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>Yes, it is that time again. The gridiron, the turf, the nachos, the sport that is American football. This can only mean one thing: Fantasy football players are getting ready to pick the players for their teams this year and the Manhattan Public Library has the resources to keep you on top of your game.

First is one awesome reference book: The ESPN pro football encyclopedia / edited by Pete Palmer, Ken Pullis, Sean Lahman, Tod foreword by Ron Jaworski.

This book has the stats for every player that was on a roster last year. An invaluable resource when trying to decide between picking Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs with the first pick in the draft, or LaDanian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers. (Personal Note: My first round pick will be Peyton Manning based on his numbers of the past 5 years.)

Second, we also have computers available for public use so you can update your roster if you cannot do so from home.

A really good online resource for all things Football is the National Football League webpage.

So sit back, grab the nachos, find the remote, and enjoy the game.

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Check this out–It’s a book Trailer! The book: The Art of Racing in the Rain by
Garth Stein.

Go to http://www.youtube/ and search the title: the Art of Racing in the Rain.

>Believe it or not, I was in the military when I was younger. One of the things I appreciated the most about being in the Army was the camaraderie of being a soldier and the lifelong friendships that sprang forth from the shared experience.

There were some ups and downs, as with most things that are difficult, but there were also some really good times. One of my favorite moments was walking to graduation with my fellow soldiers and singing the cadence “Tiny Bubbles” as we marched by our families. Probably not a dry eye in the stands that day.

A book just came across the desk that instantly took me back to those days: Modern Military Cadence. Filled with some of my all-time favorites marching cadences/chants/songs and some new ones that I had never heard before. For those wanting to take a walk down military lane this book is just for you.

If anything it will remind you of what foot is your left….your military left.
1,2,3,4
1,2,
3,4!

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With life in its hectic state of summer schedules, my reading must be light and entertaining. A book like Bygones by Kim Vogel Sawyer is just the ticket. A favorite aunt dies leaving Marie’s daughter Beth her estate. Beth just wants to sell out and invest in an antique shop. The catch is Beth must live in the Mennonite community for 3 months before she can become the official heir. While Marie, raised in the community, adapts well to the lack of modern convenience, Beth struggles. Mysterious missing antiques cause the community to suspect Beth as the perpetrator. Marie battles for Beth’s innocence as well as the rising feelings for the beau she once loved.

>It is no secret that the library has a lot of books. We literally have shelves upon shelves of them. But did you know that the library has quite a few new books all about starting your own home-based business? I bet you did not.

So whether your goal is to set up a small lawn mowing business or to be the next Microsoft, check out these titles for the motivated self-starter:

What No One Ever Tells You About Starting your own Business

This book features real world examples from successful entrepreneurs from all over the business world. Heavy in practical advice and real world examples.

What’s Stopping You?

This book is all about busting the myths that surround starting your own small business, and offering those starting a new business a road map for navigating these myths.

The 200 Best Home Businesses

Now that you are ready to start a business what should the business be? Well, a glance through the 200 Best Homes Businesses should give you some idea of what will work for you.

The Small Business Bible

This volume on small business is all about the nuts and bolts of taxes, business plans, marketing, etc. Basically, the stuff that isn’t quite as fun as coming up with the idea. Not only does this book show you the ways to get started, but also how to keep growing your business.

Home-based Business for Dummies

The “For Dummies” series is one of my best friends. These books are always packed with lots of information, often times guiding the reader to valuable Internet resources. This book also contains the much dreaded exit strategy for when you decide that it is time to close up shop.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business

The second cousin to the “Dummies” series is the “Complete Idiot’s Guide” series. This volume offers the same style of advice as the “For Dummies” book, but where this one really stands out is in the back portion of the book that lists small business websites that can offer guidance for the particular type of business you decide to start.

So there you have it. All the resources you need to go out there and start making your own money. But remember, you read it here first.

>”…Because being a cat is where its at.”

Those familiar with the Disney movie “The Aristocats” will instantly recognize this line from one of my favorite movies of all time. Luckily, I have a son so I get the chance to watch this movie with him quite often.

And yes, I got a superdad hug for bringing the movie home to watch.

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>Check it out. Here is a selection of tunes freshly available here at the Manhattan Public Library.
The link to find these items is here: new music c.d.s

> For those readers of the Little Apple Bookworm blog who are heading out this summer on vacations to all sorts of exotic locations, I hereby dedicate this post to you.

Lately, I have been reading a book by Jared Diamond entitled “Collapse“, which seeks to illuminate why societies throughout history have failed to achieve sustainability and therefore collapsed. The book “Disappearing Destinations” by Kimberly Lisagor and Heather Hansen, could be considered a updated companion piece to Diamond’s book.

The authors take us on a tour of 37 endangered destinations and what is being done to retain and restore these locales to a more sustainable condition.

Two of my favorite dream vacation spots are listed in this book: Glacier National Park and Venice, Italy. It should come as no surprise that the future of both of these places is in jeopardy, due largely to increasing temperatures in North America and rising sea levels around the world.

Can you imagine a Glacier National Park without glaciers? Or Venice, Italy under so much water that it no longer becomes feasible to live and/or visit there?

So when you go out on the road this summer to your favorite vacation spot, think about what is being done to keep that spot sustainable and enjoyable for the generations that come after us.

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>A Boy Named Shel is an eye-opening look into the life of one of my favorite writers.

Growing up, one of my favorite things to do was read a book my parents had gotten for me called “Where the Sidewalk Ends.”

It was with this book that I first fell in love with the wit, humor, and downright silliness of Mr. Shel Silverstein. I am sure we all know the tale of Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout, and wondered “Why wouldn’t she take the garbage out?”

My parents at the time were also fans of Shel. Not only was he a successful cartoonist and poet, be he was also a very accomplished songwriter. Most people are unaware that Shel was the one who wrote the song “Cover of a Rolling Stone” made popular by Dr. Hook. So when I heard Dr. Hook singing Shel’s poems, I was instantly hooked on Dr. Hook. (sorry for the pun.)

Despite all of this success, Shel was at times quite insecure about his many talents. But he was the only one, young and old found humor and joy in his work. Shel was after all our ‘Missing Piece.’