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Cracking the Cube: Going Slow to Go Fast and Other Unexpected Turns in the World of Competitive Rubik's Cube Solving
A journalist and aspiring “speedcuber” attempts to break into the international phenomenon of speedsolving the Rubik’s Cube—think chess played at the speed of Ping-Pong—while exploring the Cube’s rise to iconic status around the globe and the lessons that can be learned through solving it.
When Hungarian professor Ernő Rubik invented the Rubik’s Cube (or, rather, his Cube) in the 1970s out of wooden blocks, rubber bands, and paper clips, he didn’t even know if it could be solved, let alone that it would become the world’s most popular puzzle. Since its creation, the Cube has become many things to many one of the bestselling children’s toys of all time, a symbol of intellectual prowess, a frustrating puzzle with 43.2 quintillion possible permutations, and now a worldwide sporting phenomenon that is introducing the classic brainteaser to a new generation.
In Cracking the Cube , Ian Scheffler reveals that cubing isn’t just fun and games. Along with participating in speedcubing competitions—from the World Championship to local tournaments—and interviewing key figures from the Cube’s history, he journeys to Budapest to seek a meeting with the legendary and notoriously reclusive Rubik, who is still tinkering away with puzzles in his seventies.
Getting sucked into the competitive circuit himself, Scheffler becomes engrossed in solving Rubik’s Cube in under twenty seconds, the quasi-mystical barrier known as “sub-20,” which is to cubing what four minutes is to the the difference between the best and everyone else. For Scheffler, the road to sub-20 is not just about memorizing algorithms or even solving the Rubik’s Cube. As he learns from the many gurus who cross his path, from pint-sized kids to engineering professors, it’s about learning to solve yourself.
When Hungarian professor Ernő Rubik invented the Rubik’s Cube (or, rather, his Cube) in the 1970s out of wooden blocks, rubber bands, and paper clips, he didn’t even know if it could be solved, let alone that it would become the world’s most popular puzzle. Since its creation, the Cube has become many things to many one of the bestselling children’s toys of all time, a symbol of intellectual prowess, a frustrating puzzle with 43.2 quintillion possible permutations, and now a worldwide sporting phenomenon that is introducing the classic brainteaser to a new generation.
In Cracking the Cube , Ian Scheffler reveals that cubing isn’t just fun and games. Along with participating in speedcubing competitions—from the World Championship to local tournaments—and interviewing key figures from the Cube’s history, he journeys to Budapest to seek a meeting with the legendary and notoriously reclusive Rubik, who is still tinkering away with puzzles in his seventies.
Getting sucked into the competitive circuit himself, Scheffler becomes engrossed in solving Rubik’s Cube in under twenty seconds, the quasi-mystical barrier known as “sub-20,” which is to cubing what four minutes is to the the difference between the best and everyone else. For Scheffler, the road to sub-20 is not just about memorizing algorithms or even solving the Rubik’s Cube. As he learns from the many gurus who cross his path, from pint-sized kids to engineering professors, it’s about learning to solve yourself.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 18, 2016
39 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
October 19, 2016
I was very excited to pick up this book yesterday. I ended up reading it in two sittings.
In part, I was excited about this book because I have read and enjoyed two other books about niche "sports": Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer (about memory competitions), and Eat this Book by Ryan Nerz (about competitive eating). Cracking the Cube is about speedcubing, and this time, I'm not on the outside looking in. I have been involved in the speedcubing community for over 10 years, and Ian Scheffler even interviewed me while he was researching this book.
Speaking as an expert in the field: there were some minor errors that did not detract from the story in any significant way. I finished the book at 4am, so I skimmed the credits section, but I do think the book could have used an editor who is a cuber. For example, when analyzing Mats Valk's 5.55s world record, Scheffler described the final step of his solution as an A-perm when it was actually a U-perm. This one character error has no effect on the story, other than to accidentally nerd snipe the speedcubers who read it.
Speaking as a human: Scheffler did a great job of capturing the emotions and conflicting advice one receives while trying to improve their solving. I could remember myself having the same conversations he had with cube gurus on his quest to sub 20. He intersperses this with original research on the history of the cube that I learned a lot from.
In part, I was excited about this book because I have read and enjoyed two other books about niche "sports": Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer (about memory competitions), and Eat this Book by Ryan Nerz (about competitive eating). Cracking the Cube is about speedcubing, and this time, I'm not on the outside looking in. I have been involved in the speedcubing community for over 10 years, and Ian Scheffler even interviewed me while he was researching this book.
Speaking as an expert in the field: there were some minor errors that did not detract from the story in any significant way. I finished the book at 4am, so I skimmed the credits section, but I do think the book could have used an editor who is a cuber. For example, when analyzing Mats Valk's 5.55s world record, Scheffler described the final step of his solution as an A-perm when it was actually a U-perm. This one character error has no effect on the story, other than to accidentally nerd snipe the speedcubers who read it.
Speaking as a human: Scheffler did a great job of capturing the emotions and conflicting advice one receives while trying to improve their solving. I could remember myself having the same conversations he had with cube gurus on his quest to sub 20. He intersperses this with original research on the history of the cube that I learned a lot from.
September 28, 2021
Journalist goes George Plimpton and participates in Sport Cubing, asking questions along the way, insightful but occasionally mind numbing as he shares insight into know how. Swearing.
December 16, 2016
Easily the best thing that's been written about cubing. Ian writes from the inside of the community – which is to say you can tell he is genuinely invested, beyond the completion of this book – while also maintaining journalistic rigour and rendering the sport accessible to the layperson. I enjoyed the balance between personal trajectory – his own quest of going sub-20 seconds – and the portraits of various cubers and cultural phenomena related to the Cube. Having myself been part of the speedcubing community for almost eight years, reading this book was like flicking through a just-surfaced photo album filled with pictures of people and events I already knew but having been unaware that a skilful photographer was around all along to capture what were to me unknown angles.
August 23, 2017
Author: Ian Scheffler
Title: Cracking the Cube: Going Slow to Go Fast and Other Unexpected Turns in the World of Competitive Rubik’s Cube Solving.
Narrator: Stephen R. Thorne
Publisher: Tantor Media
Unabridged
Length of Production: 7 discs/8 hours: 30 minutes
Year of Publication: 2017
In 1974, a Hungarian architecture professor and sculptor, Ernő Rubik, was trying to create a 3D mechanism which he could use as a teaching tool. His goal was to create a model of an object that existed in three planes that would help his students understand independent movement. Little did he know that what started as a contraption held together by rubber bands would go on to become a worldwide phenomenon.
Like many high school students, I was enamored by Rubik’s Cube when it came into its own in the early 80’s. A small collection of my fellow students and I purchased the cube, and even purchased a book on how to solve it. Feverishly, we learned the strategy needed to take a scrambled cube and twist it until it revealed six beautiful colors. Many of us thought we were pretty good at doing this, since it took us about two minutes to solve the cube on average.
As high school faded into oblivion, I really did not give Rubik’s Cube much thought after that. From time to time I would run across one and still remembered the strategy: complete one side completely; then, complete the middle layer; finally, orient the corner cubes on the bottom layer and twist till completion. The latter proved the most grueling as there were many patterns that had to be memorized and specific turning combinations enacted to solve the cube.
Ian Scheffler’s Cracking the Cube removed all my self-imposed glory in a matter of moments. Little did I know that the World Cube Association even existed, let alone the fact that to be “competitive” required a sub-20 second completion. In 2017, the world record for a single completion of Rubik’s Cube is a mind-numbing 4.73 seconds. A feat like this is readily observable online and blows one’s mind to behold. Participants are given a few moments to orient a scrambled cube in their minds and then work magic to complete it.
Scheffler parts the veil and allows you to learn about who invented solving strategies and his own navigation of speed-cubing to break the sub-20 reality. If you like puzzles, and their mystique, you won’t be disappointed.
The cadence of the audiobook is at an appropriate pace and the narrator, Stephen R. Thorne, navigates some of the more laborious passages with grace and tact. Thorne’s background is in theatre and his prowess is demonstrated by the fact that he has narrated over 50 audiobooks.
Rubik’s Cube is making a comeback. Find your old one or pick one up…listen to this audiobook and be inspired to solve it as quickly as you can.
Title: Cracking the Cube: Going Slow to Go Fast and Other Unexpected Turns in the World of Competitive Rubik’s Cube Solving.
Narrator: Stephen R. Thorne
Publisher: Tantor Media
Unabridged
Length of Production: 7 discs/8 hours: 30 minutes
Year of Publication: 2017
In 1974, a Hungarian architecture professor and sculptor, Ernő Rubik, was trying to create a 3D mechanism which he could use as a teaching tool. His goal was to create a model of an object that existed in three planes that would help his students understand independent movement. Little did he know that what started as a contraption held together by rubber bands would go on to become a worldwide phenomenon.
Like many high school students, I was enamored by Rubik’s Cube when it came into its own in the early 80’s. A small collection of my fellow students and I purchased the cube, and even purchased a book on how to solve it. Feverishly, we learned the strategy needed to take a scrambled cube and twist it until it revealed six beautiful colors. Many of us thought we were pretty good at doing this, since it took us about two minutes to solve the cube on average.
As high school faded into oblivion, I really did not give Rubik’s Cube much thought after that. From time to time I would run across one and still remembered the strategy: complete one side completely; then, complete the middle layer; finally, orient the corner cubes on the bottom layer and twist till completion. The latter proved the most grueling as there were many patterns that had to be memorized and specific turning combinations enacted to solve the cube.
Ian Scheffler’s Cracking the Cube removed all my self-imposed glory in a matter of moments. Little did I know that the World Cube Association even existed, let alone the fact that to be “competitive” required a sub-20 second completion. In 2017, the world record for a single completion of Rubik’s Cube is a mind-numbing 4.73 seconds. A feat like this is readily observable online and blows one’s mind to behold. Participants are given a few moments to orient a scrambled cube in their minds and then work magic to complete it.
Scheffler parts the veil and allows you to learn about who invented solving strategies and his own navigation of speed-cubing to break the sub-20 reality. If you like puzzles, and their mystique, you won’t be disappointed.
The cadence of the audiobook is at an appropriate pace and the narrator, Stephen R. Thorne, navigates some of the more laborious passages with grace and tact. Thorne’s background is in theatre and his prowess is demonstrated by the fact that he has narrated over 50 audiobooks.
Rubik’s Cube is making a comeback. Find your old one or pick one up…listen to this audiobook and be inspired to solve it as quickly as you can.
February 19, 2017
This book is about people who can solve a Rubik's Cube puzzle in less time than it takes to read this sentence. It is the journey of the author talking to many people in the speed-Rubiks cube solving culture on advice on how to finally solve the puzzle in under 20 seconds. Personally, I didn't know that this was a thing but I guess this has been going on since the prime days of the Cube in the 80's.
Interesting to read for parts of the book that give a look into this culture, but at parts it gets really in depth and uses lingo that I don't understand having not memorized algorithms to solve the puzzle.
This seems like a good book to bundle with a Rubik's Cube (The book will give suggestions on where to get them) as a gift to a puzzle fanatic.
Interesting to read for parts of the book that give a look into this culture, but at parts it gets really in depth and uses lingo that I don't understand having not memorized algorithms to solve the puzzle.
This seems like a good book to bundle with a Rubik's Cube (The book will give suggestions on where to get them) as a gift to a puzzle fanatic.
April 6, 2017
This book wanted to be (and I also wanted it to be) Moonwalking with Einstein: journalist pitches article about somewhat niche feat of mental gymnastics, journalist becomes personally invested and maybe even a little obsessed with topic, journalist sprinkles quirky facts about said topic throughout the course of the book, journalist ends up competing against eccentric world renowned champions to prove his complete mastery of the topic. If you have to pick one, Moonwalking with Einstein is the clear winner. But Cracking the Cube had a strangely addictive pull, if the (major nerd alert) fact that I dreamed about solving a Rubik's cube while I was reading it is any indication. Ha!
December 25, 2016
Nice intro to the world of competitive cubing ... which I didn't even know existed until I picked up this book, or that it was even feasible to solve the thing in less than 10 seconds. It gives a nice background to how the puzzle was created, how it's risen and fallen in popularity over the decades, how the world of competitive cubing started up, and what competitions look like now.
February 9, 2021
This was a fun book to read given that my PB for the 3x3 is around 75 seconds. I don't have any plans to put in the time it takes to reach the level of the cubers in this book, but the lessons described within can be extrapolated to other disciplines. e.g., work hard, focus, practice, review your progress, repeat.
March 9, 2018
I enjoyed this book because of the way it read. It was an interesting read that made my reading experience good. Some of the parts were boring because it just droned on. bu those parts went by fast. Otherwise, it was a good book.
January 30, 2017
Not bad. I know significantly more about Rubik now than I did before. I also appreciated it since I've recently visited Hungary.
Read
February 6, 2018The book was better towards the end and Ian ended up meeting his overall goal to get sub 20.
September 16, 2019
Great glimpse into the cube and cubing.
August 12, 2017
I was in college during the heyday of the Rubik's cube fad, and distinctly remember finding it annoying at bad parties that sometime late in the evening some nerd would get out a cube and begin solving while explaining in tedious fashion how it's done.
Evidently the fad is back, along with a competitive subculture the author investigates and joins, devoted to solving the cube as fast as possible. The problem, at least in my reading, is that without seeing video of the moves he's describing, it's basically impossible to follow. It would be like if you'd never played chess and didn't know how the pieces moved, and someone is talking to you in chess notation about Sicilian defenses, blitz openings, etc. etc.
I often enjoy books about obsessive niche subcultures [e.g., Stefan Fatsis [sp?] on scrabble], but this one was really not accessible to me, maybe in part b/c I didn't really sync with the author's sense of humor or taste in what needed detailing. Some of the anecdotes about trying to track down Rubik himself, what everyone was wearing at this or that meeting, etc. were almost amazingly boring.
I did enjoy his description near the end of Csikszentmihalyi's "flow" concept as a possible account of why people enjoy this challenging puzzle so much. Reminded me of an autobiographical chapter by the late psychologist Mike Mahoney (RIP), taking as its theme a quote from I think Ram Dass: "the object of the dance is not to finish; the object of the dance is to dance".
so...........if you know how to solve the cube or can at least picture what the hell is going on in these descriptions of permutations, rotations, etc., this might be fun for you. If not, I recommend that you invest your reading time elsewhere.
Evidently the fad is back, along with a competitive subculture the author investigates and joins, devoted to solving the cube as fast as possible. The problem, at least in my reading, is that without seeing video of the moves he's describing, it's basically impossible to follow. It would be like if you'd never played chess and didn't know how the pieces moved, and someone is talking to you in chess notation about Sicilian defenses, blitz openings, etc. etc.
I often enjoy books about obsessive niche subcultures [e.g., Stefan Fatsis [sp?] on scrabble], but this one was really not accessible to me, maybe in part b/c I didn't really sync with the author's sense of humor or taste in what needed detailing. Some of the anecdotes about trying to track down Rubik himself, what everyone was wearing at this or that meeting, etc. were almost amazingly boring.
I did enjoy his description near the end of Csikszentmihalyi's "flow" concept as a possible account of why people enjoy this challenging puzzle so much. Reminded me of an autobiographical chapter by the late psychologist Mike Mahoney (RIP), taking as its theme a quote from I think Ram Dass: "the object of the dance is not to finish; the object of the dance is to dance".
so...........if you know how to solve the cube or can at least picture what the hell is going on in these descriptions of permutations, rotations, etc., this might be fun for you. If not, I recommend that you invest your reading time elsewhere.
February 5, 2024
Told entirely through anecdotes, Cracking the Cube is an introduction to the enigmatic people behind the rise of speedcubing. The role that connectors, mavens, and salesmen played in creating this phenomenon cannot be understated, to pair my learnings from my recent read, The Tipping Point.
The growth of the cube is as mind-boggling as the puzzle itself. Every other mechanical puzzle pales in comparison to the cube's popularity. There have been several puzzle crazes, like that of the Tangram and 15 Puzzle, during which the puzzles spread like wildfire and sold like hot cakes. Still, Rubik's cube is in a class of its own.
Big irony in that puzzle designers vie to craft something so enduring as the cube, but Erno Rubik himself never set out to make a puzzle with his first prototype.
So how do we cube faster? Some things I picked up:
- use your fingers, don't turn wrists
- learn your algorithms
- train under distractions
- develop look ahead
- go for smooth turns instead of fits and starts
- film your solves, seek a critique
- dissect pros' solves
I like how Ian Scheffler titles his chapters: a key phrase that brings to mind the main story in that particular chapter.
The book has also allowed me to bone up on cubing vocabulary: cuber's thumb, colour neutrality, "sexy" move, etc. and inspired me to go sub-20, or at least try to - for this was also the author's driving force that led him on a puzzle adventure filled with twists and turns.
The growth of the cube is as mind-boggling as the puzzle itself. Every other mechanical puzzle pales in comparison to the cube's popularity. There have been several puzzle crazes, like that of the Tangram and 15 Puzzle, during which the puzzles spread like wildfire and sold like hot cakes. Still, Rubik's cube is in a class of its own.
Big irony in that puzzle designers vie to craft something so enduring as the cube, but Erno Rubik himself never set out to make a puzzle with his first prototype.
So how do we cube faster? Some things I picked up:
- use your fingers, don't turn wrists
- learn your algorithms
- train under distractions
- develop look ahead
- go for smooth turns instead of fits and starts
- film your solves, seek a critique
- dissect pros' solves
I like how Ian Scheffler titles his chapters: a key phrase that brings to mind the main story in that particular chapter.
The book has also allowed me to bone up on cubing vocabulary: cuber's thumb, colour neutrality, "sexy" move, etc. and inspired me to go sub-20, or at least try to - for this was also the author's driving force that led him on a puzzle adventure filled with twists and turns.
June 27, 2021
After watching the movie "The Speed Cubers," I accidentally picked this up thinking it was a "How to solve a Rubik's Cube" book. It turned out to be an engaging and fun read about the author's aspirations as a speedcuber and interviews with many cubers around the world in his journey. Every speedcuber's mecca is to solve the cube under twenty seconds or sub-20. The author likens cubing to what is called, "flow." It's a kind of happiness that stems from continuous movement or being in intense concentration, and a lot of practice to achieve it - whatever your discipline may be. This kind of intensity requires an active mindfulness in pursuit of "maximal orange" or your personal best as it's coined in the world of speed cubing. Everyone has a method, be it dexterity, endless, memorized algorithms, practicing more solves - faster or slower - or better look-aheads. These combinations as well as the personality of the contender are equally interesting as the number of permutations allowed in a solve. If you're naturally curious, engrossed by doing puzzles or brainteasers, and self-competitive, you might find yourself suckered into solving Rubik's Cube.
May 21, 2018
This is the author's journey about solving the Rubik's cube in under 20 seconds, which is considered the 4 minute mile in Rubik's cube speedsolving, and his adventures and stories about the people he met during the process.
The book is really well written, and contains a lot of great stories about various personalities, and how they dealt with the world of Rubik's cube speedsolving. Due to the niche nature of Rubik's cubes and their terminologies, unfamiliar audience may become uninterested with the jargon used throughout the book, but the author does his best to explain most of the phrases from time to time, so the reader is not left alone.
I thoroughly enjoyed the stories and the journey, and hopefully the world of Rubik's cube speedsolving also benefits from the author's adventures.
The book is really well written, and contains a lot of great stories about various personalities, and how they dealt with the world of Rubik's cube speedsolving. Due to the niche nature of Rubik's cubes and their terminologies, unfamiliar audience may become uninterested with the jargon used throughout the book, but the author does his best to explain most of the phrases from time to time, so the reader is not left alone.
I thoroughly enjoyed the stories and the journey, and hopefully the world of Rubik's cube speedsolving also benefits from the author's adventures.
October 7, 2017
I'm a cube fan.
I caught the initial cube wave 40 years ago and later enjoyed solving some of the other options -- 2x2x2, 4x4x4 and 5x5x5.
So I connected with this book. I like hearing the history of how the puzzle was developed and became popular.
I wasn't as interested in the speed cubing dimension, with the author's personal quest to solve it in under 20 seconds. The best in the world solve it in about 7 seconds.
I caught the initial cube wave 40 years ago and later enjoyed solving some of the other options -- 2x2x2, 4x4x4 and 5x5x5.
So I connected with this book. I like hearing the history of how the puzzle was developed and became popular.
I wasn't as interested in the speed cubing dimension, with the author's personal quest to solve it in under 20 seconds. The best in the world solve it in about 7 seconds.
September 4, 2017
Scheffler enters the world of competitive cubing - not just as a journalist chronicling the sport, but as a competitor himself. He's on a dual quest - to find Erno Rubrik, the inventor of the popular puzzle cube, and to solve the Rubik's cube in under 20 seconds. Along the way he explores the history of the cube and those obsessed with it.
September 4, 2017
Maybe I should have given this 4 stars, because it has inspired me to want to learn the fast algorithms for cube solving. The topic is really interesting, and it's very well researched, but not personally wow-ed by the writing style. Great for getting a feel for some of the personalities involved in competitive cubing.
June 22, 2018
An interesting account of speed cubing. I have dabbled with the cube and enjoyed it. Inventing my own moves in my youth. Now amazed that the solving records are so fast. I listen to an audio version of this book and it was well read. I’m not sure how entertaining it will be for someone who hasn’t played with the cube.
June 28, 2020
Great journey of a speedcuber
This book gave me insights into the important people in cubing history and a glimpse of speedcubing competition. As a learning cuber I could relate to this book very well and could not stop reading. An excellent read for anyone interested to have a glimpse to the world of speedcubing.
This book gave me insights into the important people in cubing history and a glimpse of speedcubing competition. As a learning cuber I could relate to this book very well and could not stop reading. An excellent read for anyone interested to have a glimpse to the world of speedcubing.
August 23, 2020
If I had a bit more knowledge about Rubik's Cube (not the Rubix Cube as I had thought only 288 pages ago!) I would have enjoyed this a bit more. The ending was very good as Ian was approaching his goal. Best part was learning about the marketing history of the product. I loved the chapter at Seven Towns and Rubik's Cube rise fall and rise again. Very interesting.
Read
December 12, 2022I tried reading this since my older son got into Rubik's Cube in middle school then renewed interest later in college. I thought it would be more philosophical but it's mostly practical, about the people and the world of competitive "cubing". As often happens with nonfiction it didn't hold my interest so I quickly skimmed through it.
October 2, 2021
Very interesting. I already knew how to solve the cube and I have already broken the "sub-20" barrier, but still, the best speedcubing book out there. Recommend to any cuber, or just if you want to know more about the cube. Very enjoyable read.
August 17, 2023
Really fun read about the recent resurgence of the famous Rubik’s cube that started, and seemingly died, in the 80’s. And while the book introduces many key players and influencers, the author himself is trying to reach a milestone on the cube. The book’s alternate title could be Sub20. Great book.
July 15, 2017
cool rubik cube
August 30, 2017
This was a good one. I really enjoyed this. It made me want to go get a Rubik's Cube and figure it out. I've never solved it, but I think I could read and follow directions. Good read.
November 30, 2019
Enjoyed it!
Want to read
August 28, 2020sv
April 9, 2025
So good for a cuber like me. So sad when my library took out this book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews