After 39 years, I finally found a path to the solution. The book version of the puzzle and the movie version (VHS or Beta) use different paths to the solution.
The video version of the puzzle is also based on using the map (arrows and border track), but the relevant text is essentially obtained from a manipulation of the chapter titles.
Solutions to book version
The following documents (pdf) provides the full, step by step solution. The are two different solutions proposed. The first one (now in version 3) is a radical shift from the previous version, the result of finally learning the most difficult of secrets: how to see.
New! Version 3 Solution to book version
(Version 3 added 2026-03-23)
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COLOR Solution to book version
The second one has a nice simplicity to it and is based on colors.
(Version 1 added 2025-10-12)
jplabonte 