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Shakespeare was a poet and a playwright, not a novelist. To our knowledge, he never published a book. In fact, many of his plays were not published until after his death. Plays at that time were only published as pamphlets to be used for the actors to study the play. Two men from Shakespeare's acting company compiled 36 of his plays into what's know as the First Folio. If it were not for their efforts, the plays of Shakespeare would probably not be known to use today. Among Shakespeare's most famous plays are Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Taming of the Shrew--plays that still draw large audiences 400 years after they were written.

This is one of the reasons that Shakespeare is so difficult for students to read--his plays were never intended to be read. In order to truly understand Shakespeare's work, you must receive it as it was intended--visually, in person.  Of course we can gain some understanding from reading the play, but it is always best to supplement our research with a video/live presentation of the material.  That said, some of his best known plays are as follows:     Tragedies:  Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, and Titus Andronicus.  Comedies:  All's Well that Ends Well, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, and Taming of the Shrew.   Histories:  Richard II, Richard III, King John, Henry V, Henry VII, and Henry IV. 

In reply to #3: this is a great reply to this question. It is really important to remind ourselves that Shakespeare was a tri-fold genius. He wrote tragedies, comedies, and histories with as much symbolism, historical relevance, and depth. The reason these plays are so widely read is because they are timeless and, through their characters, represent themes that still apply to us and our society today.