Bestsellers

Scoring system: 10 points for first place, 9 for second, down to 1 for tenth, on the lists of the American Booksellers Association (independent, sometimes highbrow stores), The New York Times (4,000 bookstores, plus wholesalers), Publishers Weekly (general bookstores), and Amazon.com (Web purchases). 1 John Adams David McCullough

38 points (ABA: 1st; NYT: 2nd; PW: 2nd; Amazon: 1st)

GIST Mr. McCullough set out to write a dual biography of Jefferson and Adams, but then found Adams to be the more compelling figure. His sympathy for the second president shines through this fascinating book. One of Bill Clinton's legacies may be that John Adams, faithful husband and honorable man, is gaining in reputation as historians appreciate the place character plays in public life.

34 points (ABA: 4th; NYT: 1st; PW: 1st; Amazon: 4th)

GIST O'Reilly portrays himself as a tough interviewer on a relentless search for truth, daring to ask the hard questions of his celebrity guests that the average guy wants asked. He takes on controversial topics, using excerpts of interviews with well-known guests to present the opposing sides.

33 points (ABA: 2nd; NYT: 3rd; PW: 4th; Amazon: 2nd)

GIST Morris returns to the style that brought him the Pulitzer Prize for his first volume on Roosevelt. He portrays an energetic TR, thrust into the presidency upon McKinley's assassination and determined to grab the reins of power. Although some of the problems Roosevelt faced may seem obscure now, Morris's engaging style brings the time and Roosevelt to life.

25 points (ABA: 6th; NYT: 4th; PW: 6th; Amazon: 3rd)

GIST Plain-talking Jack Welch interweaves the story of his long GE career with his personal and management philosophies. He portrays himself as an arrogant, sometimes abrasive figure who bucked the bureaucracy while advancing through it. He credits his mother for instilling in him the self-confidence, drive, and focus needed to succeed and reshape one of America's oldest corporations.

23 points (ABA: 7th; NYT: 6th; PW: 3rd; Amazon: 5th)

GIST Barbara Olson came to national attention during the Clinton impeachment, when she was a frequent guest on TV shows like Hardball. In her last book (she died on Sept. 11 when her plane crashed into the Pentagon), Olson is never understated in her condemnation of Clinton excesses.

Ministries that help women overcome the guilt and grief associated with abortion are spreading, but the enormity of the problem is still dodged by conventional counselors and doctors. Forbidden Grief (Acorn Books, available in March) suggests that the numbers are large but focuses on the woman who regrets her abortion decision, and the ways our culture makes it difficult for her to deal with those regrets. Through her work with thousands of women who have had abortions, therapist Theresa Burke brings to light the long-suppressed emotional consequences of abortion. She quotes many women who have developed eating disorders and risk-taking behaviors. Burke's approach is therapeutic, but one drawback is the book's advocacy of merely a vague spirituality-reconciliation with God with no mention of Christ. But if pastors, counselors, and relatives of women who act in apparently self-hating ways want to ask why, they should learn about the long-term effects of abortion.