Sadly, you will be unable to read many chess books without a board. As you develop your skills, you will be able to do this better and better, by visualizing positions in your head. God knows I can't do it very well yet, but I can better than I could a year ago.
In the meantime, endgame books (try Silman's) is probably the best way to go, as fewer pieces are involved, and the concepts are simpler.
This is my first post here. I just started playing chess, about 20+ years too late. Nobody in my family ever exposed me to it.
What books are out there that can you read on the bus, airplane/airport, the dentist office, or at bedtime etc. In other words, books that dont require you to have access to a Chess board to "setup the board" and practice skill/topic being presented in the book.
This is a common problem with many books I find. They basically will always throw some chess notation(which I understand) and want you to do the exercises, which of course requires you to be near a Chess board. This is fine if I am not out public or laying in bed. Poker books are not structured like this because you cant setup individual situations.
Thanks so much.