I work with engineers, a senior likes to ask the same question to people on their first day (how much does a brick weight that weight 1Kg plus half the brick) and I shit you not these people second guess themselves all the time.

Given, it’s probably the pressure of being new to the job and having this guy put you on the spot, but I find this “riddle” really really easy so, maybe, go get that degree?

In common commercial english, i would read that as “this merchant will offer to trade any of the books for an amoumt of currency equal to half the book’s cover price plus $1.”

Such vagueness also suggests sufficient informality that the merchant may either accept seperate offers or veto the general rule on a case-by-case basis.

Is this a philosophical question, or a riddle answered by “$2”?

I could see where the wordage could make it seem like “half of whatever the publisher’s price is, plus a dollar”, like a special book sale, but when written as a formula, the answer is two.

Nothing because I would punch the nerd bookseller and take the book rather than answer a riddle

Bruh someone explain this to me

(x/2)+1

x = 1 + x/2

2x = 2 + x

x = 2

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