The Best American series is the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction. This special edition contains selections from the following editions:The Best American Short Stories edited by Geraldine BrooksThe Best American Essays edited by Edwidge DanticatThe Best American Mystery Stories edited by Harlan CobenThe Best American Science and Nature Writing edited by Mary Roach Each volume's series editor selects notable works from hundreds of magazines, journals, and websites. The special guest editor then chooses the best twenty or so pieces to publish. This unique system has made the Best American series the most respected - and most popular - of its kind.