{"product_id":"the-language-lover-s-puzzle-book-a-world-tour-of-languages-and-alphabets-in-100-amazing-puzzles-alex-bellos-puzzle-books","title":"The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book: A World Tour of Languages and Alphabets in 100 Amazing Puzzles (Alex Bellos Puzzle Books)","description":"100 wonder-filled word puzzles that thrill and tantalize with the beauty, magic, and weirdness of world language Whether you’re a crossword solver, cryptogram fan, Scrabble addict, or Sudoku savant, The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book is guaranteed to tease your brain and twist your tongue. Puzzle master Alex Bellos begins in Japan, where we can observe some curious counting:\n\nboru niko = two balls\ntsuna nihon = two ropes\numa nito = two horses\nkami nimai = two sheets of paper\n\nashi gohon = five legs\nringo goko = five apples\nsara gomai = five plates\nkaba goto = five hippos\n\nNow, how do the Japanese say “nine cucumbers”?*\na) kyuri kyuhon\nb) kyuri kyuko\nc) kyuri kyuhiki\nd) kyuri kyuto\n\nBellos finds the intrigue―and the human element―in a dizzying array of ancient, modern, and even invented tongues, from hieroglyphs to Blissymbolics, Danish to Dothraki. Filled with unusual alphabets, fascinating characters, and intriguing local customs for time-telling, naming children, and more, this is a bravura book of brainteasers and beyond―it’s a globe-trotting, time-traveling celebration of language.\n\n*The word endings depend on shape: Flat things end in -mai and spherical things end in -ko. Cucumbers are long things (like ropes and legs), so they end in -hon. The answer is (a)! 125 B\u0026amp;W illustrations and diagrams\u003cbr\u003eASIN: 1615198040\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: DBV.1615198040.G\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Good\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Bellos, Alex\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: Gently used with minimal wear on the corners and cover. A few pages may contain light highlighting or writing, but the text remains fully legible. Dust jacket may be missing, and supplemental materials like CDs or codes may not be included. May be ex-library with library markings. Ships promptly!  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Dream Books Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41547297685562,"sku":"DBV.1615198040.G","price":9.79,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/6011\/0138\/files\/1615198040-0.jpg?v=1784690486","url":"https:\/\/shop.dreambooksco.com\/products\/the-language-lover-s-puzzle-book-a-world-tour-of-languages-and-alphabets-in-100-amazing-puzzles-alex-bellos-puzzle-books","provider":"Dream Books Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}