Editor Geoffrey Ward mentions in his introduction that the essays selected were picked mainly because they gave him a "childish pleasure" in reading them. And he allows that there is "no discernible theme; subjects range from owls to Alice in Wonderland, Michelangelo to Michael Jackson, the joy of napping to the horror of very nearly being murdered by a madman." It"s that diversity, coupled with the very high quality of the writing, that makes this such a special book. Anyone who enjoys the essay form would find at least several essays in The Best American Essays 1996 that appeal to some of their interests, and there"s a good chance that new interests will be sparked.