Books by the Numbers

by Paul Birkhead Rowan Public Library
     
    When you browse the non-fiction shelves at your local library, you may notice the same thing as I have on a few occasions.  There are many books whose titles include a number in them.  Whether an author is giving you a ‘top-ten’ list about a particular subject or is extoling 100 ‘things to know’, it seems quite popular these days to quantify advice. 
    A book just recently updated and republished in time for spring, 101 Baseball Places to See Before You Strike Out, is a must-read for any baseball fan.  Author Josh Pahigian trekked across North America to guide the reader in discovering or revisiting baseball landmarks.  Some places are well-known (the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York) and others are not (the Bob Uecker statue in Milwaukee’s Miller Park).  There are many illustrations, so if you never make it in person to the Babe Ruth Birthplace in Baltimore or McCovey Cove in San Francisco Bay, it will at least feel like you have.
    Speaking of Milwaukee and if beer is your thing, you might want to check out Wisdom for Home Brewers: 500 Tips & Recipes for Making Great Beer by Ted Bruning.  Brewing beer at home has been practiced for thousands of years.  In America, it took several decades after the repeal of Prohibition for the practice to become popular and legal again in all fifty states.  In the last few years, the number of people brewing beer at home has climbed over a million, and the popularity of the hobby shows no signs of slowing down.  Books like Wisdom for Home Brewers do an excellent job explaining just how easy it is to make beer and adjust recipes to suit individual tastes.  Even those readers with a little more brewing experience will discover helpful tips and advice.
    Need a snack with that beer?  The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying & Start Making shows how to create grocery store staples from scratch.  Granola bars, pop-tarts, cake mix, pasta sauce and soup are just a few of the delights described.  Great photos, amusing anecdotes, and helpful recipes are sure to please those wishing to eat healthier and cheaper, reduce packaging waste, and have fun in the kitchen.
    If you have children, chances are you’ve sought out advice on one parenting aspect or another.  There’s no shortage of books in the library to help you with many of the challenges you might face.  Parenting Children with ADHD: 10 Lessons That Medicine Cannot Teach is a good resource for families struggling with that particular disorder.   Zero to Five: 70 Essential Parenting Tips Based on Science is aimed at folks raising young children.  Parents of older children might appreciate what they can learn in Teenagers 101: What a Top Teacher Wishes You Knew About Helping Your Kid Succeed.
     No matter what stage in life you are in, it’s always good to read and learn about new things.  Rowan Public Library’s mission is to support the life long pursuit of knowledge and one way that’s encouraged is by providing access to thousands of items on a wide variety of subjects.  Wondering if the library’s shelves contain tips, tricks, and advice for whatever interests you?  You can count on it.