# List of The New York Times number-one books of 2002

The American daily newspaper The New York Times publishes multiple weekly lists ranking the best selling books in the United States. The lists are split in three genres—fiction, nonfiction and children's books. Both the fiction and nonfiction lists are further split into multiple lists.

## Fiction

The following list ranks the number-one best selling fiction books, in the hardcover fiction category.
| Date | Book | Author |
| January 6 | Skipping Christmas | John Grisham |
| January 13 | Skipping Christmas | John Grisham |
| January 20 | One Door Away from Heaven | Dean Koontz |
| January 27 | One Door Away from Heaven | Dean Koontz |
| February 3 | Journey Through Heartsongs | Mattie Stepanek |
| February 10 | Journey Through Heartsongs | Mattie Stepanek |
| February 17 | The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer | Joyce Reardon |
| February 24 | The Summons | John Grisham |
| March 3 | The Summons | John Grisham |
| March 10 | The Summons | John Grisham |
| March 17 | The Summons | John Grisham |
| March 24 | 2nd Chance | James Patterson and Andrew Gross |
| March 31 | 2nd Chance | James Patterson and Andrew Gross |
| April 7 | Everything's Eventual | Stephen King |
| April 14 | Everything's Eventual | Stephen King |
| April 21 | Three Fates | Nora Roberts |
| April 28 | The Nanny Diaries | Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus |
| May 5 | Daddy's Little Girl | Mary Higgins Clark |
| May 12 | Daddy's Little Girl | Mary Higgins Clark |
| May 19 | The Shelters of Stone | Jean M. Auel |
| May 26 | The Shelters of Stone | Jean M. Auel |
| June 2 | The Shelters of Stone | Jean M. Auel |
| June 9 | The Shelters of Stone | Jean M. Auel |
| June 16 | In This Mountain | Jan Karon |
| June 23 | In This Mountain | Jan Karon |
| June 30 | The Beach House | James Patterson and Peter de Jonge |
| July 7 | Hard Eight | Janet Evanovich |
| July 14 | The Beach House | James Patterson and Peter de Jonge |
| July 21 | The Remnant | Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins |
| July 28 | The Remnant | Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins |
| August 4 | The Remnant | Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins |
| August 11 | The Remnant | Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins |
| August 18 | The Lovely Bones | Alice Sebold |
| August 25 | Red Rabbit | Tom Clancy |
| September 1 | Red Rabbit | Tom Clancy |
| September 8 | Red Rabbit | Tom Clancy |
| September 15 | The Lovely Bones | Alice Sebold |
| September 22 | The Lovely Bones | Alice Sebold |
| September 29 | The Lovely Bones | Alice Sebold |
| October 6 | Nights in Rodanthe | Nicholas Sparks |
| October 13 | From a Buick 8 | Stephen King |
| October 20 | The Lovely Bones | Alice Sebold |
| October 27 | The Lovely Bones | Alice Sebold |
| November 3 | "Q" Is for Quarry | Sue Grafton |
| November 10 | "Q" Is for Quarry | Sue Grafton |
| November 17 | Answered Prayers | Danielle Steel |
| November 24 | Chesapeake Blue | Nora Roberts |
| December 1 | Chesapeake Blue | Nora Roberts |
| December 8 | Four Blind Mice | James Patterson |
| December 15 | Prey | Michael Crichton |
| December 22 | Prey | Michael Crichton |
| December 29 | Prey | Michael Crichton |

## Nonfiction

The following list ranks the number-one best selling nonfiction books, in the hardcover nonfiction category.
| Date | Book | Author |
| January 6 | The No Spin Zone | Bill O'Reilly |
| January 13 | John Adams | David McCullough |
| January 20 | Bias | Bernard Goldberg |
| January 27 | Bias | Bernard Goldberg |
| February 3 | Bias | Bernard Goldberg |
| February 10 | Bias | Bernard Goldberg |
| February 17 | Bias | Bernard Goldberg |
| February 24 | Shadow Warriors | Tom Clancy |
| March 3 | Shadow Warriors | Tom Clancy |
| March 10 | Bias | Bernard Goldberg |
| March 17 | Bias | Bernard Goldberg |
| March 24 | Stupid White Men | Michael Moore |
| March 31 | Stupid White Men | Michael Moore |
| April 7 | Stupid White Men | Michael Moore |
| April 14 | Stupid White Men | Michael Moore |
| April 21 | Lucky Man | Michael J. Fox |
| April 28 | Lucky Man | Michael J. Fox |
| May 5 | Lucky Man | Michael J. Fox |
| May 12 | Lucky Man | Michael J. Fox |
| May 19 | Master of the Senate | Robert A. Caro |
| May 26 | Lucky Man | Michael J. Fox |
| June 2 | American Son | Richard Blow |
| June 9 | A Mind at a Time | Mel Levine |
| June 16 | The Right Words at the Right Time | Marlo Thomas |
| June 23 | Stupid White Men | Michael Moore |
| June 30 | You Cannot Be Serious | John McEnroe with James Kaplan |
| July 7 | You Cannot Be Serious | John McEnroe with James Kaplan |
| July 14 | Slander | Ann Coulter |
| July 21 | Slander | Ann Coulter |
| July 28 | Slander | Ann Coulter |
| August 4 | Slander | Ann Coulter |
| August 11 | Slander | Ann Coulter |
| August 18 | Slander | Ann Coulter |
| August 25 | Slander | Ann Coulter |
| September 1 | Slander | Ann Coulter |
| September 8 | Let's Roll! | Lisa Beamer with Ken Abraham |
| September 15 | Let's Roll! | Lisa Beamer with Ken Abraham |
| September 22 | Let's Roll! | Lisa Beamer with Ken Abraham |
| September 29 | Let's Roll! | Lisa Beamer with Ken Abraham |
| October 6 | Let's Roll! | Lisa Beamer with Ken Abraham |
| October 13 | Let's Roll! | Lisa Beamer with Ken Abraham |
| October 20 | Leadership | Rudy Giuliani with Ken Kurson |
| October 27 | Leadership | Rudy Giuliani with Ken Kurson |
| November 3 | Leadership | Rudy Giuliani with Ken Kurson |
| November 10 | Leadership | Rudy Giuliani with Ken Kurson |
| November 17 | Leadership | Rudy Giuliani with Ken Kurson |
| November 24 | Journals | Kurt Cobain |
| December 1 | Portrait of a Killer | Patricia Cornwell |
| December 8 | Portrait of a Killer | Patricia Cornwell |
| December 15 | Bush at War | Bob Woodward |
| December 22 | Bush at War | Bob Woodward |
| December 29 | Bush at War | Bob Woodward |