With the workweek over and a long, relaxing weekend stretching delightfully ahead, what better way to ease the mind and soothe the soul than with a crossword puzzle? Or better yet, two hundred of them?

The New York Times and its crossword puzzle editor, Will Shortz, bring you this volume, overflowing with selected crosswords from the pages of the Times, puzzles free of the obscure trivia of older crosswords, and full of modern, fresh vocabulary and fun wordplay.