cover image Cheers! Around the World in 80 Toasts

Cheers! Around the World in 80 Toasts

Brandon Cook. Red Lightning, $29 (378p) ISBN 978-1-684-35145-9

Cook debuts with an entertaining guide on how to give a toast in nearly 80 languages. Far from being an authoritative or rigorous text (Cook admits that much of his research came from "combing through articles on the internet," as well as "travel websites and YouTube"), the book is more a series of anecdotal observations on "language as the wonderful and interesting phenomenon it is." Every entry opens with a language's nearest equivalent to the English term for "cheers" before going on to dispense amusing trivia on everything from Benjamin Franklin's favorite booze (champagne) to the Finnish use of the compound word "hyppytyynytyydytys" (which conveys the "bouncy cushion satisfaction" one feels when settling onto a plush couch). Sidebars note popular regional drink offerings—such as the Greek aperitif ouzo, a deceiving shot that, if consumed heedlessly, can leave one "stumbling around like a blinded Cyclops"—supporting the notion that what's in one's glass is almost as important as what one is drinking to. Cook is more interested in breadth than depth, and he tends toward breezy descriptions of lighthearted drinking traditions—in Russia, for instance, the best kind of toast includes heavy eye contact. More serious-minded imbibers may be turned off by glib remarks about potentially intriguing relationships (such as when Cook notes that despite its historic use of Cyrillic, "Serbia will sometimes use the Latin alphabet, because—reasons"), but those in need of a lighter diversion won't mind. It's worth raising a glass to the enthusiasm and good nature of this fun project. (Apr.)