David Letterman's Book of Top Ten Lists

by David Letterman

David Letterman's Book of Top Ten Lists and Zesty Lo-Cal Chicken Recipes

by David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman Writers

It's like watching TV -- with the added danger of paper cuts!

Top Ten Apologies to People Buying This

10.      Cheap glue will only hold the thing together for about six days.

9.      Some kids sneaked into the printing plant and added the word "ass" to a lot  of the lists.

8.      It costs about a dime to print one of these babies -- now take a look at the retail price, sucker!

7.      We're using the money we make to buy "little Dutch girl" outfits for Dave's poodles.

6.      The book was hastily assembled overseas by jabbering foreigners who don't give a damn about you or your family.

5.      A drunk maintenance guy fell into the press and parts of him appear on pages 68-87.

4.      Felt safe making jokes about the Amish on TV; forgot some of them might actually see the book.

3.      Dave insisted on writing some of these and we had to play along.
.
2.      There is no remote control. Don't look for one.

1.      The book ain't much better than the TV show.

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Comedy, Tv, Reference, Politics

176 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1990

About the author

David Michael Letterman is an Emmy Award-winning American television host and comedian. His first major success occurred on the long-running NBC television program, Late Night with David Letterman, before moving to CBS in 1993 to his current place on the Late Show.

Letterman's ironic, often absurd comedy is heavily influenced by former Tonight Show hosts Steve Allen, Johnny Carson and Jack Paar.

Reviews

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't really a five star book. My 16 year old self would have rated this a five, and since I read it a bunch of times when I was 16 and I found it endlessly funny it gets five stars for that. I'd probably rate it three stars now, but I don't think I could find myself sitting down to read it.

[Emily D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

A couple good chuckles

[Matthew Holder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I once was sitting in a college class where a student said something about how he/she didn't find Walt Whitman that important/good/revolutionary. The professor responded that the student needed to understand that an English major might have trouble seeing how important Whitman was, since Whitman had reshaped the world so thoroughly that the student now partly lived in the world Whitman had created.

Letterman's like Whitman, too, having reshaped a part of the world to suit himself, even though when I was a kid, Saturday Night Live meant a lot more to me.

When Johnny Carson retired, everybody fell all over themselves to say how there would never be another person like him. Weirdly, though, Letterman is just like him, in that they both as so cool that they sit in judgment of everyone and everything, and we acknowledge their right to judge. The true core of coolness is a willingness to work at something obsessively without ever taking it seriously, which both of these men perfected. This quality is often disparaged by people who hate irony, but they are wrong to fear it. Irony doesn't prevent a person from working, it ALLOWS them to work, to give themselves to a work even though it the back of their mind, they must know how silly caring about anything is.

[Scott Gillespie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Top Ten Reasons To Read The Book of Top Ten Lists

10. It’s a quicker read than Shōgun.
9. The 1980’s topical references you remember.
8. Keeps the hot side hot, and the cool side cool.
7. The 1980’s topical references you don’t remember.
6. Written before Dave looked like a goofy prophet.
5. Size and shape of book is perfect for swatting bugs and butts.
4. Nostalgia! Nostalgia! Nostalgia!
3. A treasure trove for short attention spans.
2. A reminder that the GOP was always awful.
1. Funnier than the World Health Organization’s “Top 10 Causes of Death.”

[Jeremy Arkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun thing to do is read the list without looking at the title and try to guess the title.

[Sheehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

packed for NYC trip, it was entertaining for a flight, but not much more.

Enjoyed being reminded of topical 80s trivia and David Letterman show, but beyond that sort of meh

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

a funny little visit with an old friend

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The humor did not age well.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

#80 of 120 books pledged to read during 2023

[DEBBIE BERESFORD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book but because it is older, and some of the topics are based around the time the book was written they didn't have the same punch.

[Melissa Mclees · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surely had a lot of lists in this book, but I don't see what the purpose of those lists were exactly for, I mean what do they serve a purpose for? It was humourous though. I did like to read it, but what did I learn from it, other than knowing that Mr. Letterman is a very opinionated person? nothing!

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just my kind of humor. It makes me chuckle a whole bunch. I especially enjoyed the plans for an end table by Norm Abram in the back. I might make one.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sure, it's essentially ephemera, but at the time, I was delighted. I may like it more now, knowing how much Merrill Markoe was responsible for it.

[Dan Chisholm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just a book of lists. Some funny, some not. Most outdated and for the older crowd (late twenties and beyond). Younger generations would find this boring and out-dated. Good book for Letterman fans, but thats about it.

[Chris Gager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up at the town transfer station and now headed for trivia-dom.

All done now... some of the stuff was dated and I skipped those but overall I'd say it was typical Dave. Wise-ass and absurdist and a bit sophomoric. Good stuff!

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

My grade = 78% - C

I only read this one because someone with OC Disorder added 100 questions on this book to the Goodreads Neverending Book Quiz.

I originally read it when it first came out - sometime in the late 80's (?) and it has truly and obviously become dated.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very odd, but good.

[Primadonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would've enjoyed it more if I recognize all of the names he mentioned. :)

[Leonard Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hey, remember the late '80s and early '90s? When David Letterman had hair? And I was not so lame that I was going to bed hours before his show came on? Yeah, he was pretty funny then.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious collection of classic Letterman humor. It's like watching TV in convenient book form!

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The original - very funny stuff.

[Kat]

Didn't think this book was as funny as I thought it was going to be. Glad it's short, didn't want to waste many hours reading it.

[Bill Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant.

[Devi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly read it just so I can say I read it. Most of the lists weren't that funny. Of course, I was a toddler when most of this stuff was relevant.

[Tim Gillen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun light read. Humorous look back at topics that were current events long ago.

[pati · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dated, but still it is Dave Letterman, and he is a funny guy!

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ultimate bathroom reading!

[Memoree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, a classic really.

[Jdar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun in a "remember the late '80's kinda way" without the cocaine.

[Matt Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in high school when Late Night with David Letterman was at its peak in the early to late 80s.