The definitive book of lists: Whether your goal is to be a hard-working millionaire or a laid-back beachcomber, this book can help you firm up your career plans

Are you fascinated by lists? Do you like comparing the rainfall in the Northwest to that of the Northeast? Do you enjoy reading the list of the 10 most attractive men or women or the list of the 400 richest families? How about the ratio of women to men? If stats like these fascinate you, you may be ready for the definitive book of lists, which — not by coincidence — can also help you decide where you might want to live and where the best-paying jobs are. That tome, which runs to 1031 pages, including the index, is The 1981 Statistical Abstract of the United States, 102nd edition. It is also the formal title for the publication that lists all the Census findings. To keep the information current, more than 1600 tables and charts are revised and evaluated each year; new tables and charts of current interest are also added.