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These are wise words that I'm finally incorporating into my thinking. Currently I have more books than I am able to study -- maybe 600+. I started my collection in the late 70s. I've studied about forty of them closely and picked my way through many of the others only lightly. 

It's taken a lot of time to come to the same conclusion.

How many chess books do you currently own?

I have about 250 chess books. My current prized possession is the newly-acquired Botvinnik's Best Games series. Botvinnik's writing in it is fantastic: clearer and even more instructive than in his previous works, brutally objective about himself and others, and at times acidly funny. Wonderful advice such as (in a comment made on deviating into a sideline) "it is always useful to make a time-trouble addict like Reshevsky think already in the opening." Botvinnik is the Bach of chess, and this work is his Well-Tempered Clavier--masterpieces written to instruct. Definitely next on my cover-to-cover list.

I counted 122 and I've sold about 400 years ago.  I've read very few of them from cover to cover and I own far too many opening books.

I suppose we can recreate this poll, if that's what you're suggesting.

Did anyone notice that there is a hole in the poll between 200 and 300?

My answer: "Too many!" 

(or better: "Bought too many - now they are gone...")

It took me years to stop falling into the book buying trap - "Ah - a new book with my lines, even a repertoire book - and look at this one, I certainly can use it sometime - and here they have some "golden oldies" for a real low price". Money running out of my hands - chess wisdom did not come...

Something happened - I bought the best two books which exist! (from J. Rowson Chess for Zebras, 7 deadly sins) - 1 idea of him burns in my mind: "You have to work out chess / variations for yourself - you have to sit down and work, only reading means consuming and there is no improvement"

What I did then? I made some "feng shui" with my books and gave away nearly all of them, only keeping about 30 of the best and I am only willing to buy a new one if I have the time to sit down and work on it - as long as I havent worked with it I dont buy a new one.

Sorry dear chesspublishers - you are promising the easy way with DW, SOS, Beating the... and similar things - but who really reads it and uses it? I spent the bucks for chesspublishing and stopped buying opening books - I still receive "NIC" cause I like to read some storys. 

On my birthday and christmas I grant myself a chessbook - I know, my flesh is weak (Play the Semislav for birthday, hehe) - and now I feel free. I play chess, I analyse, I spent time on this forum (ugh?!), I play through the updates and you know what - I improve!!! - No more chess flooding rubbish - but quality.

I think Mr. Rowson deserves a "Chess Oscar" - dont read his books, some publishers may sell no more afterwards...