Included on the list were the following books related to jazz:
- The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings by Richard Cook and Brian Morton, about which Mark Richardson says, "Both the ultimate roadmap for newbies and a sure-fire argument-starter for old jazz heads. It's safe to assume that no single jazz guide will ever touch this one."
- Miles: The Autobiography by Miles Davis with Quincy Troupe, in which (according to Joe Tangari) Miles "spills his guts like a motherfucker, giving an unflinchingly honest, darkly funny, and casually profane account of his life as one of the most influential musicians ever."
- The Freedom Principle: Jazz After 1958 by John Litweiler, a book that Marc Masters calls "the perfect book for novices."
- Space Is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra by John F. Szwed, which "creates a bold narrative from one of music history's most amorphous personalities," according to David Drake.
- How the Beatles Destroyed Rock 'n' Roll: An Alternative History of American Popular Music by Elijah Wald, most of which "is an exploration of how popular music developed from the 1920s through the 50s, with particular focus on jazz, country & western, vocal pop, and rhythm & blues." (Mark Richardson)
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