{"product_id":"across-the-universe-natan-last-9780553387704","title":"Across the Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn entertaining and eye-opening look at the history of the crossword, who constructs it, and why it matters as both a reflection of and influence on our culture\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\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 Yorke\u003c\/i\u003er crossword contributor Natan Last will tell you, the seemingly apolitical puzzle has never been more controversial. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn recent years, popular puzzle makers like\u003ci\u003e The New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e--the original and still the gold standard for word games--have been challenged for the way they prioritize certain cultures and perspectives as either the norm (read: white and male) or obscure (everyone else). 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 rise to the kinds of people constructing them, challenging the very idea of them and, in fact, what \"normal\" actually is. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith a critical eye toward its history, Natan\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eLast explores the debates about the future of the crossword and\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003einvestigates those who want the puzzle to transform into a tool of progressivism; 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 worlds of those pushing for the crosswords' much-needed evolution.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Natan Last\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0553387707\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780553387704\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Pantheon Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/25\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 336\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.39lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.25h x 6.13w x 0.94d","brand":"Natan Last","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46685987471615,"sku":"9780553387704","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_d705d5d4-5936-4185-a494-5f4df44ad1b5.jpg?v=1741727362","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/across-the-universe-natan-last-9780553387704","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}