2013 marks the 100th anniversary of the original crossword puzzle. Arthur Wynne was a British journalist working for a NY newspaper in 1913. He wanted to do a new game for the back of the newspaper, so he devised a diamond grid with no black squares. He called it a "Word Cross," and thus the first crossword puzzle was born. In this book, crossword constructor Ben Tausig takes examines the curious history of the crossword and its evolution in the past 100 years. Each chapter compares puzzles from then and now and are accompanied by one hundred challenging puzzles for readers complete (classic early puzzles will also be included). Chapters include: Chapter 1 - Basic Expected Knowledge to Finish a Crossword, Then & Now Chapter 2 - Transcendent Puzzle Themes, Then & Now Chapter 3 - Esoteric Words, Then & Now Chapter 4 - Humor in Crosswords, Then & Now Chapter 5 - The Breakfast Table Rule, Then & Now Chapter 6 - The Rise of Indie Puzzles Chapter 7 - How Puzzles Pass through Generations Chapter 8 - Technology in Puzzles Chapter 9 - The Great Constructors, Then & Now Chatper 10 - Puzzle Economies Chapter 11 - The Future of the Crossword