The Best

Peter Passell, Author Penguin Books $5.95 (320p) ISBN 978-0-14-009420-6

In this directory of excellence, New York Times reporter Passell appraises, in a ``friendly, bubbling style,'' VCRs, SLRs, PCs, Chinese restaurants, German beer, bone-marrow transplants, peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies et al. ``Fun? You bet . . . It's an education,'' commented PW . (November)

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