This book is the latest in the popular series of Brainteaser books published by Phoenix for a variety of different micros, and it makes a very welcome change from the usual run-of-the-mill program book full of shoot-'em-down games. What you get here is a good collection of interesting and challenging brainteasers of varying difficulty, that will let you pit your wits against your computer.

There are nearly thirty puzzles here, and as several of them contain a number of puzzles within themselves you actually get very good value for money. The first one, Hexagon Puzzle for example, contains eleven puzzles. The collection is a varied one. You will recognise several old favourites here, such as "A-Mazeing", "Odd One Out" and "Word Search", while you will also meet a lot of interesting new ideas.

Some of these, such as the Francis Drake Adventure Game and "Don't Paint The Cat" (!) are really very original and should provide lots of fun. Those who are good at maths needn't think that they are going to walk away with all the prizes, because the programs also include logic tests, memory exercises and observation challenges - all cunningly disguised in scenarios such as a Wild West saloon bar, the landing of a flying saucer or the scene of bloody murder. They range in difficulty from the very simple, which are suitable for quite young children, to some quite ambitious ones, which would easily flex an adult's brain muscles.

In addition, there are some useful hints that the author has provided with each program, as she shows you how to make it harder if you want to and provides some handy advice and tips about the routines she has used. Children will enjoy these games for their fun value and adults will like them because they also have an educational element.

The book is well laid out and has a screen shot of each puzzle accompanying the listings so that you know what to expect as a result of your laborious keying-in. The dot matrix printout is clear and has not been reduced in size as some other books do, so it is nice and easy to read.

You should find these programs a doddle to key in, as most are only two or three pages long and the instructions are very lucid. The only quibble I would make is that one or two typos have crept in from time to time, which could have been avoided.

This book should appeal to many people. It is one of the better games books on the market - well produced and containing some very good programs. If you want something that's a bit different and more original than most books, this one should keep you and your family cudgelling their brains right through the holidays.