{"product_id":"matching-minds-with-sondheim-barry-joseph-9781493085835","title":"Matching Minds with Sondheim: The Puzzles and Games of the Broadway Legend","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBy near-universal consensus, Stephen Sondheim was the greatest musical theater composer of his generation--celebrated, among other things, for the wit, sophistication, and intricacy of shows from \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWest Side Story\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e to \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunday in the Park with George\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e. A less well-known avenue for his brilliant creativity was his lifelong fascination with designing and constructing intricate puzzles and games: from treasure hunts and crossword puzzles to parlor and board games.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMatching Minds with Sondheim\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e is a journey into this rich but largely unmapped aspect of the composer's creative life, illuminating how Sondheim's playful designs delivered moments of clarity and connection for his friends and colleagues. For the first time, this book offers an enthralling tour of what Sondheim described as his \"puzzler's mind,\" helping readers to better understand the man, his work, and--if they accept the challenge--themselves. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGaming expert and theatre fan Barry Joseph draws from over eighty years of Sondheim's activities, collecting his extremely rare and never-publicly-seen puzzles and game designs, scores of original interviews with the celebrity friends who played them, deep dives into Sondheim-related archives from around the country, and analysis from both puzzle designers and theater professionals from around the world. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMatching Minds will do more than describe Sondheim's work: It will allow readers to match minds with the maestro by attempting to solve Sondheimian puzzles and bring Sondheimian games into their own homes. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eReactions from early readers: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Matching Minds\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e does justice to a man who was good at having fun. Readers will have an absolute blast with this book.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"An essential read for anyone who wants to understand what made this creative genius tick.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"This book reveals a little-known facet of Sondheim's creative life and makes the compelling case that Sondheim's genius was not limited to songwriting. Sondheim's interest in puzzles and games has now been given its due, and readers will come away with an appreciation for how games influenced Sondheim's writing and may also develop their own interest in puzzles and games.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"You'll see how Sondheim spent as much time finding the proper clue for a treasure hunt as he did for a lyric in \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSweeney Todd\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e, and you'll discover a very human side to one of the singular minds of the last century. Not to be missed!\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFollow the latest on the book at \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eMatchingMindswithSondheim.com\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Barry Joseph\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1493085832\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781493085835\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Applause Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/02\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 280\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover","brand":"Barry Joseph","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46401209204991,"sku":"9781493085835","price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/matching-minds-with-sondheim-barry-joseph-9781493085835","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}