I want to make like Roland Barthes about the choice of imagery but I don't have the chops. What do you think?

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So you've got an eye?
That don't impress me much

They should have gone with a pair of false teeth in a glass of water..

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I am John. John-I-Am.

Hmmm... not sure it's culturally appropriate.

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"Those who calculate greatly will win; those who calculate only a little will lose, but what of those who don't make any calculations at all!? This is why everything must be calculated, in order to foresee victory and defeat."-The Art of War

I have nothing to do with the design so I don't know the thinking behind it, but I can imagine a couple of reference points. One is that the chair is empty - the Meijin didn't really make it to retirement. Another is that there some western references, plus heavy mention of the Seidensticker translation which made "Master of Go" the first non-technical go book well known in the west.

But I have no artistic skills, so I don't want to get into a debate about design. More to the point, it maybe doesn't matter. I just heard that Kamakura, where the design was criticised by some, has sold out its first printing. It will be reprinted early in the New Year, which is when I also hope to deliver the next two books to Slate & Shell.

It's simply a testament to your skill as a go writer that the books sell out despite the atrocious cover design.

- no it doesn't matter at all, it's just great books like this are getting published! thank-you, it looks very interesting

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I am John. John-I-Am.