But I feel like this sort of list is basically misguided, because the textbook that best suits a reader depends crucially on (a) the reader’s particular background and (b) the reader’s goals in learning a subject. Every textbook on a particular subject is written for a different target audience and emphasizes different aspects of the subject, so in addition to trying to identify overall quality of exposition, prospective readers should try to identify the text that best suits their knowledge and interests as they sit down to read. And after reading one text, a reader’s knowledge and interest in the subject should have changed substantially: his or her interest may be exhausted, but if it’s piqued the reader should then move on to another text that covers the subject more deeply or from a different perspective.
In short, there is no such thing as a “best” textbook. There are good and bad texts, but they’re good and bad for different readers. Well, there are some texts that are just bad and will be bad for just about any reader, but the good ones are all good only for a certain subset of readers whose background in the subject and its prerequisites, and whose goals in learning it, best match what the author had in mind (or implicitly assumes).