederick Warne, 1893. For research into Victorian era puzzles.
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