Since others have already side tracked the thread...
Hello. My name is Keim, and I am a serial hobbyist. Pardon my length, as I have engaged in this behavior for a long time, but never talked about it.*
I have numerous how-to manuals related to my varied interests. I take on a hobby until I have a good general knowledge of how to do it, and then my enthusiasm wanes. I never completely drop the hobby, but my interests move on.
Below is a sampling of some of my hobbies over the years...
My current hobby is BBQing (We don't have any good BBQ restaurants around here. I wonder if I could make some. Better look at a manual...). I have become quite proficient on the grill. I also hand built a wood smoker, for delicious ribs, pork and briskets. I make my own sauces and rubs. This hobby is morphing into a general cooking hobby, as I am now looking into other cuisines (I bought a general cooking manual last night.) Of my hobbies, the family seems to enjoy this one the most. If the food is good, the family loves it. If it isn't, the dog loves it. Either way, a family member wins!
Another recent hobby is beer brewing. I'll be bottling a batch today. I discovered this hobby on a whim over beers with a friend about four years ago (Hmmm... Marv can do it. He's no genius. Maybe I can too. Think I'll buy a how-to manual). At first I brewed a lot. And it was delicious. Now I brew less. It is still delicious.
Before that it was home electronics. Not buying, making (Dammit! My receiver broke. I can make something better than this hunk of junk. I'll need a how-to manual). I built a tube amplification system from scratch for my home stereo. My serial hobbyism didn't stop there. I also built a pre-amp and phono amp. Yes, I also built speakers. And I rebuilt a wall phone from 1910 (Found a manual for that too). I was in fast and deep. This hobby branched off from my longer term music collecting hobby (Hmmm... I've got a lot of records and CDs. I should put together an audiophile quality system. That's not easy. I'll need a manual.)
I also have a long term hobby car (And several manuals for it). My interest in fixing it up waxes and wanes. It is currently waxing, as I save towards a total restore. I'm sure I'll be needing a how-to manual soon.
I blame my serial hobbyism on the Boy Scouts of America. A hobby I started in elementary school, and continue to this day. Through its handbook and merit badge system I was exposed to dozens of different and unique topics.
Yes, I am a serial hobbyist, and I hope I stay that way.
*Phew! Feels good to get that off my chest