CONTENTS

Introduction by J. Peder Zane

THE TOP TOP TEN

The Top Top Ten List

On the Top Top Ten by Sven Birkerts

THE LISTS

Only Ten? by Mary Gaitskill

Reading the Lists by David Orr

The Writers’ Picks

A GUIDE TO THE WORLD’S BEST BOOKS



Appendix: Literary Number Games

Index of Authors by Initials

Index to Book Descriptions

Acknowledgments