Book Review: Follow This Thread: A Maze Book to Get Lost In

Follow This Thread: A Maze Book to Get Lost In (2019) - 240 pages. AMZN. by Henry Eliot (Author)

Follow This Thread: A Maze Book to Get Lost In

The first thing you are going to notice about this book is the unique format. The text of the book follows red thread through the pages. I don’t think there is any grey with this - you’ll hate it or love it.

What you can expect in this book:

• The book begins with a discussion of the history of mazes, from their earliest origins in ancient Egypt and Greece to their modern-day use in everything from video games to corporate logos.

• It then explores the psychological and spiritual significance of mazes, arguing that they can be seen as symbols of the journey of life, the process of self-discovery, and the search for meaning.

• The book also includes a number of personal essays by Eliot, in which he recounts his own experiences with mazes, including his childhood visits to the Hampton Court Maze, his attempts to solve the Chartres Labyrinth, and his participation in a modern-day mystery school that uses mazes as a tool for spiritual development.

What this book does best: The illustrations and format of the book are wonderful. If you click to the Amazon link above you catch watch a short video and see the book layout. Very cool !

Book Review: Mazes for Programmers by Jamis Buck

Mazes for Programmers: Code Your Own Twisty Little Passages (2015) - 288 pages. AMZN. by Jamis Buck (Author)

Mazes for Programmers: Code Your Own Twisty Little Passages

The book is a comprehensive guide to generating mazes using a variety of algorithms. It covers both the theory and practice of maze generation, and includes working implementations in the Ruby programming language.

What you can expect in this book: The book is broken into 3 parts:

• Part 1: Basic Maze Generation introduces six different maze generation algorithms, including the Binary Tree algorithm, the Eller's algorithm, and the Hunt and Kill algorithm. It also covers how to draw mazes and how to solve them using Dijkstra's algorithm.

• Part 2: Advanced Maze Generation shows how to constrain mazes to different shapes and outlines, how to cull dead-ends, and how to make mazes weave over and under each other. It also covers how to generate mazes in multiple dimensions and on curved surfaces.

• Part 3: Appendices includes additional information on maze generation, such as a list of maze generation algorithms, a discussion of maze properties, and a collection of maze puzzles.

What this book does best: The book does a good job of explaining the trade-offs between the different maze generation algorithms. This is important information for anyone who wants to choose the right algorithm for a particular application.

Maze of the Week #93 - London City Hall

Maze of the Week #93 is of a cool building in the great city of London, England, London City Hall, which is located on the south bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge. Well that is not entirely true, because this was London City Hall between 2002 and 2021, but the city hall has since moved ! Here is the crazy thing - I like that building too and may make a maze of it ! This is my second maze from London, the first being a maze of the iconic building The Gherkin. You can read about the City Hall building on the Wikipedia page. I loved the architecture and knew it would make a great maze.

YouTube: A 3 minute long open house showing the building.

Photo: flickr, Garry Knight

London City Hall, By Garry Knight - Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31159105

The Maze: Black and White. Draw and cut with walls created by the windows of the building. Internal start and goal.

London City Hall Maze

I hope you enjoy the maze. Maze download is available. Please check out my YouTube channel where you can watch this maze being made and solved!!

Coming next week:

A maze of a car company building

Book Review: Chartres Labyrinth Construction Manual

Chartres Labyrinth Construction Manual (2014) - 136 pages. AMZN. by Robert D Ferre (Author)

Chartres Labyrinth Construction Manual

The book is aimed at anyone who is interested in creating their own Chartres labyrinth, whether for personal use or as a public art installation. If you want a more general book, check out this book by the same author !

What you can expect in this book:

• The book begins by providing a brief history of the Chartres labyrinth. The labyrinth is located in the Chartres Cathedral in France, and it is one of the most famous labyrinths in the world. The labyrinth was built in the early 13th century, and it is believed to have been inspired by the labyrinth at Knossos, Crete.

• The book then provides detailed instructions on how to construct the Chartres labyrinth. The instructions include diagrams, photographs, and step-by-step descriptions. The book also covers a variety of materials that can be used to construct the labyrinth, such as stone, wood, sand, and fabric.

• In addition to the construction instructions, the book also includes a discussion of the symbolism of the Chartres labyrinth. The labyrinth is often seen as a symbol of the journey of life, with the center representing the goal or destination. It can also be seen as a symbol of the subconscious mind, with the twists and turns representing the different thoughts and emotions that we experience.

What this book does best: Teaches you how to make a Chartres labyrinth ! You can create your own Chartres labyrinth using a variety of materials, such as stone, wood, sand, or fabric.