Cracking Codes and Cryptograms for Dummies

The fast and easy way to crack codes and cryptograms

Did you love Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol? Are you fascinated by secret codes and deciphering lost history? Cracking Codes and Cryptograms For Dummies shows you how to think like a symbologist to uncover mysteries and history by solving cryptograms and cracking codes that relate to Freemasonry, the Knights Templar, the Illuminati, and other secret societies and conspiracy theories.

You'll get easy-to-follow instructions for solving everything from the simplest puzzles to fiendishly difficult ciphers using secret codes and lost symbols.

Over 350 handcrafted cryptograms and ciphers of varying types
Tips and tricks for cracking even the toughest code
Sutherland is a syndicated puzzle author; Koltko-Rivera is an expert on the major symbols and ceremonies of Freemasonry

With the helpful information in this friendly guide, you'll be unveiling mysteries and shedding light on history in no time!

Customer Reviews:

Not what you might think

By Johnbo - October 22, 2010

I purchased this book looking to get something that would give me basic understanding of many different types of codes and cryptograms. But what I ended up with instead was more of a workbook made almost entirely of puzzles using various different cryptology methods. Out of 336 pages, there are exactly 37 pages on history and code descriptions. The rest of the book consists of puzzles that have to be figured out by using what was written in the first two chapters.

If you are wanting something simply to add to your collection of sudoku and crossword books, you might enjoy this for a decent mental workout. But if your goal is to learn a little something about all the different codes that are out there, you may wish to look somewhere else.

Great book

By N. Coleman - November 13, 2009

This is a fantastic book. I bought it so I could write messages to my students in code and found that it is sooo much more. It is very easy to read and really hooks you in right from the beginning.

There is a lot more to this book than first glance. It explained a lot about how to do codes & cryptograms and write them as well for me (at a beginners level), but it was also really interesting for my husband who has studied formal logic & loves these sorts of brain twisters.

This one is worth buying - I'm thinking of buying another one so we aren't fighting all the time over who gets to read it.

Cryptograms for the uninitiated

By EllenE. - December 18, 2009

I thought I was familiar with cryptograms--you know, those letter-substitution puzzles found in the paper. And I wondered how one could produce an entire book dedicated to those puzzles. Well, turns out those are just the tip of the cryptogram iceberg. This book has some of those, but also nine more types of cryptograms and ciphers for your puzzling pleasure.

The book starts with a very brief history of cryptograms, ciphers, and codes, and their used throughout history. I do wish there had been a bit more on codebreaking.

But this book is really about solving these types of puzzles, and it has plenty of them. They make up the bulk of the book. From substitution cryptograms to Masonic ciphers to keyboard codes and beyond--this book will keep even the fastest solver busy for months (and those of us who are a bit slower--probably years!). And if you get stuck, there's a section that offers clues to the puzzles.

There's also a twist to all the puzzles:... read more