What's a good book on overall strategy?

I would like to have a good general book on chess strategy. But one that is geared more for the beginner, maybe early intermediate, and for Heaven's sake not one filled with pages and pages on notations.

I searched Amazon. There are 4 I'm thinking about. (I only need to pick one.) They are:

Best Lessons of a Chess Coach by Weeramantry, Winning Chess Strategies revised by Seirawan, Modern Chess Strategy by Lasker, and (don't laugh) Competitive Chess for Kids: Winning Strategy by Seirawan.

Can you help me choose?  Or maybe you know one that would be better for me.

Thanks.

stwils

Modern Chess Strategy by Ludek Pachman....it's a classic.

http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Chess-Strategy-Ludek-Pachman/dp/0486202909

Seïrawan's explanations are very good, so you may consider picking his book(s) too.

Reassess your chess by Jeremy Silman.

My system by Nimzowich

Too advanced, to get anything out of this book you need to have a basic positional understanding already.

Pachman's Modern Chess Strategy is just a better written version of my system without all the debatable nimzo philosophies.

MENSA Guide to Chess

MENSA Guide to Chess <-- Is this a real book?

http://www.amazon.com/Mensa-Guide-Chess-Days-Great/dp/0806912413

Sounds like a book for absolute beginners...not really what the guy needs.

Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess

a quick and effortless read, you will be able to kick butts immediately

That book has nothing to do with strategy.

In fact it is a tactics drill book dealing almost exclusively with back rank mates.

Seirwan's books are a very good place to start. Jeremy Silman's Reassess Your Chess when you are ready for more intermediate chess (and more "notation").

Nimzowitsch is too advanced. I'll bet money Pachman is too (but I'm guessing, I haven't read it). Lasker's book I don't know -- but although he's my favorite chess player his book must be close to 100 years old... go with someone more contemporary.  If it was me starting out again, I'd want someone to give me  Seirwan. He is very accessible, and you can feel he really cares about doing a good job of teaching, not just trying to publish a book with his name on it.

*edit*
I must say, after reading the user reviews at Amazon about Pachman's books --  ... people seem to think it's a great book, and not inappropriate for an advanced beginner.

I am curious...

I am a beginner chess player as well (although already getting quite addicted to the game) and I bought "Better Chess for Average Players" by Tim Harding.

This book does not get mentioned as often as the Silman and Fischer and some others, so I am wondering if people in the chess world recommend this book...

The version of the Lasker chess books I got was all three in one, worth a look even for the beginner, but the English is quite stylised in places, so non-native English speakers might find it difficult. I found that the most helpful thing was a combination of the Seirawan books, and going through instructive games. It seems like a slog at first, but once you get the hang of it you'll start to realise you've learnt a lot from a few games.

http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Chess-Wisdom-Books/dp/0940685930

Encyclopedia of Chess Wisdom is pretty good from the Beginners point of view. If you wish to avoid exccessive notation, then get Chessmaster Grandmaster Edition.

get "how NOT to play chess" by Znosko-Borovsky.   it's simple, direct, and excellent.  Z-B is one of my favorite chess writers. it dates to around 1910, but the general stategies don't change, as they are principles based on the board and piece movements.

I think My System By Nimzowitch is a good book for strategy.  It breaks things down into small bits.  The Centre, Why you should develop quickly in the opening, The Pin etc etc until all basic Items are dealt with only then the book goes into more detailed discussion.  I suggest get "My System" By Nimzowitch and read and re read the first section until you fully understand that section.  then go onto the more advanced secion of the book. 

for example view the articles By likesforests on the first couple of chapters of this good book.

He also has some quirky comments that can be quite entertaining. "a passed pawn is like a criminal who must be contained and, where possible, captured" or something to that effect.

Hey stwils.  I was in your same position a few months ago and I purchased "Weapons of Chess: An Omnibus of Chess Strategies" by Bruce Pandolfini (amazon link), it'll run you $11.25.  It focuses on tactics, which are the building blocks of strategies - as the book explains, tactics are small strategical advantages and short term, and strategy is long term and built of tactics.

I have the book myself and it was my first buy into my chess library, the author is great too!  It's not packed full of annotations in anyway, and it gives diagrams that you can follow though it's helpful to know chess algebraic annotation regardless of the situation.

Hope you like it,

photray94