Outside of a Dog, #75

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx.

The New Year is a great time to try new things! Have you ever wanted to learn how to knit? Or maybe you want to fix your own appliances? It doesn’t take a Dummies book to learn how, but sometimes, these easy, fun-to-read collections of everything you need to know to do something can be found in the bright yellow books, and in the other series of easy how-to books, like The Everything Guide, Teach Yourself Visually, and the Complete Idiot’s Guides listed below. If your goal is to expand your horizons, check a few of these out, or ask your reference librarian for more!

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Buddhism by Gary Gach

Buddhism, according to various statistical sources, usually ranks between the 4^th and 6^th largest religion in the world, with approximately 400 million followers across the globe. This religion, focusing on rebirth, enlightenment, and the understanding of suffering is a fascinating way to look at the world.

WCV 294.3 G

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Independent Filmmaking by Josef Stieff

As Michigan becomes a more popular place for feature films to be made, lots of folks want to get in on the ground floor of fame. This book will teach you how to film your own movie with your own equipment from start to finish.

WMB 791.43 S

Facebook for Dummies by Leah Pearlman

What is Facebook? What is social networking? Who uses it, what does it do, and why should I care? To answer just a few of these questions, read the opening chapter of this new book. It will help you understand why Facebook is as popular and important as it is, and help you set up an account with the site if you want.

WAM 006.754 P

Genealogy Online for Dummies by Matthew Helm

Ever wanted to trace your roots? Find out who you’re related to, or if your family came in at Ellis Island? This book will teach you how! If you can’t wait to take the Genealogy class at the Arthur Miller Branch, here’s the place to start!

WDB 919.1 H

The Everything American Presidents Book by Martin Kelly

If you missed out on history class, or just need a refresher about the Commander-in-Chief and his duties and deeds over the years, check out this Everything book.

WCV YA 973.09 K

The Everything Start Your Own Business Book by Judith B. Harrington

Is your New Year’s resolution to be successful? Or to take the talent you have and make it work for you? This is the book for you. Detailed here is how to start your own business from scratch, and the legal and financial things you’ll need to know to do it right.

WAM 658.1141 H

Teach Yourself Visually Windows XP by Ruth Maran

While Windows Vista was kind of a mess and is expected to be surpassed by 2009’s Windows 7, Windows XP is still one of the most enduring operating systems out there. All of the library computers still run on XP, and many other business networks do, too. Pick up this colorful, step-by-step guide if you’d like to learn for yourself how computers work.

WDB 005.44 Windows XP

Teach Yourself Visually Guitar by Charles Kim

Do you have music in your blood? Or maybe just want to learn a few chords? Or play your favorite song from the radio? Learning how to play guitar is a great exercise for the brain and for manual dexterity, too. The Teach Yourself Visually books are a fantastic place to start learning anything from guitar to knitting. Try one today!

WMB 787.87 K