How to learn chess strategy?

Tactics we all know can be sharpened by doing puzzles but I am not getting positions where I can apply tactical patterns. How can I learn strategy? I am thinking of getting GM Johann HEllsten's book.

 I think you could do a lot worse than:

1) Getting Reaccess your Chess by Silman or The Amateurs Mind by Silman.

2) Yusupov's series if you want a really rigorous training method. But I will warn you it takes a great deal of effort.

Good suggestions from @madratter7. Another excellent choice is Pachman's work, available in 3 volumes as Complete Chess Strategy or an abridged 1 volume version called Modern Chess Strategy. 

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708101726/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review762.pdf
http://www.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Mastering-Opening-Strategy-77p3847.htm

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708094419/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/ammind.pdf

To anyone thinking of working through the books, I would strongly suggest an examination of various online material to get an idea of what they are like. By the way, as I understand it, the official order is Build-1, Boost-1, Evolution-1, Exam-1, Build-2, Boost-2, etc.
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Build-up-Your-Chess-1-exceprt.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708103321/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review699.pdf
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Build-up-your-chess-2-excerpt.pdf
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Build-up-Your-Chess-3-exceprt.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708103659/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review778.pdf
http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Boost-Your-Chess-1-77p3744.htm
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Boost-Your-Chess-1-excerpt.pdf
http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Boost-Your-Chess-2-77p3745.htm
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/BoostYourChess2-excerpt.pdf
http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Boost-Your-Chess-3-77p3746.htm
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/BoostYourChess3.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708103149/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review834.pdf
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Chess-Evolution-1-excerpt.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708085817/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review843.pdf
http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Chess-Evolution-2-77p3643.htm
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Chess_Evolution_2-excerpt.pdf
http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Chess-Evolution-3-Mastery-77p3753.htm
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Chess_Evolution_3-excerpt.pdf
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/QandAwithArturYusupovQualityChessAugust2013.pdf
https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Revision&Exam1-excerpt.pdf
"Fundamentals first, then Beyond the Basics and finally Mastery. Follow the colours!" - Yusupov

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708095832/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review769.pdf

Might want to look at a sample of the contents:
http://store.doverpublications.com/0486202909.html

Yeah Pachman sounds promising.

Btw, no kidding about Yusupov's books being tough. I was trying t owork through the exercises in beyond the basics and found even the one star ones challenging. Didn't put in enough effort though to solve it.

You're not getting positions where you can apply tactical patterns? I find that hard to believe; Tactics happen all the time - You can't avoid them. Whether you see them or not is another matter.

I disagree. There are 'dry' positions and then there are tactical positions.

You are for example much more likely to get a tactical position out of an open Sicilian as opposed to say an excchange french or a petroff.

Personally, when it comes to strategies in chess, in war, in business...I would always think of experience and application than theory. So, I recommend a subscription to a popular chess magazine. Tons of diagrams and detailed annotations

 With Yusupov try doing one from "Build Up Your Chess, The Fundamentals" before you give up on him entirely. But it IS challenging but excellent material.

 Here is an example chapter from that first book:

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Build-up-Your-Chess-1-exceprt.pdf

The books are excellent but definitely challenging.

I bring to you copy pasta That I once saw fisheyedfool throwing around all the time when I first joined, I have seen IMBacon post most recently. I make no claims this is my own. I make claims its helpful

Opening Principles:

1. Control the center squares – d4-e4-d5-e5

2. Develop your minor pieces toward the center – piece activity is the key

3. Castle

4. Connect your rooks

Tactics...tactics...tactics...

Pre Move Checklist:

1. Make sure all your pieces are safe.

2. Look for forcing move: Checks, captures, threats. You want to look at ALL forcing moves (even the bad ones) this will force you look at, and see the entire board.

3. If there are no forcing moves, you then want to remove any of your opponent’s pieces from your side of the board.

4. If your opponent doesn’t have any of his pieces on your side of the board, then you want to improve the position of your least active piece.

5. After each move by your opponent, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"

Middlegame Planning:

1. Expand your position:

a. Gain more space.

b. Improve the position of your pieces.

2. Decide on what side of the board to play.

a. Queenside: a-c files.

b. Center: d-e files.

c. Kingside: f-h files.

Compare, space, material, and weakness(es)

Play where you have the advantage.

3. DO NOT HURRY. Regroup your pieces, and be patient.

as far as building the strategy its pattern recognition. Use the principles to the best of your ability and keep playing and keep trying to get better, It might take 500 games to figure out the best way to respond to a move or the best way to avoid that scenario altogether...

but if you keep applying the knowledge you have established and keep  playing similar style games (try to hit a relatively close middle game each time) then the progress will show, even if it is glacial progress sometimes. 

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