There are two kinds of rules you'll find in the Way of Go. First, there are the rules that govern play. "Black plays first, White plays second." "You cannot repeat board positions." And so on. These are not the rules that are the focus of the Way of Go. You can learn something about these rules in another post -- How to Play Go or you can order books on how to play. Since this book is meant for more than just Go players, The Way of Go covers another definition of the term rules.

The Way of Go is concerned with rules of thumb (aka, maxims, principles, heuristics, proverbs) that dictate better play, not how to play legal moves. In sum, The Way of Go uses the term "rules."

What's interesting about the Way of Go is that it takes these rules, which most of us are introduced to in a random, haphazard way, and organizes them in a way that is more telling of their nature. By knowing something of their nature, you can get a better sense of a more complete strategic decision-making picture.