The Best

There is the good, there is the better and then, way over in a class by itself, there is the best. This quintessence has such an uncrowded place in the sun that it gets an even tan. Sometimes it is easily discoverable: It bumps you on the nose and introduces itself in a confident manner. Sometimes it takes some rummaging around and some coaxing to find the truly superlative. But what's important is that there's something with which we can battle all the junk that clutters our lives. So, as a holiday antidote to all we've been made to put up with, here's reason to live: a collection of our preferences, of things that represent excellence in its many splendors. And we're not talking simply about the most expensive. Quality is what counts, that irreducible gleam of perfection, that moment when someone finally got it right--whether in a piece of serious business or in a comic strip. In these uncertain times, it's reassuring to know that some problems have elegant solutions. We can stop worrying about them and keep moving. And if some of the best things in life aren't exactly cost-free, well, that's why they invented money in the first place. And sometimes they've even made that beautiful, too, while they were at it. So here's a feast of the finest things, on us.

Personal Best

Optimum Coverage

Lifetime Achievements

Best Bucks

Consuming Passions

Toys

Prime Places