To access the synopsis of this exceptional book by John Power, I kindly direct you to the link shared by Richard Bozulich in his announcement: https://kiseidopublishing.com/Other.htm.
It has been only a week since I began studying this book, and I am utterly amazed by the outstanding quality of its content. I felt compelled to share my initial impressions on the forum and eagerly await contributions from fellow readers in the near future.
This monumental work spans 522 pages and provides a comprehensive in-depth analysis of 104 proverbs. These proverbs are thoughtfully categorized into nine chapters, covering various aspects of the game, such as Life and Death, Capturing Races, Tactics, Strategy, and more. Essentially, it encompasses all fundamental aspects of the game.
What truly distinguishes this book is its extensive use of examples for each proverb, highlighting their relevance to actual play. These examples are drawn from real games, and at the end of each “lesson,” a couple of problems are presented. What could be better to enhance the learning process than this combination of theory, practical application, and problem-solving?
The book’s layout is excellent, providing a pleasurable reading experience. Despite the author’s mention that reading the book in a specific order is not necessary, I personally prefer to follow it sequentially. Additionally, I have started to lay out many diagrams on a physical board to train my reading and visualization skills.
Through its meticulous analysis of proverbs and principles, this book offers a remarkable wealth of foundational knowledge - offered in basic chunks for easy memorization - that is begging to be studied and internalized. This book is undeniably a masterpiece. If I were ever banished to an island and permitted to bring only one go book, “Essential Go Proverbs” would unequivocally be my choice.
Paul Schmit, 2k EGF
