Books vs Coach vs software

What do you consider the best method to improve your chess knowledge: books, software, or coach? Also, what or who are your recommendations?

I have no recommendations but a combination is always best.

This kind of question is asked a lot (in fact a GM answered it for me). The answer is simple as long as you are putting effort and time into it you will improve.

Note: A coach does not atomaticaly make you better they are simply "guides", helping you on the right path.

My experience as a chess teacher in after-school programs gives me the impression that ReedRichards is right, a combination is best.  The precise mix depends a lot on your personal preferences.  Chess_Enigma is right too, a coach doesn't automatically make you better.  What makes you improve is the effort you put into it, the sweat equity as it's sometimes called.

For me personally, books are best.  They require the most time and work.  I have to set up most of the positions and go through them, or at least see the point; but the rewards are proportionally greater.  Only actual tournament and postal play compare to books for me.

Academically speaking, coaches are second best, I say as a coach with six classes a week.  The immense advantage of coaches is the personal touch, especially the motivation, that they add to the mix.  If you're sufficiently motivated to do the bookwork yourself, a coach won't add nearly as much to your development as to someone who's not really into bookwork, and profits from assignments and exercises.

Software is, to me, an excellent background, and the reason that modern players can't claim to be ignorant of the basic principles.  For goodness sake, download a free chess engine, play a hundred games, and you'll get it!  

What software doesn't provide is exactly what a good coach does provide: a method of looking at things, a way of approaching knowledge and learning.  Human intelligence is not just about facts, it's about strategies for gathering facts;  That's where a good coach, or a great writer like Pachman or Nimzovich, can reach out a hand and pull you forward by leaps and bounds, assuming you're able to spend the energy and concentration required from your end.

In the end, you should probably start from what you're good at.  If you can hack the rather dry bookish approach, I think it's the fastest and surest.  If not, get a good coach.  Software is very helpful but is nowhere near deep enough to be the whole enchilada at this point.  A combination is indeed best, and that combination that gets you interested enough to pursue the goal is optimum.