Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All by Erno Rubik

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All by Erno Rubik and narrated by Alistair Petrie with my husband, which is pretty wonderful as my husband is not an avid reader like myself. However, I was able to easily convince him to do something different to celebrate Christmas Eve last year since we weren't celebrating the holiday with family and friends in the usual way due to the pandemic... So, we celebrated Christmas Eve by observing the Icelandic tradition known as Jolabokaflod (Christmas Book Flood) by starting to listen to Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All by Erno Rubik together. We slowly listened to this book together through the end of 2020.

My hubby has been a Rubik's Cube fan since he was a youngster, so I figured he'd be interested in listening to this nonfiction book by the creator of the Rubik's Cube and I wasn't wrong. I just didn't count on us both loving this book as much as we both did.

Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All by Erno Rubik is well written. It discusses the author's life and how/why he created the Rubik's Cube. Additionally, this book examines so many more other topics; such as puzzles, creativity, curiosity, play, being a professional verses an amateur, and more! Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All gave me great insight into the mind of an inventor and his creative thought process. 

Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All by Erno Rubik was my final and 90th book read for 2020!

Below is the publisher's summary for Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All by Erno Rubik from Audible:

The first audiobook by the reclusive inventor of the world's most iconic puzzle, the Rubik's Cube. Erno Rubik inspires us with what he's learned in a lifetime of creating, curiosity, and discovery.

Erno Rubik was a child when he first became obsessed with puzzles of all kinds. "Puzzles", he writes, "bring out important qualities in each of us: concentration, curiosity, a sense of play, the eagerness to discover a solution." To Rubik, puzzles aren't just games - they're creativity machines. He encourages us to embrace our inner curiosity and find the puzzles that surround us in our everyday lives. "If you are determined, you will solve them", he writes. Rubik's own puzzle, the Cube, has been solved by millions worldwide for over 40 years, becoming one of the best-selling toys of all time, and a global symbol of intelligence and ingenuity.

In Cubed, Rubik covers more than just his journey to inventing his eponymous cube. He makes a case for always being an amateur - something he has always considered himself to be. He discusses the inevitability of problems during any act of invention. He reveals what it was like to experience the astonishing worldwide success of an object he made purely for his own play. And he offers what he thinks it means to be a true creator (hint: anyone can do it). Steeped in the wisdom and also the humility of a born inventor, Cubed offers a unique look at the imperfect science of creation.

I am giving Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All by Erno Rubik a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!