What's On Your Coffee Table?

So, what's your opinion on Coffee Table Books?

• Do you actually leave books on your coffee table for people to browse through?
• If so, were they bought specifically for that purpose?
• If so, are they books that you yourself would be interested in thumbing through?
• If so, what's the ratio of text to pictures?

Have you ever had a spread of Coffee Table Books at your local bookstore's bargain bin inspire your gag reflex?  Not because of the subject matter, but because they seem to be sad, worn-out excuses for books? How about the:

• generic collections of sub-par photographs from a standard set of locations (America! Italy! Greece!)
• compendiums of historical high-points buffeted by empty text (Civil War! Ancient China! Renaissance!)
• clips & snippets of paintings arranged into odd categories (Cherubs! Herbs! Puppies!) 

I just can't handle that stuff.

There are some books, however, that are completely Coffee Table Worthy.  When it comes to a quick browse, the more pictures the better--but they must be quality photographs or what's the point?  I actually don't keep these sorts of books on my coffee table--although I would if it weren't for the fact that it's always heavy laden with papers and crafts and other temporary visitors deposited onto the catch-all by my children.  Someday...when I'm all grown up...I'll have a coffee table that lives for books like these:

I love nature (LOVE) so things like these catch my eye:

Nests: Fifty Nests and the Birds that Built Them

Seeing Trees

And whether you like it or not, I'm definitely intrigued by this:

Why is Lincoln's face so intriguing? Is that just me?

And what about some of this?

This may be the only way I'll ever decide to "read" Moby-Dick.

The first two I've purchased as gifts, the second two I would like to have someone else purchase as a gift to me (pretty please?? email me for my address??)  Art with a twist, that's my kind of coffee table book.  What does your coffee table look like?