While you're searching the Internet for new hobbies to pick up or discounted textbooks for your online college and university classes, you probably come across some surprises that turn you on to a new interest or exciting read. But there's a lot of weird stuff out there, too. Just check out our list of some of the strangest how-to books sold on Amazon, just in case you're looking for some non-traditional advice.

Business and Professional

These business books are outdated, politically incorrect, or just totally random.

1. How to Make Money in Mail-Order: by L. Perry Wilbur. The product description really gets you here, doesn't it: learn "how to share in the profits of the mail-order boom." Wow.
2. How to Start a Home-Based Secretarial Business: by Jan Melnik. This is the unabridged guide, so only those serious about starting their own secretarial business should get this one.
3. Working Together: How Workplace Bonds Strengthen a Diverse Democracy: by Cynthia Estlund. Become the president of your little democracy, but don't let it get to your head, or you could become the office dictator.
4. Trade Like an ONeil Disciple: How We Made 18,000% in the Stock Market: by Gil Morales and Chris Kacher. If you've always wanted to invest like Bill O'Neil, then check out this book.
5. Mortar: How to Specify and Use Masonry Mortar: by The Aberdeen Group. If you're foregoing engineering or construction classes and want to teach yourself how to use masonry mortar, then we guess it makes sense.
6. How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life: by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D. Written by a grandfather and grandson, this book plays off the "is the glass half empty or half full" concept.
7. The NeXt Revolution: What Gen X Women Want at Work and How Their Boomer Bosses Can Help Them Get it: by Charlotte Shelton and Laura Shelton. This title just sounds a little suggestive to us.
8. Help! My Job Interview Is Tomorrow!: How to Use the Library to Research an Employer : by Mary Ellen Templeton. This is just too cute. Get a used copy of the 1991 paperback for one cent.
9. Time Mastery: How Temporal Intelligence Will Make You A Stronger, More Effective Leader: by John K. Clemens and Scott Dalrymple. Business leaders need to understand that time is malleable, according to this book.
10. Selling by Phone: How to Reach and Sell to Customers in the Nineties: by Linda Richardson. What's so strange about this book is its price tag of $13.22, barely reduced after twenty years.

Hobbies

Have you ever thought about taking up Swedish weaving or buying a dwarf hamster? These books will help you with your new pursuits.

11. How to Book of Swedish Weaving and Hu: by Avery Hill. Weaving is making a comeback, you guys. Especially Swedish weaving. And don't miss Swedish Weaving Patterns for Monks Cloth, either.
12. How to Ride Your Unicycle: by Charlie Dancey. It looks tricky but fun and carries the tag line "a beginner's guide to the most ridiculous form of transport ever invented."
13. Simplified Anatomy for the Comic Book Artist: How to Draw the New Streamlined Look of Action-Adventure Comics!: by Christopher Hart. Learn how to draw the muscles in all the right places.
14. A Surprisingly Easy Guide to Making Hundreds of Everyday Products You Would Otherwise Buy: from the Readers Digest Association. Make your own cleaning supplies and other household, beauty and kitchen items.
15. How to Carve Wood: by Richard Butz. Get in touch with your inner woodworker when you buy this book.
16. How to Play from a Fake Book: by Blake Neely. To keyboard players and pianists, this one may make sense. It's a guide for creating chords and melodies so that you can play whatever you want.
17. How to Buy an RV (And Save Thousands of Dollars): by Don Wright. So that you have lots left over for beer and jean shorts!
18. How to Care for Your Dwarf Hamster: by Marianne Mays. Oh, my, these little guys must be tricky if they need a whole book on care and maintenance.
19. My Name Isn't Martha, But I Can Decorate My Home: by Sharon Hanby-Robie. Oh, snap!
20. How to Videotape Weddings: by Robert Hurth and Sheila Hurth. You probably wouldn't be able to find the equipment touted in this book anymore.
21. Hearthstrings: How to Make Decorative Garlands for All Seasons: by Carol Cruess Pflumm. Your friends will be jealous, we're sure.
22. The Dancer's Survival Manual: Everything You Need to Know About Being a Dancer… Except How to Dance: by Marian Horosko. We guess you have to figure that part out all by yourself.
23. Check Points on How to Buy Oriental Rugs: by Charles V. Jacobsen. This "folksy" guide by Colonel Jacobsen will help you pick out awesome oriental rugs.
24. How to Haunt a House: by Dan Witkowski and Jack Lindstrom (Illustrator). This book is actually for kids, but we bet it has some pretty spooky ideas!
25. How to Rescue the Earth Without Worshipping Nature: A Christian's Call to Save Creation: by Tony Campolo. Just in case you thought recycling made you a witch.

Personal Improvement

These how-to books also act as self-help books, but you may want to take their advice with a grain (or two) of salt.

26. The Sprouting Book: How to Grow and Use Sprouts to Maximize Your Health and Vitality: by Ann Wigmore. Forget tomatoes, corn or bell peppers: this book favors sprouts as the magic health food.
27. Writing Successful Self-Help and How-To Books: by Jean Marie Stine. The how-to of how-to books? We're curious.
28. Singled Out: How Singles are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After: by Bella DePaulo. We wonder if Bridget Jones is a secret co-author?
29. The Healing House: How Living in the Right House Can Heal You Spiritually, Emotionally, and Physically: by Barbara Bannon Harwood. The ultimate for feng shui freaks.
30. The Tao of Horses: Exploring How Horses Guide Us on Our Spiritual Path: by Elizabeth Kaye McCall. Learn spiritual "exercises" to try out with your horse.
31. How to Become Naturally Thin by Eating More (The Anti-Diet Book): by Jean Antonello. Don't you know you can't become natural at anything?
32. How to Teach Your Baby to Read: by Glenn Doman. Yup, baby. The cover is a picture of a little infant with its hands in its mouth.
33. How to Understand Women Through Their Cats: by Wendy Diamond and Marilena Perilli (Illustrator). Didn't you know there are different breeds of cat lady? This book outlines them all so that you can figure out which one you want to date and marry. Seriously.
34. How to Get Married After 35: A Game Plan for Love: by Helena Hacke Rosenberg. This sounds like one of those books Charlotte York would have thrown out her window.

Society and Etiquette

Brush up on your etiquette and awareness with these books.

35. How to Say It: Choice Words, Phrases, Sentences, and Paragraphs for Every Situation: by Rosalie Maggio. You know you'll impress people when you have just the right paragraph at just the right moment.
36. HOW TO HAVE SEX IN PUBLIC WITHOUT BEING NOTICED: by Brian Heaton (Illustrator) and Marcel Feigel. We want to see the illustrations! (And yes, the title is all capitalized).
37. Mitch Murray's Complete Book of One-Liners for Weddings: And How to Use Them in Your Speech: by Mitch Murray. YIKES.
38. 25 Words or Less: How to Write Like a Pro to Find That Special Someone Through Personal Ads: by Emily Thornton Calvo and Laurence Minsky. Get a real catch by learning how to write a fabulous personal ad or online dating profile.
39. How to be a Way Cool Grandfather: The description for this book reads, "this charming guide shows you how to engage children with fun, inexpensive projects that can teach valuable life lessons." Whatever, way cool grandpas take you to the liquor store.
40. How to Talk to Moms: by Alec Greven and Kei Acedera (Illustrator). Because we all know moms only want to talk about bottles and playdates. Actually, this book is for little kids, which is even weirder.
41. How to Keep Him on a Short Leash: by Jessica Rubin, Lindsey Musante and Partners & Spade. Train your man like a dog or horse, it's that simple.
42. How to Marry the Rich: by Gini Polo Sayles. Making up a name like "polo" might help.
43. How Did Sex Begin?: by R. Brasch. We've always wondered…

Just Very…Niche

We can't really explain these books, but they might be fun reads anyway.

44. Grow Your Own Drugs: by James Wong. This is actually a home remedies kit, but we wonder if it would put you on one of those FBI lists anyway?
45. The Consumer's Guide to Cat Food; What's in Cat Food, Why It's There, and How to Choose the Best Food for Your Cat: by Liz Palika. Become the ultimate cat lady when you display this book on your coffee table.
46. The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You: by Michael Dubruiel. Find out what you're really supposed to be doing when you attend Mass.
47. How to Afford Your Own Log Home: Save 25% Without Lifting a Log: by Carl Heldmann. We didn't realize getting back to (frontier) basics cost so much.
48. How to Make Icing Flowers: by Wilton. This cake decorating book will make you the favorite on Wisteria Lane.
49. How to Be a TV Quiz Show Millionaire: by Consumer Guide editors. There's a strategy behind it, we promise!
50. How to Save a River: A Handbook for Citizen Action: by David Bolling. Don't let the Man pollute your river: pass this book out to all your friends and demand accountability.