12
Garry Wills
Wills' back catalogue is a sniper's scattershot. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Northwestern historian has written books of intimidating insight on a panoply of topics, from Nixon to Reagan, John Wayne's icon status to St. Augustine. Oh yeah, he's also published thriller fiction, 1979's "At Button's." Then there's his extensive journalism addressing politics and literature, with some book reviews to boot. Critics have said Wills is at his best when addressing the broadest issues imaginable with his own personal flair, in which case this year's "Why I Am a Catholic" should prove another triumph.

13
Charlie Trotter
Having published more than a dozen books, ranging from idiot-proof titles such as "Cooking for Dummies" to professional-level tomes like "Charlie Trotter's Meat & Game," the culinary genius has transformed his Armitage Avenue culinary mecca into a mini-literary imprint. Of course, Trotter's influence is always bounded by his sophistication (or snobbery, depending on whether you were fed with a silver or plastic spoon)--titles like "Lessons in Service from Charlie Trotter" have limited appeal to the microwaving masses.

14
Christie Hefner
As a brand name, the-little-bunny-that-could is still a powerhouse in the world of publishing. While it may have laid-off a bevy of its dot-com employees and its book division was dark in 2001, Chief-Exec Christie Hefner's Playboy magazine continues to publish some of the best fiction around. Big-name authors include Walter Mosley, Joyce Carol Oates, Andrew Vachss and Lawrence Block. And what other publisher has its own clothing line? Last time we looked, we couldn't find any Random House lingerie.

15
Milt Rosenberg
Nearing his fourth decade at the helm of the radio talkie, Milt Rosenberg is still going strong. His "Extension 720" program is to buzz books what "MTV Total Request Live" is to the hottest music videos. With the kind of cred that comes from a résumé listing interviews with everyone from Norman Mailer to Jimmy Carter to Betty Friedan, the psychology professor at the University of Chicago shows more range than Derek Jeter, discussing everything from baseball to the Chicago underworld to ecology to the Lyndon Johnson tapes in a recent week. And he does it all without the self-congratulatory Oprah-rah.

16
Mayor Richard M. Daley
In case you didn't notice, da Mare digs reading. Seriously. He was vocal about his love for the "One Book, One City" pick of "To Kill A Mockingbird." But he's done much more. He has mandated to local educators that reading scores must improve. He has allocated new money for classroom libraries and required two hours each day for reading instruction. He has even assigned reading specialists in 114 schools to monitor progress and file weekly reports. All this has translated into a new, cool and unprecedented emphasis on books in Chicago. Who knows? The mayor might even drive a bookmobile on weekends.

17
Mitch Rogatz
Never mind whatever inferences you've made while at the sports bar or North Side bleachers: true sports fans are not obstreperous jackasses. We're nerds, with a hard-on for the encyclopedic. Thank God we've got Triumph. Mitch Rogatz' Printers Row house is the official publisher for all major American sports and produces the very best in what we nerds covet: authoritative rulebooks that help us understand the full extent to which the Oakland Raiders were screwed in last season's playoffs; voluminous biographies; and top-notch histories of defunct organizations, such as the Chicago Cardinals. Last year they scored a bestseller with "Dale Earnhardt: Remembering the Intimidator." and this fall Triumph offers a slew of titles on franchises (Bears included) and icons, including the oversized "Sports Immortals," not to mention books on Ozzy and The King.

18
Ann Christophersen and Linda Bubon
Women & Children First co-owners Ann Christophersen and Linda Bubon have been headliners on the national and local front. Christophersen, recently elected president of the American Booksellers Association, is the only Chicagoan and first owner of a feminist bookstore to head the organization. Primarily through continuing "the development of Book Sense," Christophersen plans to "strengthen the position of independent bookstores across the country." She and Bubon also actively opposed the development of the Goldblatt's property (and its proposed Borders store) at the corner of Lawrence and Broadway. And, as always, WCF serves up great author readings; upcoming: Carol Anshaw, Carol Gilligan and Joyce King, among others.

19
Becky Anderson
It's taken a long time, but Anderson's Bookshops, a trio of west suburban indie stores in Naperville, Downers Grove and Elmhurst, are finally getting their due. The 127-year-old operation, co-owned and operated by Becky Anderson Wilkins (with much help from her siblings), recently won the Haslam Award by the Southeast Booksellers Association for Excellence in Bookselling. The coveted trophy names Anderson's as the bookseller of the year. In April, Anderson's received the Lucile Micheels Pannell Award for general excellence in children's bookselling. The award gives props for "creatively bringing books and children together and inspiring children's interest in books and reading."

20
Dominique Raccah
New York Times bestseller "Poetry Speaks," released last October by Dominique Raccah's built-from-scratch independent publishing company Sourcebooks, is poetry to the ears, literally. Lauded by Publishers Weekly as a "definitive anthology," this media-fusioned book and CD compilation is for devoted poetry fans and novices alike. The buzz from this year's Book Expo is that Raccah's next major book/CD project, "The Trials of Lenny Bruce," is sure to be hot when it hits the bookstores in September. Wanna know how she does it? Read Raccah's "How a Book is Made: From the Author to the Reader," due out in November.