Cubed - by Erno Rubik (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The first book 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, went on to be solved by millions worldwide for over forty years, become one of the bestselling toys of all time, and to be featured as 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.

Review Quotes

"While the book tells the story of how Rubik, a Hungarian architect and professor of design, invented the Cube as a way to demonstrate a geometric problem, it also is laced with his thoughts about curiosity, change and the meaning of life" --Forbes

"A rewarding, idiosyncratic autobiography" --Nature

"In Cubed, the Hungarian inventor and architect goes into detail explaining how a bold thirst for knowledge has animated his life. He tells the story of how he invented the toy which bears his name, and how his childhood helped turn him into the man he is today. Going one step beyond this, Rubik uses his cube as an allegory for the nature of knowledge itself, a field of study known as epistemology" --Salon

"Rubik's book is more than just a memoir. It's a manifesto for a whole way of thinking, for the need to retain your childhood playfulness into adulthood if you wish to create anything of worth" --Daily Mail

"The inventor of the Rubik's Cube on what life and his beloved puzzle have taught him . . . An idiosyncratic and gripping memoir about his life and the indomitable career of the Cube"--Observer

"As a school maths teacher and a puzzle writer, I encourage all curious people to open their minds to the words on these pages. This is in part a manifesto for anyone wishing to become a creator. Unleash your creativity with Mr Rubik as your guide"--Bobby Seagull

"The rise and enduring power of the world's most popular puzzle toy . . . Cubed is less a memoir than a chronicle of Rubik's evolving relationship with his creation" --Financial Times

About the Author