If you've been in a book store in the last six months -- or an
airport, waiting room or college lecture class -- you've
probably seen someone staring at a sudoku. Given its popularity,
one might think it's some new type of porn. But no, it's just a
puzzle. It's a widespread, logic-based fad of a puzzle that is
simple enough to suck you in and difficult enough to keep you
hooked.  In this article, we'll find out what a sudoku puzzle
entails, how to go about solving one and where the concept
originated (hint: It's not Japan. Let's get started.  Sudoku
Basics  Sudoku (or su doku) is a game of numbers --
specifically, the numbers 1 through 9 -- but it really isn't
about math. It's about logic. Instead of 1 through 9, you could
use the first nine letters of the alphabet or a set of nine
symbols, and it would be the same game.  The basis of sudoku is
a nine-by-nine grid. You've got three sections to think about:
rows, columns and boxes.  The goal of sudoku is to fill each
nine-square row, each nine-square column an