What is the purpose of a table of contents\

If a book is long enough to include chapters, then a table of contents will likely appear at the beginning of the publication. The TOC provides a sequential list of a book's organizational structure -- most commonly denoting each chapter's number, title and starting page location. The chapter titles listed in the TOC can help guide readers in finding specific sections; when the chapter titles don't provide specific enough detail, readers may need to consult the index found in the back of the publication