The Ultimate Guide to Using a Book Cipher (The "Detailed" Edition)
This guide explains how to send secret messages that only you and your friend can
read. To the outside world, it just looks like a list of random numbers.
The Golden Rule: The Identical Book
This is the most important rule. You and your friend must have two identical copies of
the same book.
It must be the same Title.
It must be the same Author.
It must be the same Edition and Publisher. (A 2010 paperback version of a
book will have different page numbers than a 2018 hardcover version).
Think of it like this: You cannot use two different maps to find the same treasure. If the
street names are different, you will both get lost. Your books must be perfect copies.
Understanding the Code Format
The code for each word is made of three numbers in a specific order:
PAGE - LINE - WORD
PAGE: The page number the word is on.
LINE: Which line you count down to from the top of the page.
WORD: Which word you count to from the left side of that line.
Example: A code like 145-7-3 means:
1. Go to page 145.
2. Count down to the 7th line.
3. Find the 3rd word on that line.
How to Encrypt (Writing a Secret Message)
Let's say your secret message is: "DANGER GO NORTH"
And your book is a simple copy of "Treasure Island."
1. Encrypt the word "DANGER":
o You flip through your book and find the word "danger". Let's say you find it
on page 82, on the 15th line, and it's the 2nd word.
o The code for "DANGER" is 82-15-2.
2. Encrypt the word "GO":
o You find the word "go" on page 51, on the 3rd line, as the 11th word.
o The code for "GO" is 51-3-11.
3. Encrypt the word "NORTH":
o You find the word "north" on page 199, on the 21st line, as the 7th word.
o The code for "NORTH" is 199-21-7.
You then write down your secret message, separating each code with a slash /.
The Final Secret Message: 82-15-2 / 51-3-11 / 199-21-7
Pro Tip: To make your code harder for an enemy to crack, don't always pick the first
time you see a word. Flip to a random page in the middle of the book to find your word.
How to Decrypt (Reading a Secret Message)
Your friend receives the message 82-15-2 / 51-3-11 / 199-21-7.
He opens his identical copy of "Treasure Island."
1. For 82-15-2: He goes to page 82, counts down 15 lines, and finds the 2nd word.
The word is "danger".
2. For 51-3-11: He goes to page 51, counts down 3 lines, and finds the 11th word.
The word is "go".
3. For 199-21-7: He goes to page 199, counts down 21 lines, and finds the 7th
word. The word is "north".
He now knows the secret message: "DANGER GO NORTH".
Final Rules to Avoid Confusion
Agree on what to count: Do you count chapter titles and page headers as
lines? Agree on the rules beforehand. The simplest rule is: "Only count the
main lines of text."
Agree on hyphenated words: Is "old-fashioned" one word or two? Agree on a
rule for this.
Double-check your numbers: It's easy to make a mistake. Always check your
page, line, and word count one more time before sending.
Don't lose the book! The book is your key. If you lose it, the code is lost forever.
