They say that knowledge is power -- and they're right. Knowledge is also the fast track to pleasure and profit, whether the subject is politics, poker or proof sets.

We in numismatics tend to take for granted the many sources of knowledge available today concerning our hobby. The fact remains, however, that more books have been written about rare coins and related subjects during the last generation -- say, since 1960 -- than in all the previous span of recorded history.

That roster is gaining an impressive new addition this month with the publication of "The Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection," a massive and indispensable volume prepared by the Professional Coin Grading Service and published by House of Collectibles, part of the Random House family.

I was privileged to play a role in shaping this exceptional book, working closely with Scott Travers, John Dannreuther, Rick Montgomery, Tom DeLorey and the rest of the remarkable team that put it together. Obviously, I am prejudiced, but I regard this as one of the most important - -and most valuable -- reference books ever written about rare coins.

The late Aaron Feldman wisely counseled customers at his New York City coin shop to always "buy the book before the coin." That advice has been repeated so often through the years that many now regard it as a cliche. But its value is greater than ever in today's high-powered marketplace, where the knowledge found in books can give a collector an edge worth many thousands of dollars when buying or selling coins.

Over the years, my own collection of coins has waxed and waned as economic vicissitudes permitted me to expand it or forced me to sell. But my numismatic library has never stopped growing -- as my wife, Patt, will ruefully attest. And while I derive a measure of satisfaction from my modest holdings of coins, paper money, medals and tokens, I treasure my library even more.

We live in an age not only of computers, but also of lists. USA Today routinely publishes lists to make facts and figures more digestible for its fast-paced readers, and fans of David Letterman wait each night expectantly for his "Top Ten" lists of zany zingers.

With this in mind, I've drawn up a list of the 10 books I value most in my numismatic library. The new PCGS grading guide isn't on the list because it isn't yet in my library - -but it will certainly occupy a prominent place in both once it does arrive.

Any such list is bound to be highly subjective, and will vary from person to person, even within a group of well-read and well-informed individuals. Thus, my list probably contains books that other people -- perhaps including you -- wouldn't even consider. Then again, we may agree on some.

For what it's worth, then, and in no particular order, here's my list of the 10 most important numismatic books -- at least on the shelves of MY library:

• "A Guide Book of United States Coins" by R.S. Yeoman (edited by Kenneth Bressett). This all-time bestseller, now in its 51st edition, may not be the bible for day-to-day transactions anymore, as it was a generation ago, but it's still an indispensable reference work. Mention the words "Red Book" and millions of Americans think at once of Yeoman, rather than Mao.
• The "Standard Catalog of World Coins." With this massive volume, first published 25 years ago, Chester L. Krause and Clifford Mishler gave world coins a world-class boost, just as the Red Book had done for U.S. coins. I'd truly be lost without it when checking facts and figures on foreign coinage: It's as thick as a telephone book and just as useful.
• The "Coin World Almanac," by the editors of Coin World. This book is a treasure trove of information on every conceivable facet of numismatics. Hardly a day goes by when I don't use it to check some detail on U.S. Mint history, or some coin auction record -- or possibly a chart on how to convert grams into ounces. I can't imagine a serious collector who doesn't have a copy in his or her library.
• "The U.S. Mint and Coinage," by Don Taxay. I pore over this book so regularly, and voraciously, that I now keep TWO copies on my shelves, just in case one goes astray. It's brimming with insights on how the U.S. Mint has evolved through the years and how our coins have been shaped by politics, economics, talent, luck and intrigue. The original correspondence alone is worth twice the book's price.
• Walter Breen's "Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins." This may well be the most monumental coin book ever written. I tend to be wary of books that are billed as "complete," for they seldom really are--but this one comes as close as humanly possible. The late Walter Breen left a large and enduring legacy, but this remarkable volume is surely his masterpiece.
• "Numismatic Art in America," by Cornelius Vermeule. Coinage art has always been close to my heart; that's why I've campaigned so loudly and so long for redesign of our present U.S. coins. Vermeule's examination of our numismatic heritage -- as seen from the standpoint of aesthetics--is unfailingly fascinating and enlightening.
• "The History of United States Coinage as Illustrated by the Garrett Collection." I can't imagine a list of 10 top coin books without at least one volume by Q. David Bowers. Happily, my library has dozens of Bowers books -- but this one is my favorite. I'm partial, perhaps, because I covered the Garrett Sale for numismatic journals as well as The New York Times. By any standard, though, this book is an engrossing -- and very hefty -- slice of coinage history.
• "The Fantastic 1804 Dollar," by Eric P. Newman and Kenneth E. Bressett. This is a far more slender book than just about any other on my list. However, it has significance far beyond its size, for it furnished a convincing solution to one of the greatest mysteries of U.S. numismatics: how the 1804 dollar came into being. We take that solution for granted today, but it was a major piece of detective work in 1962, when the book first appeared.
• "The Art of Coins and Their Photography," by Gerald Hoberman. I consider this the most beautiful book on coins I have ever seen. It overflows with dozens of gorgeous full- color, full-page photos by Hoberman, a South African photographer-numismatist, showing great coins of history to their maximum advantage. As a bonus, the author shares some of his secrets on how he achieved these incredible results.
• "The Coin Collector's Survival Manual," by Scott A. Travers. At the age of 34, Scott Travers already has established himself as a numismatic author of the first magnitude, with more than half a dozen best-selling books under his belt. This was his first, and it set a pattern all the others have followed, giving both collectors and non- collectors, too, an honest -- but fair -- guided tour of the coin market. More than anyone else, Travers has been writing books to bring outsiders into the fold.
• Did I miss any books you think I should have included? Why not draw up a list of your own. It's almost as much fun as READING the books in the first place!