How to study

What is the best way to study a chess book? Do you read it through like a novel, or just pick bits and move on? Do you play through the games or try to spot the best move in each position? Do you go through it again and again to remember things or is once enough?

Well now, that would depend on the book, wouldn't it?

For game collections and strategy books, I play over the whole game, playing out the moves on chess software, including all variations if I can't visualize them.  Then I go back to the start and hit the play button.  If I still have a question, I might go back and look at that paragraph.  This might not be the best method but we don't have all the time in the world to read chess books, do we? :)

As far as reading books cover to cover, I personally feel compelled to do that, but I don't think it's really necessary.  Chess should be fun and learning on a need-to-know basis is fine.