"... [Fundamental Chess Openings] is not particularly suited for players who are just starting out. I would imagine players rated at least 1400-1500 would get the most benefit from this volume. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626173432/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen128.pdf
One can get an idea about what it is like to try to read this book by looking at this sample:
http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/FCO_Fundamental_Chess_Openings.pdf

Indeed. It is so "better for Black" that a strong GM could not break a player rated 400 points lower. As a matter of fact, had the lower rated player the inspiration to play 48.Ke4!, the GM could well pack and go home.

Your opinions are very objective. What about becoming a teleevangelist?

^lol. 

Yes, in another thread (Reinfeld) I trashed the nostalgia for beginner instructional books from the 1940s, 50s and 60s.  They just pale in comparison to many of the books written in the modern era by Pandolfini, Heisman, Seirawan, et al.  But the new problem for beginning players today is that there is too MUCH written by too many for he/she to choose from.  I think it is really important for a new player to keep it simple and not clutter his mind with information that he is not yet able to assimilate.

And to your point, "How to Open a Chess Game," is not a beginner's guide to openings -- in spite of the title.  It was, however, a very useful book in helping me choose my own opening repertoire that suite my style. The chapter by Bent Larsen had a great influence on me.. obviously.  

I try to be a practical player when possible. At my rating and below you'll have any chance to get a balanced game even if the computer gives a half pawn advantage for one of the players. 

And i don't want to waste time on unnecessary openings knowledge. E. g. when i was playing the french and the queen's gambit declined, i haven't learned anything special against the common english opening, because 1. c4 e6 2. d4 d5 transposes to the qgd and 2. e4 d5 transposes to a exchange french with early c4. The reti setups come via different move orders like 1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 or 1. Nf3 d5 2. c4, you have to play against them anyway. Also if white plays the blackmar-diemer-gambit 1. d4 d5 2. e4 i haven't tried to learn any refutation of that seldom played move, i just played 2... e6, transposing to the french. When i switched to 1. e4 e5 i just briefly looked at some of the 1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 lines, but eventually i would have played the french in a tournament game. With 1. e4 e5 there are some sharp gambits with some theory, but also some two move transpositions to other openings like

If you look for the best move in every position you'll miss some of these transpositions or maybe your engine says that 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 and 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf6 are best, when you have to play the italian and the two knights defence with the black pieces!

It was GM Glenn flear who gave me good advices what are the practical moves in the book "Starting out: the open games". 

"... For new players, I cannot recommend books that use [an encyclopedic] type of presentation [of opening theory], because the explanatory prose that elaborates typical plans and ideas is usually absent, thus leaving the student without any clear idea why certain moves are played or even preferred over other apparently equivalent moves. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2010)
"... For inexperienced players, I think the model that bases opening discussions on more or less complete games that are fully annotated, though with a main focus on the opening and early middlegame, is the ideal. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2010)
"... Everyman Chess has started a new series aimed at those who want to understand the basics of an opening, i.e., the not-yet-so-strong players. ... I imagine [there] will be a long series based on the premise of bringing the basic ideas of an opening to the reader through plenty of introductory text, game annotations, hints, plans and much more. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2002)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627055734/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen38.pdf

Has Nunn written an opening book in the 21st century? Didn't Geller die in the previous one?

Allegedly, Geller died in 1998, but, in fact, he is too mean to die.  I think he faked his death, assumed a new identity, and has spent the last 19 years sandbagging at Goichberg swiss events.  (I'm pretty sure he was the guy that ended my dreams in the U2000 section of the 2004 World Open.)

"... As is the wont with modern opening works, these books usually centre their recommended variations around an instructive and/or entertaining game, without great depth but with sufficient detail to show the main branches and explain basic ideas. This is absolutely legitimate and is in fact the direction towards which I have gravitated in some of my own works. ..." - IM John Watson (2012)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627015516/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen163.pdf

Uhm, I'm not going based on opinions.  I'm going based on what the upper players past and present have all said.  Duncan Suttles, Cyrus Lakdawala, etc.

In my own opinion, I think the Dragon sucks.  That's different than things that have been backed up by many upper tier players.  One game where Black happened to lose does not prove jack.  That's like saying that one smart comment from a person makes the person overall highly intelligent.  I will grant you that one person in power now for almost 100 days has probably made one intelligent comment.  That doesn't make the clown smart!

Your sample size is too small, and you can't even identify the difference between one's own opinion versus going based on direct quotes, paraphrases, and summaries from players higher than you, let alone me!

Look at the game IM pfren said and reconsider London! 

Ok,  you want to go based on a single game?  Fine!  I'll play your game!  32...Qc2 instead of 32...Qd5, the difference between =/+ and +/= (even borderline +/-).

32...Qc2 33.Qe6 Bg7 34.Bh4 g5 35.Bg3 h6 with a slight edge to Black.  Enough to win?  Maybe not.  But Black should be the one going thru the pain to draw in chess because he goes second, not White!

I also played the Modern for about 3 years.  This line is very strong for Black in that he equalizes with zero problems if he follows up correctly, unlike most other lines of the Modern Defense where Black is often going thru a lot of pain just to survive!

Another con is sometimes the engine will recommend bad moves. And I don't mean sub-optimal, I mean bad.

Professional players have strong computers with multiple engines working all night on their openings. Some professional players even have assistants doing the same, adding their resources into it. All of this is tempered with their human understanding of the game. And then, of course, they test their lines against other professional players who have prepared the same way.

Letting your engine think for 30 seconds is meaningless, especially because they're not designed to play well in the opening in the first place.

I'm not saying you should adopt the main lines. Sidelines are fine too, of course. But a repertoire of pure engine lines would frankly be a joke.

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I second that. I’m finding there is less time and someone who will teach you digitally. It took me 15 books to get to 1700 and something like 15000 games. It’s worth the pay to invest in some literature or opening manual and I suggest video if possible. When you get better or find a book you like then take your time and enjoy it.

In 

I’m reading the art of defense in chess and planning to purchase the London system with GM Simon.

Move by move is a good book to read. It discusses the importance of having a purpose for your move and reacting to your opponents move. Chess is not an opening or a database, it is a mosaic of moves that you have to use proven concepts to get you through the game. Always make a plan and be willing to adjust based on your opponents move. And remember every opening move has a purpose. For example, e4 takes up space in the center but it also opens the white bishop to go to aggressive purposes at c4 and b5. Also invest in playing guided games the upper players are promoting. It’s free coaching that will answer and guide your questions and embolden your chess progress.

Study what schema theory is. Then try and use it to study chess. The more you learn the more you can absorb about chess. The more patterns you find in any openings middle game will tell you more about the opening. 

If you happen to remember, what were the fifteen books?