Author Joseph Yakel is leading a two-pronged charge to provide his avid readership with worthy materials. After releasing his first family history book in December 2004, he struck again with a comprehensive follow-up research work this month. Making the triple play, Yakel delivered an outrageously funny country boy humor/melodrama book to his collection just weeks ago.

"The Autograph Memories of Mary Yakel", ISBN 1-4116-2101-8, details the 19th century memoir of his grand aunt.

Yakel states, "The cultural makeup of Albany's "South End" today is notably different than it was a century ago, in my ancestor's day. Lower Albany of yesteryear was once home to generations of immigrant families, especially those of German descent. Quietly going about their lives, these tight-knit families asked for little, but contributed much to the growth and prosperity of the city they called home."

He went on, "These families socialized and worshipped mainly within the neighborhood corridors along Second Avenue, in and around the South Pearl Street area. While the history of Albany's more prestigious families and areas have been preserved, scant few resources document the South End or its families, and unfortunately, their history has been all but forgotten."

Realizing that South End families have received little recognition for their part in Albany's history, coupled with a frustration by the lack of suitable resources on this area and its families, Yakel decided to do something about it. Using his grand aunt's autograph book as a basis, he wrote the book, "The Autograph Memories of Mary Yakel", to bring some of the Albany area history to life, and offer a reference to fellow researchers.

His second release, "The JACKEL, JECKEL, JAECKEL, IEKEL, YAKEL Family History Book", ISBN 1-4116-2715-6, is a tremendous chronology, tracing 350 years of Rheinish German ancestry.

Yakel says, "When the topic of family history comes up, where do you stand? How do you respond when someone asks you where you are from, or when questions about your surname are raised? Do you wish you could give something more than a vague reply, such as, "I grew up around here, and I'm not sure about the name. ..I think it's German"? If so, you aren't alone in your desire."

He continued, "The fact is, most people have a difficult time identifying their lineage much past their grandparents. In most cases, oral history alone is insufficient to traces one's family tree back beyond a couple of generations. One way to determine your history is through your own research, which can be quite frustrating, as well as costly, and excessively time consuming. Or, if you are very lucky, someone has already researched the family for you."

Yakel ended by saying, "The release of this comprehensive reference could be the 'lucky day' for a good number of people. I hope my effort is enjoyed by many."

Joe categorizes his third work, "The Legend of Juggin Joe", ISBN 1-4116-2588-9, as a 'country boy comedy / melodrama written with a corresponding country dialogue. Offered as a light-hearted, fun adventure with a feel-good edge, Yakel said he was looking to amuse his audience with something a little different. "This is certainly a step away from genealogy, but I created the Juggin Joe book characters with plenty of research nonetheless, based partly on people and places in my life, stretched out and mixed up with a hint of real-life experiences."

He went on to say, "With Juggin Joe, I wanted to create a funny, but identifiable character, and his own unique 'hook', that would draw readers into his world. Hopefully, I've done that with this comedy adventure, and Joe and the rest of the gang will strike a good chord amongst readers. The world we live in is pretty serious these days. I felt that it was a good time to lighten things up a little, and Juggin Joe is my way of doing that."

Yakel summed up the book by saying, "Through it all, Joe brings his own sense of balance and harmony to the world. Juggin Joe undoubtedly proves that you can take the boy out of the mountain, but you can't take the mountain out of the boy! Discover for yourself that there's a little of Juggin Joe in all of us!"