The Red Bandanna by Tom Rinaldi

I was hesitant to buy The Red Bandanna. I know the story because ESPN created a 10 minute mini-documentary a few years ago and it airs every September 11th. It is impossible to watch and not get teary eyed. The man, Welles Crowther, is a true hero. He probably could have escaped the south tower and survived. Instead, he kept going back up flights of stairs to help others get to the only working elevator. Unfortunately, he did not make it out. The survivors did not know his name, but they recognized the red bandanna in his back pocket - something he always carried around.

It wasn't that I was hesitant because I knew the story. Rather, I didn't want to buy the book simply to fill the pockets of Tom Rinaldi and ESPN. So I passed. The next time I went to Barnes & Noble I changed my mind and decided I had to give it a shot.

The beginning of the book is very detailed about the background of Welles growing up and where he came from. Being honest, this part was less interesting. The second half of the book picks up as it relives September 11th. Even harder to swallow (and read) is the days, weeks, and months afterwards. It is impossible to finish The Red Bandanna without a tear coming down.

While I generally dislike books that come out after a movie, this case was different. One major difference is the book shares all of the good things that came after the ESPN mini-documentary. I also thought there was more detail. I felt that it hit me harder as I was reading through it.

Everyone should know about Welles Crowther and his story. If you do not like to read, then at a minimum you should watch the ESPN clip. And if you have already seen the ESPN clip, I still highly recommended reading the book.

My rating for The Red Bandanna: 5 stars out of 5. Get it here!

P.S. Next week I will do a review for my top books of 2016!

A Life Well Played by Arnold Palmer

I like golf. I started playing in high school. I try to play once a week in the summer now. The last two years I have been in a fantasy golf league that has forced me to learn about more players and courses. But I do not know a lot of golf history. So when I saw A Life Well Played as I was walking around Barnes & Noble I thought it was a great reading choice.

The book is all about Arnold Palmer, divided up into three parts - golf, life, and business. I have to admit, there is so much I did not know about Arnold Palmer. He won a ton, but he finished in second place even more. He created the modern day "grand slam" in golf - the Masters, British Open, US Open, and PGA. He was incredibly smart and ahead of his time with advertising and endorsing. He owns many golf courses. He helped launch the Golf Channel. And of course everyone knows the iced tea - lemonade mix that he created (famously known as an Arnold Palmer).

Most impressively to me was how humble he seemed. His dad was a huge influence in his life, working on a golf course and teaching him how to play the game of golf. Arnold Palmer never forgot where he came from. He was thankful for everything in his life and seemed to truly enjoy it. It is sad to say that shortly after the book was released, Arnold Palmer passed away.

My rating for A Life Well Played: 4.5 stars out of 5. Get it here!

P.S. This book reminded me of Wooden by John Wooden. The way the book was structured, the lifetime of reflection, both having great character. People everyone can aspire to follow.

To Pixar and Beyond by Lawrence Levy

I am a big fan of animation movies, particularly Pixar ones. Pixar was the first company to make a computer animated film (computer being the key word). Their library includes Toy Story, A Bugs Life, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up, Inside Out, and a few others. All very good movies in my opinion. This book plays to three audiences: people who love Pixar movies, people who love Steve Jobs, and people who are interested in business.

Steve Jobs started as an investor in Pixar. By the late 1980s, he owned the entire company. Unfortunately, the company was struggling and losing money. Steve Jobs wrote monthly checks to pay the bills, which eventually added up to $50 million over the years. Lawrence Levy came into the picture after Steve Jobs read about him in a magazine. He wanted to bring Levy in to fix the strategy and finances of Pixar. A ton of hit movies later, they eventually sold to Disney in 2006 for $7.4 billion.

A lot happened in order to make Pixar a success. The book looks at the strategic decisions that were made along the way. Most of the focus is on the year or so leading up to the release of Toy Story and the initial public offering (IPO). The book is well organized and an easy read - I finished it on a flight from Hartford to Miami. Levy explains the business concepts that come up in simple terms (he explains what an IPO is and how it works).

Pixar fans will like the behind-the-scenes look at the making of Toy Story. Pixar invented the only machine to get a movie from a computer to a movie reel to show in theaters. Steve Jobs fans will like the discussions and reflections Levy offers. This is also where most of Steve Jobs' wealth came from (not Apple). And this is almost a must read for anyone in finance, corporate strategy, or working in a small-business or start-up. Really good stuff.

My rating for To Pixar and Beyond: 5 stars out of 5. Get it here!

P.S. At the end of the book, Levy goes off on a tangent on the middle way and philosophy. I actually found this to be very interesting. In a way, it almost links to what the author of When Breathe Becomes Air was getting at.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Me Before You has been out for a while. In fact, it has already been made into a movie. I am not sure why, but I just never read it. After wandering through Barnes and Noble looking for books to read, I finally decided to give it a shot. I have to say I wish I read it sooner.

Me Before You is about a girl, Lou, in her mid-twenties who has an average / boring life: boyfriend, close family, never left her town, and struggling after losing her barista job. She finds a new job working for a wealthy man named Will, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. He was always a thrill seeker - traveling, extreme sports, living life on the edge. But trapped in his wheelchair, he is miserable and rude.

Lou quickly discovers that Will tried to take his own life shortly before she started working for him. He wants to die. There is an assisted-suicide facility in Switzerland that he wants to go to, but he promises his parents 6 more months. Lou was hired for 6 months with the goal of showing him that life is still worth living.

This is more than I would normally share about a book, but I did so because this dilemma is a hard one to think about. On one hand, every day and every life is worth living to the fullest. But on the other, if you were in those shoes you can imagine how hard life would be. It is fascinating to think about.

Of course, there is more to this book than just that. Chicks loved this because it turns into a romance story that everyone can see coming from a mile away. Although I have to say the ending did surprise me a bit (I mean that in a good way).

My rating for Me Before You: 4.5 stars out of 5. Get it here!

Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks

Two by Two is Nicholas Sparks' 20th book. When I first started reading, I was a big fan of Nicholas Sparks. I have 17 of his 20 books on my bookshelf. I even went to a book signing in Harvard Square to meet him. So yes, you can call me a superfan. But the truth is his books have become very predictable and I have not enjoyed reading them the last few years. I decided to give Two by Two a shot since it's his 20th book and because it sounded different than some of his other books.

The story is about a man who seems to have a perfect life - a good job, married with a loving daughter, and everything going his way. But things change quickly. He struggles to start his own business. His wife becomes distant, which we later find out is her having an affair and eventually wanting a divorce. Thus a journey begins of him being a single parent and growing his business. Not to mention some unexpected extended family issues. And it would not be a Nicholas Sparks book without an old flame coming back into the picture.

This is Nicholas Sparks' longest book by far. He really develops the characters. The main character, Russell, is the definition of soft. He acts innocent, naive, romantic. He gets walked all over. He drives a Prius. Maybe girls will like him, but as a guy I'm just shaking my head. His daughter is awesome, although I may be biased as I love kids. The ex-wife seems crazy while his old flame seems perfect.

I want to say the outcome is predictable, and for the most part it is, but the ending shifts unexpectedly. The first 400 pages are one story and the last 75 pages are another. You want to know the ending to the first part...it turns out to be told in a few pages in the epilogue. Definitely a strange ending giving how elaborate and detailed the rest of the book was.

Overall, I would say this was better than some of his other recent books, but it does not compare to his first few hits. And the ending could have been stronger.

My rating for Two by Two: 3 stars out of 5. Get it here!

Stranger Things on Netflix

I have not posted in a month. Truth is, I have been watching a lot of Netflix. A lot of Netflix. I have always thought of this blog as a library. The focus is books, but sometimes I will do a movie review or even a CD review (I did a CD review once). After watching the first season of Stranger Things, I felt like it deserved a spot on the blog. Plus people have mentioned somewhat of a connection / inspiration from a book called The Montauk Project.

When Stranger Things first came out, I read it was sci-fi-ish and kids were the main characters. It did not sound like my cup of tea for a tv show. I finally gave in and watched the first episode after one of my cousins recommended it a few times. I have to admit it captivated my attention. I watched the first season in a week. The last four episodes were impossible to stop watching. Sadly we will have to wait until next year for season 2.

The premise of the show is a boy mysteriously goes missing in the 1980s. His three friends, who are nerds, try to figure out what happened. His mom is hysterical (the acting is great) and has moments where she hears him. Other people start to go missing. There is a secretive government lab where no one on the outside knows what goes on on the inside. Everything converges towards the end of the season. Oh and the best part is a girl named Eleven who escapes from the government lab and has mind powers (it sounds crazy but the way it unfolds is cool).

Full disclosure - I do not watch much tv and I am in no way an expert in tv shows. But this is the best show I have watched in a while. It is scary, there is drama, and it stretches your imagination. Very well done and highly recommended.

How Great Decisions Get Made by Don Maruska

I've had this post saved for about a month. Let me explain. As part of becoming an actuary, one has to take a series of exams. There are a lot of hoops to jump through, but I have always said there are roughly 10 exams, which you take one at a time every six months. You teach yourself the material from textbooks and other exam prep sources. The last exam is an online course that focuses on the soft skill of decision making. How Great Decisions Get Made is one of the readings from that course. I chose to blog about it because a) it was not a terrible book and b) it allowed me an avenue to talk about becoming an actuary.

The book is exactly what the title says: a how-to on how to make a great decision, following 10 simple steps. The 10 steps are fairly straightforward and reasonable, yet rarely followed. Generally I hate books like this, but the author states upfront this is a book on "showing and not telling". He uses many examples to demonstrate his points.

The biggest takeaway for me was how to address a problem or issue. Many times, we ask what's wrong or how can we fix it? We focus on the problem and trying to solve it. Instead, the better way to look at a problem or issue is to ask what's possible and who cares? A very simple yet interesting way to look at problems.

My rating for How Great Decisions Get Made: 2 starts out of 5. Get it here!

P.S. So I didn't really explain why I waited to post this...well, this week I FOUND OUT I PASSED THE COURSE! I am now one final conference away from officially being a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries.

Movie Review: The Big Short

I have not done a movie review in a while. I watched The Big Short last weekend on Netflix (side note: Netflix is great and I highly recommend it). The Big Short is about the 2007-2008 housing crisis based on the book by Michael Lewis. I read the book and reviewed it back in 2011. (Wow that was a long time ago.) I really liked the book as it did a good job explaining, in simple yet detailed terms, how and why the crisis happened. Plus I really like Michael Lewis' writing style.

I was surprised when they announced The Big Short would be made into a movie. My first thought was there is no way the average person is going to understand this stuff. The movie addresses that by pausing and having celebrities like Selena Gomez explain a complicated concept in simple terms. Honestly, one of the weirdest things I've ever seen in a movie. It felt like something made for a high school class. The movie follows three people and how they bet against the housing crisis. It does a good job building suspense. I also thought it did a good job, albeit maybe too over the top, of demonstrating how ridiculously easy it was to get a home loan.

I recall the movie getting decent reviews. I have no idea how. I cannot imagine a movie buff liking this. I cannot imagine someone interested in business or the financial crisis liking this. I think the success of the movie is based on Michael Lewis' past successes as well as one of the few attempts to bring an explanation of the housing crisis to the mainstream public.

I don't usually do ratings for movie reviews. In this case, I would simply say read the book or find something else to watch.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

This book has been on my list forever. Like years. A few older acquaintances have said Lord of the Flies was their favorite book they read in high school. Whenever people make the "favorite book" claim, I have to give it a shot.

I was skeptical going in because I'm not really a fan of classic books. I'm a pretty good reader, but older authors' writing styles and English slow me down. Generally I don't think the story lines are all that interesting either. (Sorry for being harsh if you like the classics.)

Anyways, I got about 60 pages in and gave up. It's not for me. The story is about a group of boys who awake on an island after a plane crash. There are no surviving adults, so they are left to rule themselves. The young boys try to organize to build shelter and hunt for food, but they are just young boys. That's where I fell off. Basically, this was The Hunger Games before The Hunger Games.

My rating for Lord of the Flies: 0.5 out of 5 stars. Don't get it.

P.S. I probably should have shared this sooner, but I became a member of Barnes and Noble back in July. They ask every time I go and I always said no. But I finally made the plunge (and it didn't hurt that it was a very cute, nerdy librarian type girl with glasses who asked). It costs $25 annually. With it, you get 10% off all books, 20% of hard covers, plus a plethora of annoying e-mail coupons. On that first purchase I saved $5, but sadly I haven't been back to Barnes and Noble since. I'll keep a running tally on the blog so we can see if a membership is worth it or not for me.

Narconomics by Tim Wainwright

Another book I stumbled upon because of good reviews. I tried the first few pages in Barnes and Noble and it was great. The book looks at drugs from an economist's perspective, comparing it to a business. The author uses terminology and comparisons like diversification, human resources, social responsibility, profits. It's an interesting way to think about drugs.

The first two-thirds of the book is about drugs and cartels, mainly in Mexico, Latin America, and South America. The last one-third focuses on online sales, legalization initiatives around the world, education, and suggestions. The book was written recently and is up to date, talking about many things you would hear about on the news. He even comments on the recent heroin epidemic.

Wainwright shows how many supply side initiatives to get rid of drugs often times end up having minimal impact, even though governments and police can twist the facts to show success. I thought his argument for regulating drugs like pharmaceutical drugs is really, really hard to discredit. It's really about consumer safety, education, knowing what is in the drugs you are taking, and how much to take. It's ironic how much more dangerous alcohol is yet it's socially acceptable.

Whether you are for or against drugs - using, legalizing, whatever it may be - this is a good read to become more educated. Personally, I don't have any skin in the game on this subject. Narconomics is the perfect example of a book that serves as a way to educate oneself and learn more about something, allowing one to develop a better informed and well reasoned opinion. Just because you pick up a book on a subject does not mean that you support or are against the topic or person.

For what it's worth, my dad read this book a few days after I did. It usually takes him weeks to finish a book, but he got through this one in two days. He thought it was insightful, too.

My rating for Narconomics: 5 starts out of 5. Get it here!

P.S. I recognize I've been giving out a lot of 4's and 5's...have my ratings become too easy? I don't think so. Rather, I think I've hit a hot streak of some of the best books out there.

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Full disclosure up front that I'm not a big Nike guy. I heard this book received good reviews though, and after reading the first few pages at Barnes and Noble I realized I would like this book.

Shoe Dog chronicles the first 15 years of Nike, which actually started as Blue Ribbon Sports. Phil Knight took an entrepreneurship class in college and presented on a "crazy idea". He went on a worldwide trip after college in the early 1960s and decided to stop in Japan to pitch his "crazy idea". This idea was to sell Japanese running shoes in America. It's amazing how the business slowly grew, doubling sales every year, yet still struggling with cash flow problems that many small businesses face. Eventually, he decided to launch his own brand, which at the last minute was named Nike, with a swoosh logo designed for $30. There were many challenges along the way, from getting kicked out of two banks, to being sued in court after branching off to launch the Nike brand, to being sued by the government for import taxes. The book concludes with Nike becoming a publicly traded company.

Usually I'm skeptical when a well-known person attaches his or her name to a book because I feel they usually do that to sell more books and someone else actually does most of the writing. In this case, Phil Knight has pretty much retired from Nike and wrote this book as part of his retirement. The writing is oddly funny, mainly because of the first few employees and Knight's insights. One guy was in a wheelchair, one guy sent him a letter every day, and one ended up being his wife.

The author also reflected on everything. His biggest regret seems to be the time he spent away from his family, something that everyone faces when trying to run their own business or climb the corporate ladder. The ending is great, as he reflects on his relationships with Nike's start athletes Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. You don't realize the highs and lows they've gone through together, from Jordan and Tiger both losing their fathers to Phil losing one of his sons. He also commented on the Nike factory controversy, saying he regretted some of the things he said at the time, but now realizing that they were a scapegoat for an entire industry and that in the end Nike is much better off and viewed as a leader.

Shoe Dog is a really motivating story for any entrepreneur. Anybody who likes Nike will appreciate the book as well. In the end you realize it's all about the journey. The final destination is the cherry on top.

My rating for Shoe Dog: 5 stars out of 5. Get it here!

P.S. Somehow, someway, this is my 100th post on this blog! Pretty neat to think about. Hopefully I make it another 100 posts!

The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver

I started this book about two years ago, but only made it half way through. Shortly after I started reading it, someone at work recommended it. Still, I did not finish it. I decided to bring this to the beach and read from start to end.

The basic premise is focused on prediction failures and why forecasters often get things wrong. Essentially, getting distracted by the "noise" and losing focus of the "signal". The book covers all sorts of topics: the economy, weather, political races, earthquakes, poker, vaccines/diseases, gambling, the stock market, chess, global warming and terrorism. Point is, you can apply forecasting to any area, as long as you distinguish between the signal and the noise.

Overall, I felt like I already agreed with the theory he presented. His applications are interesting and stimulating to think about. He makes a strong case for using Bayes Theorem (which makes me think about exams). Otherwise, I'm not really sure he offers many solutions, other than to be aware of the noise. I liked the ending about unknown unknowns, as that is a real danger.

Some background on Nate Silver, which I knew about before reading this book. His blog FiveThirtyEight is pretty popular, and somehow he has a relationship with ESPN where his articles are promoted. His initial claim to fame was developing PECOTA, which was later picked up by Baseball Prospectus. He's also very good at predicting and analyzing elections. Basically, he's found a way to capitalize on using statistics in everyday life.

My rating for The Signal and the Noise: 2.5 stars out of 5. Get it here!

P.S. Another one of my tidbits. I saw an article that concluded people over age 50 who read at least 3.5 hours a week lived on average 2 years longer than those who did not read at all. The sarcastic part of me loves this kinda thing and will obviously promote it on my blog, but at the same time I am well aware the differences between correlation and causation. Anyhow, it's a fun fact : )

When Breathe Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Searching for books to read, this one jumped out at me. A man sacrifices a significant amount of his life striving towards a worthy, major accomplishment only to be met with a terminal cancer diagnosis as he approaches the finish line. Paul Kalanithi writes about his journey - wanting to understand life and death, becoming a neurosurgeon (aka a brain surgeon), and then finding out his time on earth will be cut short due to stage IV lung cancer.

The first half of the book is about his journey to become a neurosurgeon. The second half is about facing cancer and dealing with it. It's very interesting to hear how he was giving orders one day and then receiving them the next day. The book ends sort of abruptly, but it's understandable because Paul passes away (not a spoiler since this is on the book cover flap). The epilogue is really, really sad as his wife writes about Paul's last few days.

I didn't like the forward, nor did I like the references to historical literature and authors. I get that he has a background in English and writing, but I thought it slowed down the narrative sometimes. Everything else about this book is great. The author's storytelling and writing is great. I cannot emphasize that enough. Even though the book talks about death, it is really about life and living.

If you know me, you know that I love memoirs. I strongly related to the first part of Paul's story...he made sacrifices and spent so much time to become a doctor. I have spent so much time and made sacrifices to become an actuary. As I finish up my exams (more on that in a future blog), this book made me pause and think about my life. What would I do if I only had a few months to live? I don't consider it a dark thing to think about; rather, it puts things in perspective and really makes me want to enjoy every day.

Favorite Quote: "This is not the end. Or even the beginning of the end. This is just the end of the beginning."

My rating for When Breathe Becomes Air: 4.5 stars out of 5. Get it here!

P.S. Another tidbit. I'm adding a new feature to the blog called "Blast from the Past". Essentially I'll be highlighting a review from the past. It'll update each week with a different past post. I figure there are a lot of good reviews from over the last five years. Plus it'll be a nice way to bring new readers up to speed on books I've read in the past.

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

Luckiest Girl Alive was recommended to me with the advice to not look up anything about the book. I have to admit I would say the same thing if someone else wanted to read this book. The main character, Ani, has a shocking past. On the surface she appears put together with a fancy job in New York city with a breadwinning husband. But things happened during her high school years that still privately haunt her.

The first few stories Ani shares are not too surprising. As the book progressed, I became shocked that this is how the story turned. I did not see it coming at all, especially the ending. It literally hits you out of nowhere, as the chapters alternate between Ani's current life and her high school years.

At the beginning, it was easy to root for Ani. In the middle, I began to feel bad and sympathize with her. Towards the end, it was hard for me to say if I was a fan of her or not. That might sound harsh, but I feel like Ani drifts away from this innocent little girl we met at the beginning. I closed the book with mixed emotions about her.

Tough blog to write without giving anything away, especially when I'm just getting back into the flow of things. I'd say this works if you're looking for something to read on the beach, but I have a feeling there's better stuff out there.

My rating for Luckiest Girl Alive: 2.5 stars out of 5. Get it here!

P.S. I have a bunch of random stuff to share in the coming weeks. I think I'll use the "p.s." space to do it...it would be cool if I had a name for it, something like "Nick's Weekly Tidbit" (although that is NOT a cool name). I finished reading Luckiest Girl Alive before heading to Delaware for vacation. I'm proud to say I finished four books on the beach, which means lots of reviews coming up!

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

First recommendation since I've started reading again - and it was a great recommendation.The main character, Rachel, takes the same train every day. She fantasizes about what looks like a perfect couple she passes by every day. Rachel's life is anything but perfect as she struggles to get over a recent divorce. One drunken night, something really bad happens, but she can't remember exactly what or if she was involved.

The story moves fast. All of the characters become intertwined. What ensues is page-turning: jealously, cheating, lying, a police investigation, and even murder. As Rachel starts to remember and uncover more about that night, she is seen as unreliable and possibly a suspect. It's hard to tell who to trust or who's side to take. That makes it so interesting and hard to put down - you want to find out the truth. The suspense builds to a climatic ending.

I read the last half of the book in one day at the beach. I couldn't stop. I also realized that many people have heard of this book and / or already read it. It's certainly a thriller and somewhat comparable to Gone Girl. The book is also being made into a movie and hits theaters in October. If you haven't read it yet, read it before the movie comes out...99% of the time the book is better than the movie!

My rating for The Girl on the Train: 4.5 stars out of 5. Get it here!

For One More Day by Mitch Albom

I went to Barnes and Noble and wandered the aisles for the first time in a long time. Oh how I love that place. If you've read my blog you know I'm a big Mitch Albom fan. I've read many of his books (blogs here: The Five People You Meet In Heaven, Tuesdays with Morrie, and The Time Keeper). The back cover roped me in with this: "If you had the chance, just one chance, to go back and fix what you did wrong in life, would you take it?"

For One More Day is about a former baseball player who has lost everything. As a kid, his parents get divorced and he's faced with choosing school, his mom's preference, or baseball, his dad's preference. He is raised by his mother, but chooses to pursue baseball. Eventually, he has a brief stint in the majors, but never makes a career out of it. After starting a family, life breaks down and he drinks heavily. Soon his wife divorces him and his daughter doesn't invite him to her wedding. One night after too many drinks, he decides to end his life. During that night, he gains perspective on many things from his childhood and growing up. You'll have to read the book to hear how it ends.

There is a bit of a ghost aspect to it, which if you know me you know I hate things like that. But it works it this setting. Certain stories that he shares can be gut-wrenching, but I think everyone experiences moments like those. The very end was also a bit of a surprise. Last comment on this is many of Albom's books are based on true stories. When you read this book, it certainly has that feel, but from my research on Google, it seems this is a work of fiction. Overall, it was a good story to get me back into reading.

My rating for For One More Day: 3.5 stars out of 5. Get it here!

I'm Back...For Real This Time!

I'm back writing on Nick's Library. I started reading again and plan on sharing reviews. Some history on the blog and where we are today...

• I started reading books for fun in college. I would discuss them with anyone who would listen, which I admit not many friends wanted to talk about books back then.
• I started this blog back in the summer after I graduated college (July 2011) as a way distant friends could keep up with what I was reading.
• I would give away the best books I read as Christmas gifts to friends. I loved that idea.
• The goal was one book a week. I maintained that until September 2013, when I started dating a girl. And I started focusing more on my actuarial exams.
• Needless to say, reading (and the blog) stopped for a while. I tried to get back into reading (and blogging) in mid-2014, but that was short lived.
• A lot of things have happened over the last two years. And a lot of things have changed in the last six months. At the end of the day, I realized how much I enjoy reading a good book. That's just part of who I am and I shouldn't let the hustle and bustle of life overtake that.

Going forward, I'll be posting book reviews like I did in the past. I have a lot of catching up to do since I'm sure there are plenty of good books from 2015 and the first half of 2016. Leave a comment if you have suggestions. I might also reflect back on some of the older posts.

Let's hope this goes on for a while!

P.S. Really strange fact - I was searching for my website and learned that some old advertising guy started his own site named "Nick's Library". He even bought the domain nickslibrary.com. Ugh! I guess if this ever takes off I'll have to come up with a new name. I was the original Nick's Library though - he copied my name!