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These business books are outdated, politically incorrect, or just totally random.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

1. Rivers Cuomo: Weezer's frontman had a pretty atypical upbringing, the least of which is his Harvard education. Cuomo was born in New York City but was raised on an ashrum in Connecticut. With his brother — named Leaves — River went to a private school on the ashrum after it moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains, but after graduating, he changed his name to Peter Kitts and moved back to Connecticut for high school. A gifted musician even as a teenager, Cuomo then moved with his band to LA, where he formed Weezer. Between bands, Cuomo still made education a priority: he attended Santa Monica College, the Berklee College of Music, and Harvard, from which he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 2006 after taking classes for nearly ten years.
2. Gram Parsons: Though he's not known as a hard rocker, singer and songwriter Gram Parsons is considered the creator of country rock. He belonged to bands like the Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds, and though he had a very short career (Parsons died of a drug overdose at 26, in 1973), he has won a few very prestigious posthumous awards from the music industry. Born in Florida, Parsons had a very tumultuous childhood before ending up at Harvard in the 1960s.
3. Greg Graffin: So you know that band Bad Religion? Its frontman, Greg Graffin is also a college professor. The SoCal punk band formed in the 1979, when Graffin was just a teenager, and though it broke up and got back together a few times over the next decades, Graffin continued with schooling, too. He double-majored and then got a Master's degree at UCLA before earning a Ph.D. in zoology from Cornell. Today, Graffin splits his time between upstate New York and UCLA, where he teaches science courses.
4. Sha Na Na: This nostalgic rock group loves reviving the 1950s, and after nearly five decades, some of the group's original members are still performing. Sha Na Na formed out of the a cappella group The Kingsmen, which had been a Columbia tradition for years. Humanities grad student George Leonard organized the Sha Na Na group, and quickly led them to perform at Woodstock the same year.
5. Alicia Keys: She's more of an R&B performer than a rock musician, but singer/songwriter/pianist Alicia Keys is still a superstar who is impressing the world with her powerful voice just as much as she did when she blasted onto the scene in 2001. Keys was raised in New York City's Hell's Kitchen by her mother. Demonstrating a talent for music and performing at a very, very young age, Keys — born Alicia Augello Cook — attended the Professional Performing Art School, where she practiced singing and songwriting. After graduating early, she enrolled at Columbia and simultaneously signed a recording contract at Columbia Records at 16 years old, but dropped out of college after only 4 weeks.
6. Vampire Weekend members: Indie rock band Vampire Weekend is still relatively new on the music scene. The group first formed when members Ezra Kroenig, Chris Tomson, Chris Baio and Rostam Batmanglij met at Columbia University. They were quickly signed by XL Recordings and were on an international tour just a couple of years later.
7. Tom Morello: Tom Morello might be our hardest rocker on the list. The guitarist has played for Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, and the Street Sweeper Social Club, and is well respected by musical critics and fans alike. The Harlem-born musician probably has his parents to thank for instilling in him an appreciation for education: his mother has a Master's degree from Loyola in Chicago, and his father — who eventually abandoned him — was at one time Kenya's first ambassador to the United Nations. Raised in Illinois, Morello went straight from high school to a political science major at Harvard, but he had to strip for a living when he moved to Hollywood after graduation.
8. Sean Lennon: As the only son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, you know you've got a lot of opportunity and a lot of chances to fail publicly. But Sean Lennon — who's a steady part of the jet-setting (but New York-based) hipster crowd — has done pretty well for himself. By 16, Lennon was already co-writing songs with Lenny Kravitz, and has since dabbled in film and art, but focuses on music. A graduate of some of New York City's best prep schools including Dalton, Lennon attended Columbia for three years before dropping out to pursue his music career.
9. Dave Longstreth: Experimental rock band the Dirty Projectors was created by Dave Longstreth, whose first album was released in 2002. With seven albums now released, the Dirty Projectors are still a more underground band which mostly sticks to its Brooklyn, NY, neighborhoods, despite having worked with internationally recognized artists like Bjork. Longstreth came up with the idea for the band when he was a freshman at Yale, from which he graduated in 2005. He was already recording albums before he graduated.
10. Duncan Sheik: Oh, my God, remember this guy?! We were excited to include the "Barely Breathing" singer on this list, and it turns out Sheik is a pretty serious intellectual. Taught to play the piano by his Juilliard-educated grandmother, Sheik attended the Phillips Academy boarding school in Andover, MA, before studying semiotics at Brown. After graduating, Sheik moved to San Francisco to work on his music.

1. "College": Yes, Animal House is a classic comedy that's one of the best university-set movies of all time, as well as the best thing to come out of the National Lampoon factory. But, dude, let's be honest. No one needs to see the black and white poster of John Belushi in that classic "College"-branded sweater. It's so overdone that it doesn't even feel funny, just lazy. Love the movie, toss the poster.
2. Scarface: Another ubiquitous movie poster (and this time the movie's not even that good). Beloved by frat bros nationwide, and just as uninspired. If you want to stick with Al Pacino, go for Serpico.
3. Periodic Table of Mixology: We get it: You like booze. You like it so much that you bought a poster about it. However, your money would be better spent on a bartender's guide or recipe book for cocktails. That way, instead of bragging about how much you like to drink, you can prove it with a killer mix of your own.
4. The Starry Night: There's something about the Impressionist movement that sucks in college students by the boatload. As a result, the gorgeous art from the era winds up feeling trite and overdone. The solution? Don't go to that well. If you find yourself itching for Van Gogh's The Starry Night, just download it and use as desktop wallpaper.
5. Water Lilies: Same as above. It's another beautiful piece of Impressionist work that's been diluted in dorms nationwide. Remember: Just say no!
6. Anything involving Bob Marley: The worst thing about the trend of Bob Marley posters is that they override the man's real musical talent and legendary career. When you see a Marley poster, it's usually not because the student digs reggae; he or she just likes to get high, and this is the easiest way to convey that.
7. Anything by Salvador Dali: Salvador Dali was a full-on genius, and no one denies that. But his surrealist works made this list for the same reason everything else did: They're so widely used that they've ceased to be interesting or even entertaining. They're just the standard "slightly edgy" artwork that students buy to look advanced. Don't be fooled.
8. The Great Wave off Kanagawa: Look familiar? That's because every student with a penchant for Japanese culture has this in their room, guaranteed. The country's got a rich history of art, so dig into that instead of recycling this.
9. Abbey Road: The Beatles are arguably the best band of the 20th century, which means they're often forced to live in infamy in this highly reproduced poster of the cover of their 1969 album Abbey Road. If you want something fun featuring the band, dig up art from their earlier releases, especially the American packaging.
10. Anything from Swingers: This 1996 comedy starring Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn is, rightly, a cult classic. But the potentially obnoxious quotes ("You're so money!") and multiple posters are just plain done. Own the DVD, but don't put this on your wall.
11. Trainspotting: If you've seen Danny Boyle's Trainspotting, you know it's a pretty weird flick to celebrate with a dorm room poster. This one-sheet with dialogue from the movie conveniently ends before the speaker talks about how he's choosing heroin over life, anyway.
12. Rolling Stones' Tongue: Art designer John Pasche created this tongue and lip logo for the Rolling Stones, and it was first used on their 1971 album Sticky Fingers. It's since become more popular than the band itself, and a distraction from the fact that, back in their primes, the Stones were flat-out awesome. Instead of putting up this unoriginal poster, invest in, well, your own copy of Sticky Fingers. Play it loud.
13. Breakfast at Tiffany's: It feels like undergrad women are issued this when they apply for housing. Seen everywhere, remembered nowhere.
14. "V–J day in Times Square": Alfred Eisenstadt's iconic photo of a sailor kissing a nurse during a parade celebrating V-J Day in 1945 is one of the most well-known images Life magazine ever put out. Unfortunately, that makes it one of the most overrepresented in our nation's halls of higher learning, where the poster is on display in so many dorms that the image's romance is sapped. Do yourself a favor and pass this one up.
15. Albert Einstein's Tongue: Taken in 1951 on Einstein's 72nd birthday, this image of the renowned scientist sticking his tongue out at a cameraman is one of the most popular images of Einstein ever taken. It's everywhere: offices, labs, and especially dorm rooms. Do the right thing here: Don't buy this poster.
16. The Dark Side of the Moon: There are legitimate Pink Floyd fans out there, it's true. They don't just like "Money"; they celebrate the band's entire catalog. But unless you're one of those people, you really don't need a poster featuring the cover art from The Dark Side of the Moon. (And while we're at it, you should know that any links between the album and The Wizard of Oz are purely coincidental.)
17. Che Guevara: There's a photo of Che Guevara titled "Guerrillero Heroico" that's become the most popular representation of the man, and you should avoid it at all costs. On one hand, you're not a Cuban revolutionary, and many people with this poster just don't know the history they're referencing. On an aesthetic level, it's also tacky and clichéd. Don't go there.
18. Le Chat Noir: Oh come on. They sell this at Target. Unless you are buying this for your mom, move along.
19. Anything involving a Playmate: Fellas: You will be tempted to adorn your walls with posters of bronzed, airbrushed women. But if you ever want to get a real one in the room with you, don't display this poster. They're lazy, uninspired, and boring.
20. "Beer: Helping Ugly People Have Sex Since 1862!": Man, this thing is everywhere. It's been around for years and shows no signs of going away. Plus, it's not terribly funny. If you want hilarious uses of old-school art with modern phrasing, check out someecards.

Make a deal with yourself that you will sleep in on the weekends, if you wake up early during the week. For argument’s sake, let’s say your first class each day is at 10 A.M. If you get up at 7, then you will have about 2 and a half hours to get a head start on your day before you have to get moving on to class. If you are always complaining that you never have time to go to the gym after class, start going when you get up. This will energize you for the rest of the day. If your workout lasts an hour, then you still have more than an hour to do some school work.

This proposition may sound ridiculous to the student who is accustomed to staying up all night, regardless of whether it is to study or party or watch television. It will be a shock to your system for the first couple days. But, you will be amazed at how your body is able to adapt to a new routine. That’s the sticking point; you have to make it a routine. Once you get into a groove, you will be accomplishing so much before you get to your first class that you will feel great about yourself.

So much of personal success is related to self-esteem. The better you feel about yourself, the better your approach to your daily tasks will be. If you are getting up three hours before class and you have already worked out and done some work, you will be much less likely to come home after your classes and sit in front of the television. Eventually, you will become such a motivated person that you start making the most out of every waking hour. Compare your grades after a semester of this approach to your old ways and you will see how your hard work paid off.

Watch movies and listen to music made by artists that speak the language you’re learning. Visit independent movie theaters, or just download or rent them. You can also check your campus library’s multimedia section if you don’t have Netflix and your local DVD store isn’t well-equipped and iTunes doesn’t have the foreign music you like. If you can, download the Pandora app to your smart phone or music to your iPod so that you can listen to it wherever you go. Foreign-language audio books also give you excellent practice, especially as you listen to speech patterns, inflection and pick up on new vocabulary.

Podcasts also keep you updated on current events and pop culture in the country of the language you want to learn, and are free to subscribe to. Listen to the news, a cooking podcast, or life hacks podcast: pick a subject you’re honestly interested in and want to learn more about, and that way you’ll stick with the program and become a more engaged listener. For a less tech-y experience, head to Barnes & Noble (or online) to pick up foreign magazines. Foreign fashion magazines, especially, are often sold at bookstores.

Also ask your professor for links in the community, like cultural groups that have centers with foreign language materials, sponsor ethnic events, and offer extra classes or meetings during which you can practice your language. Surrounding yourself with as many native speakers as possible — through film, music, podcasts or in real life — will give you the best language education possible.

The job market has been decimated over the past ten years, and specifically over the past three. It wasn’t too long ago that students could feel comfortable stepping into the real world, armed with their degrees, and find a job. Unfortunately, the unemployment rate continues to soar to levels that haven’t been seen in over 30 years. It is human nature to feel depressed as you get passed over for jobs. However, it is important to realize that you didn’t create this mess. Accordingly, you need to start making smart decisions about your future. While moving back into your old, tiny bedroom in your parents’ house was probably not high on your list of things to do after graduation, it may make the most sense, financially, for you at this time.

If you find yourself in this position, it’s important to devise a plan to make sure you don’t get too comfortable eating your mother’s home cooked meals and having your laundry done for you. If you have had trouble finding a job that suits you or any job at all, you need to make looking for a job your job. Make finding the job where you could excel your number one priority. Exhaust all of your contacts within your network. Send your resumes out to as many companies that are attractive to you as possible.

If you are living back at home, remember to be gracious towards your parents. As much as they love you, this may not have been on their list of things to do after you graduated. Some parents will expect their sons and daughters to pay rent. Don’t be turned off by this demand. It’s a way for your parents to give you some responsibility for your situation. If you don’t like the idea of paying to stay in the room in which you grew up, then do something about it.

Use it as an ultraportable laptop. You may have a desktop or laptop ready to go for college, and you should, but the iPad can be a great supplement to that. Instead of lugging around a heavy complete computer system, take your lightweight iPad to class and get work done with ease. It has several hours of battery life that are likely to last you the entire school day.

Carry your books in one handy package. Your books are probably heavy, expensive, and cumbersome to lug around. Although the iPad is still expensive, it is certainly more handy than stuffing and hauling around a backpack full of books. You can download textbooks, literature, magazines, journals, and more, and keep them all in one easily accessible place. Some of the downloads you need may even be free, which is a definite plus over hitting the campus bookstore.

Keep all of your papers together and easily searchable. Instead of printing out course materials, keep whatever you can on your iPad. Your professor may offer lecture notes, journal readings, study guides, and more, which can all bulk up your notebook and be difficult to manage. With this information on the iPad, you can be sure that it’s all in one place, and that you have the electronic advantage of being able to search these documents to find what you want quickly.

Get better focus. With a laptop or desktop computer, the lure of the Internet and entertainment is always a temptation. But one of the iPad’s criticisms may be a positive feature for students. With the single-tasking iPad, you’ll have to completely back out of what you’re doing to email, IM, or check game scores. If you’re using it in class, you’ll have to leave open your note taking app, and because it may be difficult to get back into it in time to write down relevant information, you’ll be less likely to switch out to distractions.

The iPad is a great accessory for college students. These are just a few of the ways you can put it to work for you. Take a look at the iPad and the applications it offers to consider how you can find an advantage in this useful device.

1. The Orwell Prize: Quite the original blog, the authors post up daily snippets from George Orwell’s diary, matching up with the month/day written to the present.

2. Writing Words: Short but useful blog posts with an assortment of daily tips for all types of creative writing.

3. Internet Writing Workshop: Critique, prose happenings and practice tips for writers make this blog incredibly useful.

4. Blue Pencil Editing: Great posts on editing techniques.

5. SF Signal: Everything a sci-fi geek could want (and tons of good reads for everyone else too).

6. Writing for the Web: Covers many topics relating to the Internet, web site writing and content, and the culture between the two.

7. Advanced Fiction Writing Blog: Randy, “The Mad Genius”, manages the blog where you can find insight into the world of fiction.

8. John Baker: UK novelist has been blogging for over 7 years with his thoughts on prose and criticism.

9. Future Perfect Publishing: Updates about the news and happenings within the world of book publishing.

10. Thursdaybram: A blog about freelance writing with tips on handling the business side of the career.

11. Cheryl Rainfield: Cheryl is a teen writer and blogs about children’s books.

12. Working Girl: Unique blend of real life career advice tied in with crafting a wonderful book about the whole experience.

13. Apostrophe Abuse: Humorous blog with photos that capture the worst uses of apostrophes around the world.

14. Becoming a Fiction Writer: The journey of one girl’s quest to write fiction.

15. Becoming a Writer – Seriously: Packed with tips on fine tuning your craft.

16. Jeremiah Tolbert: Cool personal blog from sci-fi geek and tech guy, Jeremiah.

17. Gareth Powell: Insight into the life of an established sci-fi writer.

18. Tom Conoboy: Short story writer who is studying his PhD blogs about fiction.

19. Write to Done: Tips and tricks to improve your writing on all levels, from fiction to copy and blogging.

20. Neil Gaiman: Acclaimed author blogs about his life and literature.

21. Renegade Writer: A new look at freelancing with awesome insight into the world of writing.

22. Men with Pens: Witty posts to help you become a master of writing the best copy possible, no matter what topic or industry.

23. Write Anything: Huge panel of blogging staff makes this a diverse site on all types of topics relating to writers and writing lifestyle.

24. Real Words From a Real Writer: Tips and mantras to improve your writing, filled in with tidbits of the blogger’s life like a diary.

25. Inkygirl: Blog with freelance articles and also great comics.

26. The Urban Muse: Susan blogs about living the creative life and provides more than simple writing tips in every post.

27. Mike’s Writing Workshop: Mike has a ton of experience in journalism and uses this blog to share thoughts to improve your creativity.

28. Fiction Writers Review: Big literary journal for emerging writers.

29. The Poetry Blog: Fantastic collection of well, you guessed it, poetry submitted from all types of blogs around the Internet.

30. Paperback Writer: In-depth analysis and perspectives about writing better literature.

In no specific order:

1. The Thinking Meat Project: Explores the puzzles and joys of being a conscious being in our world.

2. The Reality of Anxiety: Aimee, diagnosed with severe anxiety, blogs about tips to eliminate stress from your life.

3. Providentia: Romeo has a doctorate in Psychology and regularly writes on topics like mental health and psychiatry.

4. Neurological Correlates: Takes a look at the biology behind such human behavior like addiction, obesity and narcissism.

5. Laura’s Psychology Blog: Laura is a professor of Psychology and she writes about her life experiences as well as academic topics.

6. Brain Blogger: Amazing source of research and news regarding neuroscience, psychology and health care.

7. Mind Hacks: Intriguing posts about how our brain works and awesome link list posts too.

8. IQs Corner: Dr. Kevin McGrew speaks about intelligence and our cognitive abilities.

9. About Memory: Updates on tips, tricks and news to improving your memory and links to other brain studies.

10. Patient Anonymous: Entertaining yet valuable posts in this one of a kind blog written by an individual diagnosed with several mental disorders.

11. Dr. Shock: Walter is a practicing psychiatrist who treats depression and writes about medical education.

12. Somatosphere: Intersection of lively discussions about science, technology and bioethics.

13. CorePsych Blog: Reports about the mind and psychiatry.

14. Brains: Thoughtful posts about philosophy and the mind.

15. Media Psychology Blog: Dr. Rutledge discusses the psychology behind mass media and communications in the contemporary world.

In no particular order:

1. Poems and Poetics – Jerome posts his own texts as well as work that has influenced him throughout his life.

2. How a Poem Happens – Read up on poet interviews and learn how they go about making their art.

3. Amy King - Read up on excellent social commentary relating to poetry and also occasional poems by the author.

4. One Poet’s Notes – Edward Byrne is a great blogger with many unique perspectives and commentary on contemporary literature.

5. Blogalicious – New Jersey poet Diane blogs about life and literature.

6. Out of the Woodwork – Brian speaks about his life, interests and of course poetry.

7. Wanderer Thoughts - Dragon blogger writes all types of poems. Updated frequently.

8. The Poetry Foundation – Fantastic resource which covers all things poetic including columns and news.

9. Poet Hound – Cozy little blog with open submissions.

10. The Poetry Resource – Patrick has been managing this site for well over a decade, full of resources.

11. Sherry Chandler - Sherry is an award winning poet who resides in Kentucky.

12. Indie Feed Performance Poetry – Don’t ever forget spoken poetry’s beauty. Listen to user submitted performances of great poems here!

13. Surroundings – Rob is a Scottish poet that also uses his blogs for literary reviews.

14. They Shoot Poets, Don’t They? – Nick is a lovable Canadian poet.

15. Chicks Dig Poetry – Sandra contributes to The Washington Post

16. Funny Rhymes and Poems – Puns, puns and more puns over here.

17. Jake Adam York – Jake is a professor from the University of Colorado Denver.

18. American Life in Poetry – Pulitzer Prize winner and former poet laureate Ted Kooser writes here.

19. Chicken Spaghetti – Amazing site for kids with a poetry section.

20. Mark Doty - Mark’s blog is a mix of online poems and his own personal work.

21. Rooted – The author’s slogan is to not worry about the inner meanings of their text, just enjoy it.

22. Robert Peake – Robert’s personal blog is a plentiful source of enjoyable poems and ideas

23. World Class Poetry – Allen provides insight and commentary in contemporary poetry.

24. Me Tronome – Larry is the curator of the Myopic Book reading series in Chicago.

25. Betsy Lerner – Betsy writes about the ups and downs of the publishing process (mainly the downs).

26. Poetry Chaikhana – Huge collection of poems from around the world.

27. The Amandzing Way – Source for vibrant South African poetry.

28. ReVeLeR @ eYeLeVeL – Paul has an beautiful blog with a keen eye for originality.

29. Mike Snider - Mike reviews, comments and speaks about poetry daily.

30. Here, Where I Am – North Carolina’s poet laureate Kathryn writes about poetry and her life.