The Language Lover's Puzzle Book - (Alex Bellos Puzzle Books) by Alex Bellos (Paperback)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>100 challenging puzzles for would-be codebreakers that also celebrate the uniqueness of language--from hieroglyphics to the sign language of silent monks<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><b>100 wonder-filled word puzzles that thrill and tantalize with the beauty, magic, and weirdness of world language</b> <p/> Whether you're a crossword solver, cryptogram fan, Scrabble addict, or Sudoku savant, <i>The Language Lover's Puzzle Book</i> is guaranteed to tease your brain and twist your tongue. Puzzle master Alex Bellos begins in Japan, where we can observe some curious counting: <p/><i>boru niko</i> = two balls <br><i>tsuna nihon</i> = two ropes <br><i>uma nito</i> = two horses <br><i>kami nimai</i> = two sheets of paper <p/><i>ashi gohon</i> = five legs <br><i>ringo goko</i> = five apples <br><i>sara gomai</i> = five plates <br><i>kaba goto</i> = five hippos <p/> Now, how do the Japanese say "nine cucumbers"?* <br> a) <i>kyuri kyuhon </i> <br> b) <i>kyuri kyuko </i> <br> c) <i>kyuri kyuhiki </i> <br> d) <i>kyuri kyuto</i> <p/> Bellos 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 <i>beyond</i>--it's a globe-trotting, time-traveling celebration of language. <p/>*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)!<p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br><b>International Bestseller</b> <p/> "Alex Bellos is a dazzling polymath whose cleverness and ingenuity are on full display in this utterly brilliant and original collection of linguistic puzzles. This book is destined to be a classic for puzzle lovers."--<b>Joshua Foer</b>, cofounder of <i>Atlas Obscura</i> and author of <i>Moonwalking with Einstein</i> <p/> "<i>The Language Lover's Puzzle Book</i> is exactly the sort of book I wish had been available to me as a budding linguist. I recommend it for all the language and puzzle fans in your life!"<b>--Gretchen McCulloch, </b> <i>New York Times</i>-bestselling author of <i>Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language</i> <p/> "Not just a puzzle collection, but an introduction to the science of distilling regularities from the weird ways in which languages behave . . . Many beginners, after the buzz of Mr. Bellos's puzzles, may also fall in love with the joys of [linguistics]."<b><i>--The Economist</i></b> <p/> "I am a sucker for Alex Bellos's books--they're just such fun, full of unexpected ideas and charmingly written. If you like puzzles, this is a delightful and original approach, and you'll pick up a lot of quirky delights along the way."<b>--Tim Harford, </b>author of <i>The Data Detective</i> <p/> "Think you're a master codebreaker, expert linguist or a genius puzzler? Then it's time to prove your skills with these brain-teasers."<b><i>--BBC Science Focus</i></b> <p/> "An irresistible linguistic workout--challenging and deeply satisfying."<b>--Gaston Dorren, </b>author of <i>Lingo: A Language Spotter's Guide to Europe</i> <p/> "A cornucopia of ingenious and insightful challenges, each with a bonus commentary about the fascinating diversity of the world's languages, all presented in a friendly and engaging style. The title is exactly right. It's the perfect companion for anyone who loves puzzles and languages."<b>--David Crystal, </b>author of <i>The Stories of English</i> <p/> "If you love a puzzle--and you love language--you'll love what Alex Bellos has done here."<b>--Gyles Brandreth, </b> author of <i>Dancing by the Light of the Moon</i> <p/> "Language is a puzzle, so this compendium of language puzzles is a great idea; and the great thing about puzzles is they give us problems that we didn't even know were problems."<b>--Michael Rosen, </b>author of <i>Alphabetical: How Every Letter Tells a Story</i> <p/> "The only puzzle book I've seen that manages to befuddle both sides of the brain at the same time."<b>--Dara Ó Briain, </b>comedian and author of <i>Secret Science</i> <p/> "You can probably think of someone who needs a present for these 'Oh my god it's getting dark early and the world is full of germs' times. This is it!"<b>--Lynne Murphy, </b>professor of linguistics at the University of Sussex<br>
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