Go with the Flow: How the Great Master of Go Trained His Mind

by Hunhyun Cho, Jungmin You (Translator)

“This is an important addition to body of books in English about Go.”_ Andrew Okun, President, American Go Association“Go with the Flow is a collection of anecdotes from the life of one of the game’s great masters.” _ Will Lockhart, Film Director, The Surrounding GameIt is often said that shifting perspectives makes all the difference, but it’s easier said than done. How can we find a peace of mind even when we are cornered by imminent threats while time and plans are running out?Cho Hunhyun is one of the greatest Go masters in history, who has been held in respect in not only Korea but also Japan and China. Since he became a professional Go player at the age of nine, he has won 1,935 matches and taken various championship titles as many as 160 times over 56 years, achieving unprecedented record in the world Go history. Now, he gives what he has learned through his life, the essence of how to train our heart and mind. Go is a strategic board game for two players who take turns placing a white or black stone on the board in order to secure more territory than the opponent. No stone has a specific role to play nor has the board a defined path to follow. The number of cases in which a player can make by putting stones is deemed greater than the number of atoms in our universe, which means that the game requires a huge brainpower and strength to win while resisting tremendous psychological pressure. That’s why Go is known as a game of genius and a Go master is respected as a master of life.This book tells us about his life-long training, which has contributed his amazing achievement in Go. What is his secret? “Victory comes to us when we contemplate with steadfast focus on the essence,” the great Go master shows us the way to find inner peace.He has never stopped training his heart and mind to win games and his attitude toward life gives us an epiphany. Leading a satisfactory life comes down to becoming a true master of our own mind. Contending for victory in life is possible only when we gain control of our heart and become unmoved by anything. Becoming a bestseller in Japan and China as well as Korea right after publication, Go with the How the Great Master of Go Trained His Mind is now ready to meet more readers all over the world.

Genres: Go, Nonfiction

222 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 2015

Reviews

[Giovanni · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's good and bad with this book.

The bad:
- the quality of the editing is pretty shabby. There are typos and the translator's voice is shaky. I wouldn't say that typos are abundant. The translation is OK as well, but sometimes one can glimpse at the Korean structure underneath. There are some sentences that really stand out and the opening page is not for the faint of heart. Please note I'm not a native English speaker
- the last few chapters about modern life and how Cho quit smoking seem a bit cliché, if not insulting, they're short and probably serve as a filler. I wonder if that's Cho's voice without the editing because the rest of the book is quite great (see below). Regarding one particular chapter in which Cho affirms his supreme luddite spirit in not having a driver's license and not needing a phone, the reader is quick to find an explanation: both his wife and daughter act as personal chauffeurs and secretaries that drive him around and relay messages. Disappointing.
- all in all, this feels like an instant-book for the Korean market which became a sensation in the Go-dry western world. It's not exactly an autobiography as one would expect, rather a sort of self-help book

The good:
- besides all the "bad" I pointed out before, most of the book reads like a charm. There are biographical bits that made me jump (Master Segoe's death) but it's mostly "words from the wise" type of book
- I thought self-help books were beneath me. Well, I was wrong. I drank it all. Being a big Go fan was definitely a big part of it. In part, I could relate with a lot of the narration (the smoke-filled rooms of the clubs, being at a tournament and hearing a sweet voice telling you to resign and go home, the stress, the highs and lows of competitive play). On the other hand, Cho hasn't anything new to say, but reading these age-old advises ("never give up!", "ponder until you find the right move!", "adapt to thrive", "face your weaknesses" etc.) from him made an impact in a period in which I was feeling particularly down

All in all, 5 stars are probably undeserved, but it was a good journey so here's my thanks to you Kunken.

[J Crossley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Go Champion

Go.
I have never heard of the game Go. Knowledge of the game was not necessary in order to enjoy this book.

Cho Hunhyun is a master of the game Go. His memoir recounts his life and distill nuggets of wisdom.

He learned in the game that
whoever had the unwavering focus until the last was going to be the winner. I think this is also applicable in the game of life.

The biggest take-away from me was the following statement.

Don’t be afraid of thinking differently and applying them in real life. No matter how small it may seem, it can playout in so many different ways-may it be a small change in one’s personal life, or a change for the better for everyone in this world.

[Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took one star off due to the incredibly poor translation. Simply having a native English speaker review the book would have made a world of difference.

That said, this book is a fascinating look at the experience of a professional and a life dedicated to one's sport. In this case the sport is go/baduk/weiqi, the 4,000 year-old game played most popularly in Japan/Korea/China. As you read you can see the childhood passed over but not missed, the joy of competition and comradery, and the deep life lessons learned. The book is part memoir and part philosophy of life. It is thoroughly enjoyable, especially as a look into the world of professional Go in Asia.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book because it gave me insights into the world of the Go professional. I think that the story would be engaging to someone who is not a “Go nut”. I realized that I belong to pretty exclusive niche when found that I am well acquainted with 4 of the 5 reviewers included in the front of the book.

While the English translation distracted a bit with its odd use of articles, I found the “English is not my mother tongue” voice to be a genuine one to tell this story.

[Brad Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book overall. There are an embarrassing amount of typos, but due to the good writing style, were not that distracting. Some entertaining stories are shared with a bit of discontinuity when it gets lost in the details.

[Kiran Gangadharan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book to understand the life of one of the top players in the world. You get a glimpse of his habits, discipline, character and his life in general as a professional. A lot of good lessons to learn from here that can be applied to different aspects of our lives.

[Tran Quang · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Thing but huh huh huh get hit get him Thu just hung three buff huh buff hymn huh. Buff jjhbb

[Philippe Fanaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing. A lighthouse in the middle of the ocean.

Some of the chapters are a bit superficial philosophically, but it's still a must-read, an asset for life.

[Pierre-Yves Lafleche · Rating 2 out of 5]

Philosophie de vie mais pas par un philosophe, parties biographiques et efforts requis pour exceller sont intéressants

[Yun Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

오랜만에 자서전을 읽게 되었다. 게다가 뜬금없이 프로바둑기사라니.
난 바둑을 둘지 모른다. 어렸을적에 286컴퓨터에 깔려있던 바둑이 있었는데 옆집 고등학생 형이랑 가끔 바둑 프로그램으로 오목을 두곤 했다. 바둑은 너무 어렵고 재미도 없었고 항상 나의 대상이였던 그 형과의 실력차가 너무 났기 때문이였기에
비교적 초등학생 저학년에게는 오목이 더 직관적이겨서 재밌었다. 항상 패했던 기억밖엔 없는데 아마 몇번은 져 줬을거다.. 생각해보면 그 형은 참 착했다.

요즘들어 내가 읽고 있는 책의 주제는 '몰입', '공부', '생각' 부류다. 대략 공부의 스킬부분을 많이 다루는 책이 손에 들어오다가 이 책을 발견하고 별 기대없이 사르륵 훑어 읽다보니 내가 정말 필요한 시점에 내게 오게된 책이라고 가슴에 깊에 와다았다.

난 내가 가장 몰입을 깊게 많이 한 시기가 중학교 1학년때가 아닌가 싶다.
그때는 모르는 수학개념이나 문제 만을 생각하며 몇일을 보내다가 그래도 이해가 안되거나 안풀리면 해답을 보거나 도움을 청하곤 했다.
몰입을 하면 자주 머리에서 번뜩하며 0.1 초간 초월적인 어디를 갔다 온 기분이 들곤 했는데, 해답을 가져온적도 있었고 아닌적도 있었지만,
그 느낌이 너무 강렬해서 그걸 또 느끼려고 몰입을 했던 기억이 있다.
내가 몰입을 많이 했다고 한 시기로 이 때를 정한 이유도 사실 이 이후로는 그런 경험을 못했기 때문.

어쨋든 오랜만에 이런 기억을 다시 꺼내준 책이다.
나의 직업또한 더 깊은 몰입을 하면 할 수록 결과물이 좋아지는 지수함수의 성격을 가졌기에 이 책을 자주 읽으며 마음 다짐을 새롭게 하여 깊은 생각을 체내화 하자