Think outside the box! This is the mantra for problem-solvers everywhere, but it’s easier said than done. How can we help to develop a new generation of creative, outside-the-box problem-solvers? Welcome to 52 Master Pieces, an online puzzle contest that addresses this goal in a uniquely fun and original way.
Hello everyone – my name is David Cohen, and I'm a father, lifelong puzzle enthusiast, and author of 52 Master Pieces, a free educational website designed to inspire curious minds of all ages.
Real-world problem-solving skills are often overlooked by conventional education methods. The creators and partners of the 52 Master Pieces project believe that an elegant and accessible puzzle contest that celebrates and rewards outside-the-box thinking is a high-yield way to encourage the next generation of creative thinkers.
We are pleased to be presenting the 52 Master Pieces project in an official collaboration with the Gathering for Gardner (G4G) Foundation, a non-profit educational organization that supports enthusiasm-based learning across the globe. With your help, we hope to use our project to raise money and awareness for their worldwide educational initiatives (read more below).
This Gathering for Gardner logo is an "ambigram" designed by Scott Kim, and appears the same when viewed upside-down.
Currently available in a demo mode at 52masterpieces.com, 52 Master Pieces is a 150-page virtual treasure trove of meticulously chosen classic and original puzzles. These include examples of every imaginable genre including:
- codes and ciphers
- brainteasers
- interactive games
- lateral logic
- illusions
- wordplay
- spatial rearrangement puzzles
- amazing stories
Hidden below this surface layer of puzzles is a collection of original puzzles that comprises the contest and will reward persistent puzzle-solvers with valuable prizes.
52 Master Pieces is a one-of-a-kind original creative project. While there have been a small number of excellent "armchair treasure hunt" puzzle contests over the years, most of these were designed to help promote a different primary product such as a children's book, a music album, or a movie. 52 Master Pieces is the first puzzle contest created specifically to benefit the greater community as a non-profit online educational resource that's free and available to everyone.
Thank you in advance for supporting our project, either by making a donation or by simply visiting our free site and sharing it with friends. Please note that while we will be giving all proceeds to the non-profit Gathering For Gardner Foundation, we ourselves are not a non-profit and therefore donations are not tax-deductible.
The 52 Master Pieces Limited Edition Companion Book