Go Reviews

Pros & Cons of "The Second Book of Go"
By Richard Bozulich
Published by Kiseido Publishing Co
ISBN: 4906574319

PRO: Good For 15k+
Reviewed by Dan Jaqua 11k
        "The Second Book of Go" is an aptly titled book, picking up after you've played your first few games and taking you through some very fundamental ideas. The book is thorough enough for anyone although on occasion a true beginner may have to put forth some effort in order to appreciate and apply the material.
        Speaking of application, it would be helpful to accompany this book with a problem book (Graded Go Problems for Beginners, either Volume 1 or 2 would be appropriate) because "The Second Book" does not provide sufficient opportunities to practice the techniques presented. I don't think this is a major problem, however, since the text deals with issues so fundamental that they come up regularly in games.
        The book is excellent overall. The only reason for someone to avoid this book is if they have progressed past around 15 kyu. I read the book around that level and felt that I had already been forced to learn the vast majority of the material by experience. Even at 15 kyu, however, I did find pockets of new information because this book covers subjects too basic to be adequately covered anywhere else. I wish I had read this book when I was just learning, I think it would have helped me both at the board and when reading more advanced books.

CON: Save Your Money
Reviewed by Mark Engelberg 11k
        "The Second Book of Go" is aimed at beginning go players 20k or weaker. It primarily serves as an overview of the many facets of go that merit further study, from the opening and joseki to tesuji and so on. For the most part, each chapter functions as a preview for a corresponding in-depth book from Kiseido's Elementary Go series. One notable exception to this is the section on
capturing races by Richard Hunter. These chapters are completely out of character with the introductory nature of the rest of the book, providing a rigorous approach to categorizing and analyzing capture races. I enjoyed this information considerably, but once again, a more thorough treatment can be found elsewhere (Counting Liberties and Winning Capturing Races, also by Richard Hunter, from Slate and Shell). Rather than buying this book, most go players would be better served saving their money and putting it towards the book's meatier counterparts.