Stephen Sondheim’s creative secret weapon had nothing to do with Broadway musicals

A new book chronicle’s the late musical theater legend’s passion for puzzles and games, and how it influenced his life and work.

Lots of research shows that doing mental exercises can ward off dementia and the effects of aging, but can it actually make you better at your job? While it’s hard to imagine the late musical theater virtuoso Stephen Sondheim needing any kind of extra creative stimuli, he in fact had a well-known love of stimulating puzzles and games.