classic books that i've come across, josh waitzkin attacking chess, an agressive way to tactics. pawn structure by andrew soltis, boring as hell but well worth the points in this book, a new age classic jeremy silmans complete guide to endgames, logical chess move by move is my new best favorite a must read. another book that no beginner should go without reading is weapons of chess by bruce pandolfini.
Depending how you look at it, if it's a book I've had for a long time and continue to use/refer to frequently I would say Practical Chess Endings by Paul Keres. From the entertainment point of view, I'd say The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal.
The best chessbook is the one that you have not read. After you think you have read enough books a guy ranked 1500 hammers you in online chess. Now you wake up. Its not what you have read but its what you can apply in a given situation.
i think alot of people "ask" computers for a move. but they are only fooling themselves...and as a result they look pathetic at the money tables in the park.
No single chess book can adequately cover all aspects of chess, however, here are some of the best I've read:
Collections:
Bobby Fischer: My 60 Games
V.V. Smyslov: My Best Games of Chess
Irving Chernev: Capablanca's Best Chess Endings
Hans Kmoch: Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces
A. Alekhine: My Best Games Vol. I & II
Instruction:
Aaron Nimzowitsch: My System
Aaron Nimzowitsh: Chess Praxis
Richard Reti: New Ideas in Chess
Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov: The Art of the Middle Game in Chess
Max Euwe: The Middle Game, Vol. I & II
Yuri Averbakh: Chess Tactics for Advanced Players
Ludek Pachman: The Middle Game, Vol. I, II & III
Endgame:
J. Ban: The Tactics of Endgames
V. Smyslov and G. Levenfisch: Rook Endings
Tournaments:
A. Alekhine: New York, 1924
D. Bronstein: Zurich, 1954