What is the best chess book to buy?

I've been considering buying a chess book, but they all look pretty similar. Any recommendations?

Well, they aren't similar at all.  The great thing about buying books online is that you can read sections of many of the books which are available to see if you like them.

At any rate, there are:

• books for beginners, intermediate and advanced players,
• books that focus on openings,
• books that focus on endgames,
• books of tournaments,
• books about historic players,
• books about the history of the game,
• books of brilliant games,
• books about middlegame play and so on.

It looks like you are still a beginning player.  You might enjoy the lessons here which are more interactive than books.

According to Amazon, the most popular book for beginning players continues to be "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess."   You should read the available selection to see if you like it.

I have read that there are more chess books available than just about any other subject.

Also there are more threads about books for beginners than any other subject.

https://www.chess.com/forum/search?keyword=beginner+books

I started playing chess in high school. I didn't get back into chess until I retired and my brother kindly returned my chess board I had made in wood shop class in high school. Wanting to play again and basically beginning again, I too wanted a good starting book. "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" was recommended to me. I heartily recommend it for a beginning chess book. It starts at the very beginning of learning the game and then teaches you how to play by setting up situations for you to reason through. It is a great book with which to start.

For the Beginner or the Intermediate who is getting back into the game, and wishes to tighten up their game, I can give no higher single book recommendation than: Fred Reinfeld's: "The Complete Chess Course'.

As this classic book is a ubiquitous staple in Public and School Libraries for over 50 years, there is no shortage of very inexpensive used hardback copies on Amazon, Ebay, and Biblio.com; and, often with Free or "Media Mail - Book Rate' postage of just a few dollars.

If you should decide to give The Complete Chess Course a try, and wish to join or start a conversation in the please feel free to come join The Fred Reinfeld Study Group, right here on Chess.com; under: Social>Clubs>The Fred Reinfeld Study Group. https://www.chess.com/club/the-fred-reinfeld-study-group

Fred Reinfeld was writing chess books back when descriptive notation was in use. But there may be books of his reprinted into algebraic notation. 

The book in CampwoodsRD's post looks like the original cover from back then, therefore it is in description notation. It's a very good book, so maybe it has been reprinted with algebraic. The cover will look different in a modern reprint. Check inside the book in a preview to see which notation to make sure it matches what you prefer if you order a book of Reinfeld's. 

Good Chess Books for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond

Chess Fundamentals - Capablanca

Agreed.

I wouldn't imagine descriptive notation would dissuade any reader/student from enjoying this chess classic.

Surely anyone intelligent enough to play chess in the first place, ought to be able to understand an illustrated diagram which notates: 1. P-K4  to express the same thing as 1. e4; yes?

One other important note to potential Reinfeld readers about The Complete Chess Course:

From 1952 - 1959 when Sterling Publishing originally printed Reinfeld's 'The Books of Chess', they did so as a series of 8 individual books, which totaled 818 printed pages at the 5.25" x 7.75" page size; however, when Double Day later created and published the all-in-one abridged omnibus edition, also in the 5.25" x 7.75" page size - now entitled as: The Complete Chess Course - they did so with a reduced page count, now only totaling 685 printed pages - or a total difference of 133 printed pages of Reinfeld's writing left out of the all-in-one omnibus edition.

I can tell you that the major victim of editing was specifically from The First Book of Chess which as an individual book, properly ran 126 printed pages; and yet, the editors at Double Day only republished 33 printed pages, appearing as the first chapter, entitled: Book One, within The Complete Chess Course - being a loss of 93 printed pages of original Reinfeld (and I.A Horowitz) material.

I have not yet discover what other Reinfeld material was editing out by Double Day from the original 8 Books of Chess which makes up the additional and unaccounted for 40 pages of missing content - taken away form the other 7 original books - upon creating the abridged omnibus.

To see what original Reinfeld material was left out of Book One from Double Day's: The Complete Chess Course, a detailed and descriptive table of contents is presented in the Forum thread which is specific to The First Book of Chess https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/the-first-book-of-chess

I recommended Checkmate! The wonderful world of chess

Some of Jeremy Silman

For beginners, I would recommend "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess", for intermediates, I would recommend "How to Win at Chess By: International Master Levy Rozman", and for advanced players, I would recommend "How to Reassess Your Chess".

"Logical Chess - Move by Move" by the late great Irving Chernev. Hands down the best chess book ever written.

tmy system by Nymzowitsch

has anyone reviewed the ultimate guide and compare to the old classics?

How to Win at Chess: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners and Beyond

Nope, but I will.