Mimura`s Fuseki Bible (part one of review)

[Tami]

Mimura doesn`t say very much at all about the 6-6 point, only that it`s easy for the other player to take away all the territory by playing at 4-4 and that it`s better than starting at the 2-2 point.

I`m surprised that this bothered you more than the fact Mimura does not cover fuseki with 5-4 points and 5-3 points.

So, there`s a little bit more about the book for you. But, there has to be a limit. If I review a book, my intention is only to give my opinion about it and to give a flavour of it. I have to set limits somewhere, otherwise I`d end up translating it or paraphrasing it.

From now on, I will gladly answer your (Robert's) questions about Japanese books I review if a) I feel like it and b) I have time and c) I feel able to answer. If I can't, then I will simply let your questions hang in the air. It`s not that I wish to be rude, but I can't go on as I have been. Ultimately, if you really want to know, you might have to spend a bit of money to find out. Sometimes you might be disappointed, but that`s too bad.

[Cassandra]

So there is no outside „influence“ to burst, but an area of interest, directed to the corner.

And exactly this I want to find out: does the book really ignore about (more than) half a (6-6) stone's value by considering only its corner territory but not its outside influence? And no, OC I do not ignore the influence aspect just to possibly hide it if the book should ignore it.

Robert, Mimura has written three sentences about one diagram on the 6-6-point in the introduction to his book. This is as much text as he has written there about the 2-2-, 3-3-, 4-4, and 5-5-, points each.

It is part of a brief explanation why he concentrates on the 4-4-, and 3-4-, points in this book.

Mimura does neither "ignore" a special, potential, value of the 6-6-point that you especially seem to be interested in, nor does he "ignore" the specific values of playing at the 3-3-, 5-3-, 5-4-, or 5-5-points first. These starting points are simply no topics that are covered in (t)his book, that's all.

[RobertJasiek]

only that it`s easy for the other player to take away all the territory by playing at 4-4

That is correct, of course.

I`m surprised that this bothered you more than the fact Mimura does not cover fuseki with 5-4 points and 5-3 points.

I am well aware that those points require a lot of specialised knowledge, which can easily cover another book. So, for a book intending to explain the basics, omitting those two points is a very pragmatic approach. (A reader must read other literature on also the other first corner moves, but this duty of the reader does not make the author's choice of sticking to the basics bad.)

If I can't, then I will simply let your questions hang in the air.

Of course.

Sometimes you might be disappointed, but that`s too bad.

Uh, I am in internet forums since 1995:)

[ez4u]

I have better things to do than to learn Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Learning foreign languages is very tough for me (you guess why:) ). I would read the book's diagrams if the book were suitable for me, but it appears to be below my level, and I do not buy just every book to see exactly which (diagram) contents it has.

If it`s "below your level", then why do you even bother asking questions about it? Indeed, why do you get so deeply involved in all these threads concerning books you can't read and which, you think, have nothing worthwhile to say to you? If you`re not interested in the books, then please don`t keep asking me for more and more detail about them. You`re not the only busy person around here, and your time is not more important than mine.

Why can`t you just let me review a book and talk about it with people who have a genuine interest in it?

Never forget that what you reply to is entirely up to you. My approach is, "When in doubt, tune it out!" Life is too short, etc.

[Tami]

Never forget that what you reply to is entirely up to you. My approach is, "When in doubt, tune it out!" Life is too short, etc.

Yes, I agree. It`s only that it can be easier said than done, and it doesn`t feel nice to ignore somebody, especially when they ask a question, but I`m going to have to learn to walk away from some kinds of discussions at an early stage.

[xed_over]

Never forget that what you reply to is entirely up to you. My approach is, "When in doubt, tune it out!" Life is too short, etc.

Yes, I agree. It`s only that it can be easier said than done, and it doesn`t feel nice to ignore somebody, especially when they ask a question, but I`m going to have to learn to walk away from some kinds of discussions at an early stage.

somebody is wrong on the internet: http://xkcd.com/386/

[oren]

Just to give another positive comment, I like seeing the book reviews. They often help me to select books to pick up in the future.