Van perlo's endgame tactics is a cool book but i am also reading guide to attacking chess by gary lane. 

I'm enjoying the pedantry in this topic.  For my two cents, the main way to get good at chess is through practice.  That said, a good book can be like a coach - it can provide you with insights that you might never have realised if left to your own devices.

You can't expect every enthusiastic beginner to develop the entire body of opening theory from scratch, for example.

Currently, I am reading Jeremy Silman's "The Amateur's Mind" and Yasser Seirawan's "Play to Win - Openings".  Both are excellent so far. 

The Complete Idiot's Guide To Chess by GM Patrick Wolff. The title made it a no brainer even for an almost complete idiot.

How to become a Candidate Master - by Alex Dunne (Former Correspondence Chess Champion)

Excellent learning tool... during the extensive comments that are more strategy based rather than tracing boring line after line... He gives the reader opportunity to provide feedback concerning the position at hand; asking specifically what YOU would do regarding "xxxxx" (insert topic at hand)..  and an ANSWER BOOK to these questions comes along w/ the main book of games w/ his analysis.

I credit this book as being the MOST practical that I've read, to improve my skills...

A winner... and winner's will want this one in their collection of learning tools!!

Helldweller

Logical chess: Move By Move

Wonderful book...just what I needed. I've read Winning Chess Tactics which was also good, but it was my first book, and left me in a position where I could respond to certain moves with tactics, but without an overall perpsective of what to do when there wasn't a clear tactic or combination to use. So I'd end up playing fairly clueslessly til an opponent made a mistake I could do something wish. This book filled in a lot of blanks for me...mianly how to create positions where I could use tactics. Very happy with buying this.

I'm currently reading Aron Nimzowitsch's My System.  It's not an easy read, but all of the major ideas from theory in the last 75 years (or so) are presented there.

You'll have to bounce around in the text to get anything out of it, since he doesn't really follow any sort of logical sequence about when to present ideas (written, of course, from the point of view of someone who was dead-set against early pawn-grabbing, and so the first few chapters are dedicated to proving his point).  The best course of action would be to jump to the chapter "Elements on Endgame Strategy", then increase in complexity from there (History ---> Pawn Structures ---> Manoeuvring ---> etc.)

dear  markle and drmielle

john watsons' book was  great(I like vol#1 better then#2 but they were both good and he was basic and understanding on how he wrote the books.

drmielle,   fianchetto is pronounce just as it  is written, just  break it down

fi(fee) an(and)  (chetto),  my system was qa great book also

and I AGREE, YOU CAN LEARN A LOT FROM BOOKS AND IT IS  THE AUTHOR THE WAY HE WRITE HAS TO CLICK WITH YOU AND IT TAKES TIME TO FIND THE BOOK AND THE  AUTHOR

I  THOUGHT  REUBEN FINE  THE IDEAS BEHIND THE  OPENINGS WAS  GREAT.

AND WHAT YOU DIDN'T GET THE  FIRST TIME, READ IT AGAIN IF YOU STILL HAVE THE  BOOK.

                          THANKS , I ENJOYED THIS  TOPIC    antne003

dear  markle and drmielle

john watsons' book was  great(I like vol#1 better then#2 but they were both good and he was basic and understanding opn how he wrote the books.

drmielle,   fianchetto is pronounce just as it  is written, just  break it down

fi(fee) an(and)  (chetto),  my system was a great book also. 

and I AGREE, YOU CAN LEARN A LOT FROM BOOKS AND IT IS  THE AUTHOR THE WAY HE WRITE HAS TO CLICK WITH YOU AND IT TAKES TIME TO FIND THE BOOK AND THE  AUTHOR

I  THOUGHT  REUBEN FINE  THE IDEAS BEHIND THE  OPENINGS WAS  GREAT.

AND WHAT YOU DIDN'T GET THE  FIRST TIME, READ IT AGAIN,IF YOU STILL HAVE THE  BOOK.

sorry about the  spelling and  grammer, i am not a  writer.

                          THANKS , I ENJOYED THIS  TOPIC    antne003

Zuke-Em by David Rudel.

"Simple chess" by Michael Stean. It's a small book but it still takes  while to go through it. I'm almost done but I will definitely go over it again as soon as I'm finished!

Chess Tactics For Champions by Susan Polgar

Silman's Complete Endgame Course by Jeremy Silman

How to Reassess Your Chess by Silman.  Good book on chess stratagy and thinking about positions for the aspiring novice.

100 Endgames You Must Know, Predator at the Chessboard (again), and My System.

In contrast to Niven, I feel the first three chapters of My System are solid gold and logically presented. Develop, open files, then penetrate! You can literally crush 1500-1600 OTB competition by consistently applying the simple rules layed out there (the Devil is in the details of the examples, and in making these maneuvers a habit). Of course, if you still blunder pawns, you will not see so much improvement.

"How To Not Play Chess" by Dr_Doc_MD

...Wait a second!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, I recall liking Simple Chess myself when I read it.

I’m currently reading a wonderful book entitled “The Chess Player’s Bible”, by James Eade. I’ve found it to be a very beneficial reference. Eade is also the author of "Chess For Dummies", which, by the way, is much more focused toward beginning players. "The Chess Player's Bible" is a very wide ranged book, that can be applied to nearly every playing level. I doubt a single day has gone by since I purchased it, that I haven't flipped through the pages. I've enjoyed it immensely!

i currently read nothing,i learn chess through videos and private mentor..but i will to find at least one book about chess.

Recently Finished:

The Art of the Checkmate by Renaud & Kahn

Simple Chess by Stean

Currently Reading:

Endgames: Silman's Complete Endgame Course

Game Collection: Understanding Chess Move by Move by Nunn

Strategy: Amateur's Mind by Silman

Mating Patterns/Tactics: Understanding Chess Tactics by Weteschnik

Next up:

Endgames: Practical Rook Endings by Mednis

Game Collection: Paul Morphy: A Modern Perspective by Beim

Strategy: Reassess Your Chess by Silman

Mating Patterns/Tactics: Forcing Chess Moves by Hertan

"How to Reassess Your Chess" by Jeremy Silman and "Chess Tactics for Champions" by Susan Polgar.

How to Reassess Your Chess for the second time.