How long does it take you to read a go book?

Actorios · Post by **Actorios** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 9:38 am

I've realized on my last reading that it was taking me a very long time to complete a go book.
I would say I need 2 months to get one done (I've now taken the habit to replay all moves and variations for every single diagram).
There are exceptions for very basic books (which are still worth practicing) or books around the world of go but problems (501 Tesuji problems, Get Strong at Tesuji...) or theory books (Tesuji, Attack & Defense) take me a very long time to complete.

When I look at my library, I think I've got reading for the next 15 years at that pace.
The situation is getting worth as I now understand that go books are worth re-reading multiple time to get as much as possible out of them.
On the other hand, at least in english, there aren't that many go books anyway.

Are you having the same experience / feeling? Do you also get frustrated by your study pace?

Tsuyoku · Post by **Tsuyoku** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 9:51 am

I can't do more than a few pages a day.

Maybe ten pages or so, then I need to think about it, and get too distracted to read on.

I hope this means I really develop a very thorough understanding of what I read, but in practice, it's not as convenient as that.

I've never reread a book without seeing something I had missed previously.

CnP · Post by **CnP** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 2:44 pm

I find reading Go books like reading other serious books (science textbooks, philosophy etc) - if I skim through it I get almost nothing from them. 30mins - 1 hour at a time is my max before my brain gets too tired. I do think it's important to keep working at a book every day though to understand it properly. I heard it said though (on here or GD) that there are too many books available now - because some people feel the need to rush through (because they already have another 5 they haven't started yet), which was different when Go Review was the main thing available.. and that people should learn to read Go books slowly, like you are.

It gives me a nice feeling to think I've probably now got a lifetime supply of Go books, even if I only buy 1-2 books every year hereafter. That said, some books are better than others (which for me is part of the reason for buying any that might be useful).

karaklis · Post by **karaklis** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:11 pm

A very good question. Except for some problem books (GGPB vol 1-3, Get Strong at Tesuji and 1001 L&D Problems) I have only finished "In the Beginning", "Attack & Defense" and "Tesuji" of the Elementary Go Series. For the last two it took me quite long. As for the other books I have either only skimmed through them or started and never ended. :sad:

SpongeBob · Post by **SpongeBob** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 5:38 pm

The one that takes longest for me: 1001 Life and Death Problems - puh, it is really hard to go through all of them.

Actorios · Post by **Actorios** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 5:54 pm

karaklis wrote:A very good question. Except for some problem books (GGPB vol 1-3, Get Strong at Tesuji and 1001 L&D Problems) I have only finished "In the Beginning", "Attack & Defense" and "Tesuji" of the Elementary Go Series. For the last two it took me quite long. As for the other books I have either only skimmed through them or started and never ended.

I understand what you mean, Stephan... I'm exactly at the same point as you are. I've read the exact same books as you did (to the exception of 1001 L&D) and got into reading bits and pieces of the others.
Go books are clearly not novels...

Perception · Post by **Perception** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:01 pm

It depends on the book as well as the level of difficulty. Some books are much more dense such as dictionaries. For books like the elementary go series it's usually between a few days and a week depending on my familiarity with the subject. Problem books can vary from half an hour to days or impossible to finish at my current level.

tchan001 · Post by **tchan001** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:20 pm

When I look at my go book library, I know I'll have problems finishing reading it.

mw42 · Post by **mw42** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:39 pm

When I look at my go library, I know I'll have problems finishing it (because it doesn't exist). :sad:

The only book I've read was the first volume of Janice Kim's intro to go (Learn To Play, I think it is called) when I first started playing.

gowan · Post by **gowan** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 12:28 pm

Most go books shouldn't be read the way you would read a novel, straight through from beginning to end. For a go book you might read some of it, then go back to an earlier part because what you just read suggests something about what you read earlier. You might go back and forth like that a lot. Certainly many of them require repeated readings. Some of them aren't intended to be "read" but rather referred to, like joseki dictionaries. Some of them, like Invincible, you will never "finish".

Mivo · Post by **Mivo** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:44 pm

I never really finished a Go book.

I have more books than I should have at my strength, or rather, I have quite a few books that I picked up here and there that are clearly beyond my grasp. Often, I'll just read chapters or bits that interest me and are relevant to what I want to learn more about. Or I skim them in an attempt to snatch up pieces of knowledge.

But I like books, and Go books in particular are more timeless than a lot of other specialist literature.

Life In 19x19

How long does it take you to read a go book?

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