Well, if it's called "Lasker's How to Play Chess," that was actually my first chess book ever! It's not very good though, to be honest...I would not recommend it.
I think just about everyone's first chess book isn't a wonderful choice. I went with Tarrasch's work, and though his attacking ideas are still functional just about everything else in it is outdated.
I started reding it. I dont like the notation the book uses but it review the game from the beggining to the end. Its very basic, the notation makes it harder to understand but I guess no book at all would be worse.
Don't let the notation discourage you. His chess was as clear and as complex as the contents of a glass of water.
Lasker's best compilation was a series of lectures that were put together and became a book called Common Sense in Chess. You have the same problem with descriptive notation that I have with the currently used algebraic. You have to translate it to the system in which you think. As White, I have to think P-K4 and write down e4. It's simple if you don't let it make you nervous. But, just like learning algebraic after a lifetime of descriptive, it takes some practice and regular use. Rather like when you learned English or when I learned Spanish.
The move is always from the point of view of the player on the move (White or black). And, remember the egos of the players involved who used it and really, as a rule, didn't care much for each other (Steinitz, Lasker, Tarrasch, Capablanca, Alekhine, etc.) No one was going to tell any of them they were starting out anywhere but the first rank.
The files are all named for the piece on that file and the board is split into King side & Queen side. Ranks are numbered 1 through 8 from where the player is sitting. So as white, the move Nf3 (King's Knight moves to the third square on the King's Bishop file) is KN-B3 or N-KB3. As Black, the move (Nf6) would be written the same way by on the Black side of the score sheet as KN-B3 or N-KB3.
Takes a bit of getting used to. And, I hope I didn't make matters worse for you reading the book.
Yea I have that exact problem when reading Keres' Practical Chess endings. When black plays Q-QB4 I go like "How can the queen go to c4? Oh wait, it's Qc5!" The big problem arises when the queen CAN go to c4, and 10 moves later I realize something is wrong...
Its always good to penetrate to the " 7th rank " with a rook, but this only makes sense in the descriptive way of looking at the board. Think about it ... 
Do Indians say "Get an elephant on the 7th"?
Sometimes we call it a pig if actually gets there but not until. That's a bit odd.
Thanks for the comments. I've been reading it, and finally got accustomed to the notation. Its not that bad, in fact it gives good guidelines provided I had never read a thing on chess. At this pace, I'll have it finished in a month.
Again, thanks for the explanation JPF917, and the others for giving your point of view :)
Listen, I read Laskers Manuel of Chess, & I found it truelly fantastic, a great way of writing the game in simple terms!
Most of Lasker's books are now available in Alegbraic notation as well.
Lasker's Chess manual is brilliant--Common Sense in chess is also quite good. Lasker's notes to St petersburg 1909 are also excellent. He tends to be a lot like Capablanca in writing minimal details so that the reader has to work it out himself but each word/note is important.
I think all 3 have been reprinted in algebraic by Russell Enterprises in the past couple of years.
I found that book in a used book store. I enjoyed it. It is one of my favorite books in my chess collection.
Me too, I found the out dated edition in a Canadien book shop in Paris, on e of my best finds ever!
The best learning book could be "My system" Aaron Nimzowitch. There is another book (4 books) from Roberto Grau also good for starting
bye
----
El mejor libro para aprender claramente es "Mi sistema" de Aaron Nimzowitch. Tambien esta el tratado general de ajedrez de Roberto Grau que empieza desde cero y esta bien.
Saludos
yup, I have read some good review on Nimzowitch's book and Im really looking forward to get a copy. I've taken a peek at it the chess club at university too. If it werent for the exams and the damned ammount of work I have pending....
A few days ago I found an old chess book from 1972 in my parent's basement. It's written by Dr. Emmanuel Lasker, world champion by the start of the century. Its called something like "chess for begginers" (Im not sure of the actual translation to english). My question is: Does anyone know anything about this book? Is it worth it reading it? I have never read a thing on chess but I'd like to do so to improve my game.
Also, other book recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks a lot.