{"product_id":"across-the-universe-the-past-present-and-future-of-the-crossword-puzzle-hardcover","title":"Across the Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eNatan Last\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn entertaining and eye-opening look at the history of crossword puzzles, who constructs them, and why crosswords matter as both a reflection of and influence on our culture \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Warning: This book is highly contagious.\" -Mary Norris, author of \u003ci\u003eBetween You \u0026amp; Me\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A gridful of insight and pleasure.\"--Stefan Fatsis, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eWord Frea\u003c\/i\u003ek and \u003ci\u003eUnabridged\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom Wordle to Spelling Bee, we live in a time of word game mania. Crosswords in particular gained renewed popularity during the COVID-19 lockdown, when games became another kind of refuge. Today, 36 million Americans solve crosswords once a week or more, and nearly 23 million solve them daily. Yet, as longtime \u003ci\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e crossword contributor Natan Last will tell you, the seemingly apolitical puzzle has never been more controversial--or more interesting. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA surprisingly ubiquitous influence in the worlds of art, literature, and technology, as Last demonstrates, the puzzle and its most popular purveyors--including publications such as\u003ci\u003e The New York Times, \u003c\/i\u003e still the gold standard for word games--have in recent years been challenged for the way they prioritize certain cultures and perspectives as the norm, demoting others to obscurity. At the same time, the crossword has never been more democratic. A larger, younger, more tech-savvy, and solidaristic group of people have fallen in love with puzzle solving, ushering in a more inclusive community of constructors and challenging the very idea of what is \"normal.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith a critical eye toward the puzzle's history, Natan Last explores the debates about the future of the crossword and investigates those who are determining its next phase, ultimately asking if the crossword can help us reshape the world. \u003ci\u003eAcross the Universe \u003c\/i\u003einterrogates all the ways words--and the games we make using those words--change our culture, while bringing us into the world of those pushing for the crossword's much-needed evolution.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNATAN LAST \u003c\/b\u003eis a writer and immigration policy advocate. He writes bimonthly crosswords for \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e. His essays, poetry, and academic research appear in \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker, The New York Times, The Drift, Los Angeles Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHyperallergic\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNarrative\u003c\/i\u003e, and elsewhere. He has worked for the UN, the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, the International Rescue Committee, and as an advisor to the federal government on refugee resettlement. He lives in his native Brooklyn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 336\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.2 x 9.46 x 6.61 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 25, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51978989502765,"sku":"9780553387704","price":28.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0938\/3185\/6429\/files\/H5PRivG6aI9780553387704.webp?v=1775815370","url":"https:\/\/ishookbooks.com\/products\/across-the-universe-the-past-present-and-future-of-the-crossword-puzzle-hardcover","provider":"iShook Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}