| All of the above... but I can't say which has been "the source". Books have been a mixed bag. Some directed me backwards to the '80s-type thinking. But Koi Kichi pulled together lots of things in a way that allowed me to understand internet conversations in a less superficial manner. Amano's Living Jewels from 40 years ago is terribly outdated, but it is now a favorite I return to, because I can now read it in a more discerning context. I get more out of it now than I did when I knew less... make sense? 30 years of Rinkos (Thanks, DB), old Nichirins (so much better than the current ones)and even a few years of the original BKKS mag from the early '80s.... I can't begin to say all I've gotten out of them. The internet is crucial, because of the conversations on NI and K-B that have been cutting-edge, and draw together so very many fields of science and art like nowhere else. But none of it would be worth much if it were not for koi shows, visiting ponds and otherwise seeing lots of koi in person. Someday I've gotta spend time in Japan. Maybe then I could put together some of the pieces. |