On "Reading books to improve?"

[Uberdude]

I can't prove it, but I definitely feel Attack and Defence helped me gain a few ranks in the low sdk range. As for rank graphs, I think this one is quite a nice one to show that the China Go Trip made me stronger in summer 2007 (late June to late August).
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.j.s ... graph2.png

[tentano]

That's pretty impressive, for a few weeks of study.

[Bantari]

I can't prove it, but I definitely feel Attack and Defence helped me gain a few ranks in the low sdk range. As for rank graphs, I think this one is quite a nice one to show that the China Go Trip made me stronger in summer 2007 (late June to late August).
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.j.s ... graph2.png

How many books did you read during that time?

[Uberdude]

I can't prove it, but I definitely feel Attack and Defence helped me gain a few ranks in the low sdk range. As for rank graphs, I think this one is quite a nice one to show that the China Go Trip made me stronger in summer 2007 (late June to late August).
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.j.s ... graph2.png

How many books did you read during that time?

In China? Not many. Maybe one or two in downtime in the apartment, but the study time was a mix of lectures, simuls, games, reviews and tsumego.

[i3ullseye]

Ah yes.... the secret techniques of the master. Once you learn the secret move of the school, you defeat your arch rival easily. I think I saw that Kung Fu movie. Wait.... isn't that every Kung Fu movie?

While I agree some concepts may have been harder to put into writing instead of someone showing you an in person example, books have the advantage that you can go back and re-read the section multiple times. You can read it when YOU feel like you would be most receptive. You can learn at YOUR pace.

And now we get to add chat on the internet and forum posts? Historical archives of THOUSANDS of past games, pro games? How can any 'secrets' really still exist?

[RobertJasiek]

Secrets still exist because the internet is no 1:1 copy of everybody's knowledge somewhere. Maybe you under-estimate the amount of unwritten knowledge? E.g., despite my own good, explicit memory of go theory and my efforts to write down everything, I'd guess that still more than 95% of the go theory I know exists in my mind but I could not write down it yet. This must be similar also for other prolific writers. By far the knowledge is still only verbal / mental instead of written. This is different for go than for, say, sciences because the history of sciences has seen 2000+ more years of writing while go writing in significant volume is a modern novelty. Maybe after 500 years, there will be enough go writing so that only new research would still be awaiting discovery.

EDIT:

Archives of pro games do not replace explicit writing of go theory because the games themselves reveal nothing yet about reading, judgement, strategy. It requires commentary, analysis or more general theory to describe or apply these things.

[i3ullseye]

If you can say it, you can write it. I in no way think everything that CAN be written HAS been written.... as it will never 100% all be written. But to suggests that it CAN be taught by speaking to someone, but those same words can not be written is a false assumption. I would even say that showing someone moves on a board can just as easily be drown out on paper. We have Kifu as old as 200 AD, so it isn't like people haven't had means to write down games. Explaining in words might become very long if it is written out, but it is in no way impossible.