Whether you’re getting a degree in the field or just have a casual interest in all things physics related, there are loads of places on the web where you can find great sources of information. Here are 50 blogs we’ve pulled together that will help you better understand the universe on both the micro and macroscopic levels and maybe even impress a few friends with your knowledge at a party.
News
Keep yourself on top of all the latest and greatest news related to physics discoveries, research and ideas with these blogs.
- PhysOrg: This site is the ideal place to get your daily physics news fix.
- Physics Today News Picks: Check in with this blog regularly to read about the latest news articles that relate to the world of physics.
- The X-Journals: Bookmark this blog to follow some of the amazing new technologies that are emerging in fields like computer science and physics that will shape the world of tomorrow.
- The Physics ArXiv Blog: On this blog you’ll find a collection of the best content from the online forum called the Physics arXiv on which scientists post early versions of their latest ideas.
- FQXi Community: Here you can read a collection of entries on blogs in the FQXi Community, or the Foundational Questions Institute.
Quantum and Particle Physics
These branches of physics often cause a lot of confusion for the layman unfamiliar with physics. Check out these blogs to clear things up and educate yourself on the topics.
- Cohaerence: Here you can track the latest research developments in research in quantum mechanics and information science.
- Michael Nielson: Michael Nielsen is one of the pioneers of quantum computation, and you can read more about his personal and professional interests on this blog.
- Life on the Lattice: On this site, Georg von Hippel shares his thoughts on science issues including particle physics and quantum chromodynamics.
- Quantum Diaries: Make sure to bookmark this site if you’re interested in quantum and particle physics, as it contains posts about the work of numerous physicists around the world.
- Shtetl-Optimized: The author of this blog is an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT and writes frequently about quantum computing.
- The Quantum Pontiff: Here you’ll find interesting posts on quantum computing, mathematics and computer science from Professor Dave Bacon.
- Information Processing: Steve Hsu, Professor of physics at the University of Oregon, shares his thoughts, news items and research interests on quantum field theory here.
- atdotde: Ever wanted to know more about string theory? Read about that and more on Robert Helling’s blog.
- Cycle Quark: This blogger spent many years working as a particle physicist but on this site posts about a host of science and technology issues.
- Particle Physics at Discovery’s Horizon: This site is a great place to learn more about the large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland and the discoveries being made there.
- A Quantum Diaries Survivor: If you want to get an expert opinion on the field of particle physics, check out this blog, written by an experimental particle physicist working with the CMS experiment at CERN and the CDF experiment at Fermilab.
- Resonaances: Visit this blog to read posts on particle theory and the work being done at CERN and other locations around the world.
Astrophysics
Explore the physics properties that rule our galaxy and the universe beyond in these blogs.
- Cosmic Variance: Check out this Discovery News blog to read more about everything space related, from shuttle launches to telescopes.
- Bad Astronomy: Often cited as one of the best blogs of it’s kind, this site offers loads of information on debunking bad science as well as posting interesting tidbits about space exploration and discoveries.
- Leaves on the Line: Andrew Jaffe, astrophysicist at Imperial College London, posts on everything from art to science on this blog.
- Asymptotia: Clifford V. Johnson, a professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, at the University of Southern California maintains this blog that posts quite a bit about science, but a little bit about everything else as well.
- The AstroDyke: This blogger divides her posts between astrophysics, science and queer life, giving a balance between social and professional interests.
- Tom’s Astronomy Blog: If you simply love everything to do with astronomy and the science of space, then you’ll appreciate the news and views offered on this blog.
- The e-Astronomer: Written by a Professor of Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh, this blog posts on social and scientific issues as well as providing access to the professor’s own musings as well.
- Dynamics of Cats: Blogger Steinn Sigurðsson is an astrophysicist at Penn State, and posts lots of snippets related to astronomy.
- In the Dark: Here you’ll find a blog by Peter Coles, Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics in the School of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University, with posts on both his personal and professional life.
- Cosmic Log: This MSNBC blog is a good source of information on the latest discoveries in the fields of physics, astronomy and more.
- When in Doubt, Do: Here you’ll find a blog written by cosmologist, talking about physics, his career and more.
Professors and Students
These blogs are written by professors and students alike, sharing their research, interests and thoughts on physics topics.
- Uncertain Principles: Check out this blog to read more about physics, politics and pop culture and all the places they intersect written by Professor Chad Orzel.
- Dot Physics: If you’re not a physics expert but want to start learning about the topic, this blog can be a great place to start, with posts on some of the basics of physics, related so even non-experts can understand.
- Watered Down Physics: Alan Reifman is a professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Texas Tech, but in this blog, he posts on a range of physics and mathematical topics.
- Ted Bunn’s Blog: Check out this link for a blog by an assistant professor in the physics department of the University of Richmond, with posts on a range of topics but focusing largely on cosmology.
- Life as a Physicist: This blog is maintained by a particle physicist and professor at the University of Washington in Seattle.
- Imaginary Potential: This blog is a collection of posts from grad students and post docs at colleges like MIT, Yale, and UCSD.
- Soul Physics: This blog isn’t written by a physicist but instead Bryan Roberts, a PhD student in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh, but it contains some great thoughts on the history and deeper issues behind the science.
- metadatta: Get information gathered by this student on recent research in condensed matter physics, biological physics, or statistical physics as well as other topics.
Physicists
On these blogs you’ll find updates on what these physicists are working on or are interested in.
- Physics and Physicists: Get a take on the world of physics and physicists from a physicist on this blog.
- the reference frame: Here you can read about Czech physicist Lubos Motl’s take on physics and a number of other political, academic and social topics.
- Backreaction: Check out this blog to pick the brains of two theoretical physicists.
- Swans on Tea: On this site you’ll find posts on physics, the latest technology, and more from a physicist at the US Naval Observatory.
- The n-Category Cafe: This group blog brings together posts from both mathematicians and physicists.
- Peculiar Velocity: Learn more about the work, interests and musings of Ben Lillie, physicist and writer, on this blog.
Physics Fun
These blogs will help you learn, keep you entertained and even offer you something pretty to look at.
- Cocktail Party Physics: This blog is a great place to find science information, news and commentary with a fun, funky twist.
- Physics Buzz: Here you’ll find fascinating physics news and a fun take on many physics related topics.
- Talk Like a Physicist: This blog aims to take an informational and sometimes amusing approach to talking about physics topics.
- Strange Paths: Take a look at this blog to gain a better understanding of some of the amazing and often beautiful ways that the world works in often invisible ways. While it’s not always easy to understand, there are a lot of pictures to look at if you get lost.
Specialty Fields
If you’re still thirsting for more physics knowledge, check out these blogs that cover specialties from the nanoscale to biophysics.
- Physiology physics woven fine: Take a look at this blog to learn more about the field of biophysics.
- Not Even Wrong: Those hoping to better understand the mathematical side of physics should check out this blog.
- Nanoscale Views: This blogger wanted to give condensed matter and nanoscale physics some love too, so he started this blog full of information and news items on the subject.
- incoherently scattered ponderings: This experimental condensed matter physicist shares thoughts on science, social and career-related issues here.
The online education process, while still being relatively new, is not without its own problems. Diploma mills have sprung up in the last few months, entailing a wide variety of online colleges that present themselves as holding accreditation, although students walk away with a meaningless diploma in the end. Accredited online colleges are the only way students can earn a diploma that is applicable outside the university; diplomas from schools that lack accreditation are dismissed by potential employers.
Accreditation is a lengthy process that may take several years, depending on the institution. This has become a wide-spread problem that traditional school students rarely encountered, but has grown due to the emergence of new online colleges. While nearly every online school presents itself as holding accreditation, many have “twisted” the truth to make it appear as if they have the recognition of major education boards and similar institutions. However, there are only a handful of applicable accreditation sources, and researching further into these organizations can help potential online college students turn away from “diploma mill” schools.
Other than this manipulation of the truth, schools that lack accreditation are typically recognized by employers and have names that sound like major traditional universities. These degrees are not beneficial in the working world and the entire online education process will end up being a waste of time and money if you do not research fully into this type of school’s accreditation. It should be common-sense, therefore, to only look at accredited online colleges, but many students do not understand the importance of accreditation within the online degree community.
Since traditional universities typically do not concern themselves with boasting their accreditation status (most schools have had accreditation for decades), students do not usually understand the importance of accreditation within universities. However, accreditation is what gives college degrees the importance and respect they usually garner. Learning the process of researching into accreditation is a skill every potential online student should learn throughout their search for the perfect degree program.
You probably already know that the Internet is a convenient way to find tips on saving money, research investments, and learn how to be more responsible with your money. But an even easier way to get smart money tips is to follow the experts on Twitter. Below you’ll find feeds from reporters, consultants, tax firms, CEOs, and CPAs that can teach you all about money.
Credit
From credit card rates to identity theft to getting out of debt, these feeds are all about helping you with your credit.
- @SpendOnLife: Get educated about identity and credit theft by following this feed.
- @creditfacts: Get articles and posts about DIY credit repair, loans, credit score and more.
- @creditgoddess: The credit goddess follows news stories and issues affecting everyday people and their credit problems.
- @GetOutOfDebtGuy: Steve Rhode is a popular resource for smart debt and credit tips.
- @CreditScoreBlog: This Seattle-based blog shares stories about reading and improving your credit report.
- @ihavegoodcredit: This tweeter is about to release a book series on credit and can answer your questions about credit cards and scores.
- @CardHelp: Find tips and articles about credit card legislation, budgeting, making payments and more.
- @Ch11_bankruptcy: Steven Silton tweets about Chapter 11 bankruptcy news.
- @SABankruptcy: This San Antonio bankruptcy lawyer tweets about taxes, credit, bankruptcy and the financial crisis.
- @mariaaspan: Maria Aspan is a reporter who tweets about banking, credit cards and finance trends.
Budgeting and Saving
Learn how to organize a budget and save more each month by following these feeds.
- @shoestring: Shoestring Magazine can help you find new ways to save.
- @inzolo: Learn to save based on the zero-based envelope budget plan.
- @moneypennyme: Sam Robinson is a "rockstar budgeter" who paid off almost $40,000 in consumer debt in under one year.
- @moneydetective: Detective Heather is great at ferreting out new ways to budget and save.
- @ArtOfSaving: This social network tweets inspiring quotes and useful tips for saving on bills and more.
- @BudgetMaven: BudgetMaven can help you save money and stick to your budget when it comes to beauty treatments, eating out, health care, phone bills and more.
- @retirementplanr: Michael Peterson is a retirement income planning specialist.
- @SaveTogether: This campaign teaches financial literacy.
- @MoneyAisle: Learn about good deals on CDs and savings accounts here.
- @moneyStrands: Submit money questions to this feed and look for helpful articles and tips about saving.
Investing
Get investing tips and tricks from these money experts.
- @alphatrends: Get reports from the markets and information about seminars and investment practices.
- @SoundMindInvest: Matthew Pryor is the Director of Operations for this organization, which is the country’s best-selling Christian financial newsletter.
- @TradingGoddess: TradingGoddess discusses investments and the market on her feed.
- @tradefast: This tweeter has over 20 years of money management experience with hedge funds.
- @sorenmacbeth: This is the twitter feed from the founder of Stocktwits.
- @CBOE: The Chicago Board of Options Exchange tweets here.
- @upsidetrader: This feed comes from a CEO of a long/short fund.
- @optionmonster: Jon Najarian is the cofounder of Optionmonster and Trademonster.com.
- @ObliviousInvest: Mike Piper tweets about taxes, credit cards, investments and more.
- @infoarbitrage: This feed is from "a reformed Wall Streeter turned early-stage investor." You’ll find insight into how the market is doing and how to invest.
Taxes
From tax help to the unemployed to keeping up with the latest tax news and legislation, you’ll find it all on these feeds.
- @TaxPolicyCenter: Learn about legislation, tax exemptions and more.
- @taxfoundation: Learn about tax policy from this feed.
- @Taxdotcom: From celebrity tax news to credit news to this year’s tax "trends," follow @Taxdotcom.
- @taxtherapy: This feed shares information about tax credits, deadlines and other issues affecting your taxes.
- @1SocialSecurity: This official Social Security feed tweets about local news and savings.
- @thetaxman: Jeff Beckley is a CPA and tax professional who tweets about rising taxes, tax implications of hobbies, and other useful information.
- @ustaxaid: Get federal and local (if you’re in Nevada) tax updates here.
- @thetaxclub: This firm has lots of great tax help and information for individuals and small business owners.
- @TaxReductionCPA: W. Murray Bradford brands himself as "the nation’s pre-eminent tax reduction expert," concentrating on helping self-employed tax payers.
- @filelater: Learn about filing for extensions here.
Frugal Living
Learn how to be more frugal with your money and live life with less.
- @frugalista: The Frugalista has found success helping others learn how to live stylishly and frugally.
- @forestonfinance: This feed comes from a newly married blogger who shares smart money saving tips.
- @recessionrecipes: Eat great without spending too much when you follow this feed.
- @KeyIngredient: Learn the difference between cheap and frugal when you follow Lindsay Landis here.
- LiveBetterOnLess: Lesley Voth’s money saving guide has 518 tips on frugal living.
- @FrugallyYours: Leslie Walters blogs and tweets frugal living tips, especially for families.
- @MonroeOnABudget: This reporter also writes about frugal living.
- @chrisbaskind: Follow Chris for lighter living tips: being frugal and environmentally conscious.
- CraftyDollar: Recent tweets from this feed discuss energy savings, buying in bulk, cheap recipes and online shopping.
- @Brokelyn: This online magazine tweets tips for "living big on small change."
Building Wealth
These money experts will help you build wealth and plan for a luxurious life in the future.
- @CleverDough: This New Zealand mom is an entrepreneur who can help you decide what to do with your money.
- @UnlockYrWealth: This radio show and feed can help motivate you to become smarter about money.
- @MoneyUnder30: David Weliver covers financial topics for the under 30 set, including credit, student loans, the recession and more.
- @ramit: Ramit Sethi is the author of I Will Teach You to Be Rich and tweets about TV appearances, PF news and more.
- @PWMLtd: Mark Robinson is a UK-based lifestyle financial planner who can help you achieve the future you want.
- @jimkopas: Jim Kopas is an associate at a wealth management firm in the Bay Area.
- @wealthbuilding: William R. Patterson is an award-winning speaker, best-selling author and wealth and business coach.
- @wizardzofwealth: Get "cliff notes style ideas" for building wealth when you follow this feed.
- @PhilanthropyCFP: This certified financial planner can help you "integrate values, investments and giving" into your wealth management plan.
- @WealthBlog: This feed contemplates wealth in American, wealth management, personal wealth and more.
Currency and the Markets
Get all the news and tips about the stock markets and foreign exchange here.
- @stocksnjocks: Get "blatantly honest" stock tips and sports news from this feed.
- @abnormalreturns: Get forecast-free investment reports here.
- @guy_adami: Guy Adami believes that the "stocks don’t lie…people do." Follow him for finance trivia, stocks news and more.
- @tickerville: Get real-time updates from Professional Trader plus commentary on how the markets are doing.
- @BloggingStocks: Follow @BloggingStocks for "passionate coverage of America’s favorite stocks."
- @currencyblog: The currency blog covers foreign currency exchange rates and the economy.
- @siriusforex: This group of forex traders shares tips and news all day.
- @greenfaucet: Jim Slagle tweets his take on the market.
- @currencytweets: Follow @currencytweets if you want more articles and commentary about the markets and foreign exchange rates.
- @Aleks_Todorova: Aleksandra Todorova is a senior writer at SmartMoney.com and covers a range of credit, loans, and money news stories.
- @ScottJagow: Scott hosts the radio program Marketplace and comments on CEOs, student loans and more.
- @BankThink: Get news from the Fed, major banks and Wall Street from @BankThink.
- @WalletPop_UK: Read finance news for everyday people here.
- @fundmyfund: Mark covers the markets and swing trades.
- @alansmurray: Alan Murray is the Wall Street Journal Deputy Managing Editor and Executive Editor Online.
- @TheLexColumn: The Financial Times column covers business and finance news.
- @FinancialNews: If you want to keep up with investment banking and fund management, follow this feed.
- @dvolatility: You’ll get global market news from this feed.
- @businessnews: Here’s another feed devoted to keeping up with Wall Street news.
PF Coaches and Tips
These personal finance feeds can help you become a more organized, responsible budgeter.
- @MoneyCrashers: Get PF tips, from saving on car payments to applying business principles to PF.
- @mcmoneycoach: Jim McGowan provides sound financial advice to families.
- @PslFinance: Get a steady stream of trending finance topics and personal finance tips.
- @freefrombroke: Everyday people get finance help and tips from this feed.
- @LifeTuner: Find money tools, savings tips and financial advice from @LifeTuner.
- @alphaconsumer: Kimberly Palmer is a PF reporter who tweets articles like "Working Mothers Hardest Hit by Recession" and "The New Money Savvy Generation."
- @howardlindzon: Follow @howardlindzon for innovative, creative ways to save money and make bank.
- @MoneySmart: Ben brings you PF news and tips, plus web hacks and money tools.
- @DieBrokeBlog: StockTwits writes the Die Broke Blog, which offers PF tips on virtually every money topic.
- @wisebread: The Wise Bread blog tweets frugal living and PF tips here.
- @SuburbanDollar: Kyle isn’t a total money expert, but he can help inspire you to become more financially responsible.
- @MoneyRelation: Adam wants to help you reevaluate and revitalize your relationship with money.
- @GreenPanda: College students and 20-somethings will find PF help here.
- @bargainr: Jim Wang proves you can save money and enjoy your scotch, too.
- @AuthorDavidBach: NYT best-selling author David Bach is also a PF expert who tweets tips on how to get organized.
- @BSimple: You’ll find simple ways to live life and save money on this feed.
- @PFIncome: Topics addressed on this PF feed include passive income, goal setting and more.
- @myprettypennies: Learn how to save your pretty pennies by following this feed.
- @everycentcounts: Learn how to develop better spending habits here.
- @tarasbernard: Tara Siegel Bernard is a PF reporter for the NYT.
Some social media networks are known as major time drainers for procrastinating students, but Twitter can also be used for school work, valuable networking, job searches and project management. Here are 100 great Twitter tips, tools and tutorials for serious college students pursuing campus and online degree programs who want to turn their Internet time into something valuable.
Finding People
These tools will help you find the right people to follow, whether you want to hook up with industry insiders, people who can help you with your research, companies you’d like to intern with, or other professors and students.
- Who Should I Follow?: This service will recommend interesting people for you to follow based on any username you type in.
- Just Tweet It: With this service, you can find other Tweeters with similar interests as you.
- Mr.Tweet: Mr. Tweet can also point out influential Tweeters you should be following.
- WeFollow: Type in keywords to find people who’ve tagged themselves in this directory.
- FriendOrFollow: Find out who’s not following you back with FriendOrFollow.
- Twubble: Expand your follow bubble with Twubble.
- Nearby Tweets: When you need a reference or contact who lives in your city, use this service to find them on Twitter.
- Twitterator: With Twitterator, you can bulk-follow complete lists of people.
- SocialToo: Sync follower lists with other social media sites like Facebook.
- TweepSearch: Use this tool to search users’ bios when you’re looking for specific people to follow.
- DoesFollow: Find out if certain people are following each other to help friends make connections.
Research
Use these tips and tools for job searches, finding experts to cite in your papers, and to learn more about the topics you’re learning.
- twitority: Get authority-based Twitter search here.
- Twitter for Research: Why and How to Do It, Including Case Studies: Learn how to use Twitter for historical research and which tools to use.
- Monitter: Monitter uses your keywords to find relevant tweets.
- TweetMeme: TweetMeme is sort of like Digg and is helpful if you want to search popular links that are being tweeted.
- Tweetag: Tag-Based Search for Twitter: This guide will show you how to use Tweetag to find information based on tags.
- How to Use Twitter for Information Mining: This guide can help you gather information on companies, individuals and topics.
- @trendingtopics: Follow Twitter’s trending topics feed to get frequent updates on breaking news.
- Twitscoop: This service lets you "search and follow what’s buzzing on Twitter in real-time," great for keeping up with trending topics.
- Twitter search: Type in a keyword to find out how it’s being discussed on Twitter in real-time.
- TweetVolume: Here you can enter words and phrases to see how often they pop up on Twitter, and where.
- How to Search Twitter – The Advanced Guide: Discover how to do a word-level, person-related, location-specific, date-specific or resource search on Twitter.
- 7 ‘Secret’ Ways to Use Twitter Search: This article will help you become a more efficient researcher and tune out the "chit-chat."
- Tweetbeep: Set up alerts so that you know when something or someone is being tweeted about.
Study Breaks
Twitter isn’t just about research and assignments. These tips and tools will show you how to use Twitter for break time, too.
- Foamee: Keep track of who owes you beer and coffee with this tool.
- Cursebird: Track curse words on Twitter and see how many times people say the "f" word and other fun swear words.
- LoveTweet!: Find love poems, break-up stories and more.
- Tweetwasters: Use this tool to manage your wasted time on Twitter.
- InnerTwitter: InnerTwitter lets you know when it’s time to get back to work and focus on what’s in front of you.
Discussion and Collaboration
When you have to meet with project group members, study for a test with classmates, talk with a professor, or tweet from club meetings, use these collaboration tools and tips.
- Share files: Services like FileSocial and FileTwt let you share files publicly or privately.
- Screenr: Create screencasts for your followers with Screenr.
- 30+ More Ways to Create Twitter Groups: This guide will show you how to make the most of Twitter groups.
- Share videos and photos: For school projects and presentations, share videos and photos via Twitter.
- GroupTweet: Set up private communication with group members using this tool.
- StrawPoll: It’s easier to collect data from groups of people when you use a poll like this one.
- Twitzer: When you need to explain something in greater detail, use this app to type in more than 140 characters.
- TweetCube: Share files — including videos and images — with TweetCube.
- twonvo: Twonvo is helpful for following conversations: retweets are displayed like Facebook’s threads.
- Phweet: Phweet is like conference calling for Twitter friends.
- tweetparty: Group messaging is made possible by tweetparty, which lets you create subgroups too.
Building Relationships
Here you’ll learn all about using Twitter to build quality relationships for school and your career.
- Don’t spam: Spamming means tweeting every time something pops into your head. Edit your tweets so that you’re only contributing when it matters, not whenever you’re bored.
- Tweeple Card: Make a business card for Twitter with this tool.
- twtcard: Send surprise greeting cards to network with people or send invitations to study groups.
- Retweet: Retweet others’ comments, and they’ll be more likely to do the same for you.
- Share your knowledge: Let others know you’re available for homework help or to share tips and insight into your passions.
- Follow Friday: Look for new users to follow on Fridays, when your other friends will hashtag some of their favorites. Highlight your followers too to spread the love.
- Edit your follow list: The people you follow and your followers can influence what others think about you, so be careful who you network with.
- Tweet about things besides you: You’ll be known as a more valuable follow if you tweet news stories and about things besides yourself.
- Become an expert on your community: Whether it’s your dorm or your city, be the one others turn to for help navigating and finding things to do in your area.
- 8 Things to Consider Before Using Twitter Lists: Before you start listing, read this article to learn about its benefits and downfalls.
- Use direct messaging: For more private conversations, reach out to someone via direct message.
Career
Twitter is a great career resource too, so make use of these tools and tips when researching companies, finding internships and setting up interviews.
- twibs: Find businesses to follow with Twibs.
- Twitter JobSearch: Type in the job you want and let this service find it for you on Twitter.
- Set up two different accounts: Set up a business account and a separate one for goofing off with your friends: you don’t want your future employers to see what you tweet about parties and late nights.
- Keep an eye on the competition: Get to know the habits and resumes of people vying for similar jobs as you.
- Know how to pitch yourself: Don’t just talk about how great you are: pitch your skills in the form of tips for others.
- Organize a tweetup: Schedule a meet-up or mixer to meet contacts in real-life.
- Turn Twitter Friends into Real Friends: Learn how to network so that your Twitter relationships result in something concrete.
- Getting In Front of High Profile People: Copyblogger shares tips for getting on the radar of the tweeters who matter.
- 10 Networking Tips for Tweeters: Emma Merkas’ tips include standing out from the crowd and being social in real life.
- Tweetmondo: Look for business contacts in your area or an area of your choosing with Tweetmondo.
Organization
Keep your Twitter experience streamlined and in control with these tools and tips.
- Twitblocker: When you need Twitter for school and work purposes, block out all the social noise with this tool.
- Lists: Create lists to organize discussions and groups.
- Desktop: Use a desktop app so that you can view, filter and organize your Twitter feeds without having to log on.
- 10 Ways to Archive Your Tweets: Learn about the tools and tips that can save you room on Twitter.
- 20 Ways to Filter Your Tweets: Learn how to filter tweets by keyword, links, groups, or favorites to stay better organized.
- TwitKit: TwitKit is a Firefox app that creates a Twitter sidebar for your browser.
- MyTweeple: Check tweets, hide followers, review people’s stats and reevaluate your follow list with this tool.
- twuffer: Schedule tweets to share later with twuffer.
- Twply: Have @replies forwarded to your inbox so you never miss a shout out.
- Ping.fm: Ping.fm is another tool for syncing FB, Twitter, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, AIM and more.
- 10 Ways You Can Use Twitter Lists: Sarah Evan’s article shows you 10 ways you can use lists to organize Twitter.
Assignments
Check out this list to find ways to use Twitter for project management, assignment tracking and more.
- bkkeepr: Track your reading lists here.
- TwitterNotes: Take, save and tag notes on Twitter with this app.
- Twittercal: Sync Twitter and your Google calendar so that you’re reminded of deadlines and exam dates.
- Twitly: Separate your Twitter follows into different lists and groups, which is especially helpful if you want to separate different classmates, people you’re following for different research papers, or general follows.
- How to use Twitter as a project management tool: Study groups and clubs will get tips on using Twitter effectively here.
- Remember The Milk: The Twitter version of this task manager can also remind you of upcoming assignments, study groups and more.
- Read the news: Subscribe to niche and general news feeds for supplementary learning materials.
- Ask questions: Use Twitter as a study help tool, and ask questions when you can’t get ahold of your professor.
- Take notes: Take notes from a club meeting or class to save for later, get feedback from others in the community, or share with a friend.
Tutorials and Guides
Turn to these tutorials and guides for in-depth explanations for setting up Twitter, finding people, and more.
- The Ultimate Guide to Everything Twitter: Start out with this guide to learn about Twitter memes, relationships, apps and more.
- HOW TO: Do Good on Twitter: This guide will show you how to find nonprofit groups and get your own club on Twitter.
- Treating Twitter as an Investment: Making Twitter work for you takes time. Read this article to find out why it’s worth it.
- Twitter for Academia: This guide is written for professors but can also be helpful for students wanting tips for using Twitter for discussion, research and real-life experience.
- @TwiTuts: Follow this feed to get constant Twitter tutorials and tips.
- Make the Most of Your 140 Twitter Characters: TutWow can help you say more with less.
- 3 Ways to Recognize Bots and Spammers on Twitter: Don’t waste your time following worthless auto-spammers.
- Top Twitter Tools Exposed: If you don’t know which tools to start with, watch this video.
- Twitter Tutorial: 5 Desktop Apps: This is kind of a goofy video, but it can help you figure out how to pick a desktop application for Twitter.
- How to use Twitter on the go: Use Twitter on your mobile phone after watching this video.
Miscellaneous Tools
From selling your stuff on Twitter to making Twitter easier to find, check out these tools.
- Twitpay: If you have PayPal, you can raise money for causes or sell your stuff with TwitPay.
- twitition: Create, sign and share petitions with this tool.
- TwitterFone: Send messages to Twitter with your voice when you use TwitterFone.
- Xpenser: Use Xpenser to track your expenses and save money, even while you’re on Twiter.
- Twitturl: This Firefox add-on lets you post the URL of the page you’re currently on to Twitter.
- Twittonary: This dictionary of Twitter words and shorthand will keep you on track with tweeting pros.
- Twitsig: Your tweets will show up as images when you use this tool.
- Tweetminster: British politics are tracked on this live Twitter stream.
- Twitlist: Sell and buy your stuff with Twitter and Craigslist with this mashup.
By Alvina Lopez
When preparing for college, one of the smartest moves a high schooler can make is to read, read, read. This is especially true of literary classics. Many of the books covered on this list also surface in university literature classes, so high school students can facilitate their college workloads by knowing the classics before they become required reading. Students should also keep in mind that classics are classics for a reason: they are good books about the nature of the human condition. They reveal something magical about the workings of the world. They are invaluable to the person attempting to become an academic. The following books encompass nearly every genre: the lighthearted tales of Johnathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travles to the dark fate of George Orwell’s 1984. Read one or read them all, but either way, enjoy and prepare to be enlightened.
- Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien: WH Auden thought this tale of fantastic creatures looking for lost jewellery was a "masterpiece".
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: A child’s-eye view of racial prejudice and weird neighbours in Thirties Alabama.
- The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore: A rich Bengali noble lives happily until a radical revolutionary appears.
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: Earth is demolished to make way for a Hyperspatial Express Route. Don’t panic.
- One Thousand and One Nights Anon: A Persian king’s new bride tells tales to stall post-coital execution.
- The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe : Werther loves Charlotte, but she’s already engaged. Woe is he!
- Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie: The children of poor Hindus and wealthy Muslims are switched at birth.
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre: Nursery rhyme provides the code names for British spies suspected of treason.
- Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons : Hilarious satire on doom-laden rural romances. "Something nasty" has been observed in the woodshed.
- The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki: The life and loves of an emperor’s son. And possibly the world’s first novel?
- Under the Net by Iris Murdoch: A feckless writer has dealings with a canine movie star. Comedy and philosophy combined.
- The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing: Lessing considers communism and women’s liberation in what Margaret Drabble calls "inner space fiction."
- Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin: Passion, poetry and pistols in this verse novel of thwarted love.
- On the Road by Jack Kerouac: Beat generation boys aim to "burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles."
- Old Goriot by Honore de Balzac: A disillusioning dose of Bourbon Restoration realism. The anti-hero "Rastingnac" became a byword for ruthless social climbing.
- The Red and the Black by Stendhal: Plebian hero struggles against the materialism and hypocrisy of French society with his "force diame."
- The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas: "One for all and all for one:" the eponymous swashbucklers battle the mysterious Milady.
- Germinal by Emile Zola: Written to "germinate" social change, Germinal unflinchingly documents the starvation of French miners.
- The Stranger by Albert Camus: Frenchman kills an Arab friend in Algiers and accepts "the gentle indifference of the world."
- The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco: Illuminating historical whodunnit set in a 14th-century Italian monastry.
- Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey: An Australian heiress bets an Anglican priest he can’t move a glass church 400km.
- Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys: Prequel to Jane Eyre giving moving, human voice to the mad woman in the attic.
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: Carroll’s ludic logic makes it possible to believe six impossible things before breakfast.
- Catch-22 by Joseph Heller: Yossarian feels a homicidal impulse to machine gun total strangers. Isn’t that crazy?
- The Trial by Franz Kafka: K proclaims he’s innocent when unexpectedly arrested. But "innocent of what?"
- Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee: Protagonist’s "first long secret drink of golden fire" is under a hay wagon.
- Waiting for the Mahatma by RK Narayan: Gentle comedy in which a Gandhi-inspired Indian youth becomes an anti-British extremist.
- All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque: The horror of the Great War as seen by a teenage soldier.
- Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler: Three siblings are differently affected by their parents’ unexplained separation.
- The Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin: Profound and panoramic insight into 18th-century Chinese society.
- The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa: Garibaldi’s Redshirts sweep through Sicily, the "jackals" ousting the nobility, or "leopards."
- If On a Winter’s Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino: International book fraud is exposed in this playful postmodernist puzzle.
- Crash by JG Ballard: Former TV scientist preaches "a new sexuality, born from a perverse technology."
- A Bend in the River by VS Naipaul: East African Indian Salim travels to the heart of Africa and finds "The world is what it is."
- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Boy meets pawnbroker. Boy kills pawnbroker with an axe. Guilt, breakdown, Siberia, redemption.
- Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak: Romantic young doctor’s idealism is trampled by the atrocities of the Russian Revolution.
- The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz: Follows three generations of Cairenes from the First World War to the coup of 1952.
- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: This famous novella has been adapted for movies, opera and plays.
- Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift: Swift’s scribulous satire on travellers’ tall tales (the Lilliputian Court is really George I’s).
- My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk: A painter is murdered in Istanbul in 1591. Unusually, we hear from the corpse.
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Myth and reality melt magically together in this Colombian family saga.
- London Fields by Martin Amis: A failed novelist steals a woman’s trashed diaries which reveal she’s plotting her own murder.
- The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaoo: Gang of South American poets travel the world, sleep around, challenge critics to duels.
- The Glass Bead Game by Herman Hesse: Intellectuals withdraw from life to play a game of musical and mathematical rules.
- The Tin Drum by Gnter Grass: Madhouse memories of the Second World War. Key text of European magic realism.
- Austerlitz by WG Sebald: Paragraph-less novel in which a Czech-born historian traces his own history back to the Holocaust.
- Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov: Scholar’s sexual obsession with a prepubescent "nymphet" is complicated by her mother’s passion for him.
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood: After nuclear war has rendered most sterile, fertile women are enslaved for breeding.
- The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger: Expelled from a "phony" prep school, adolescent anti-hero goes through a difficult phase.
- Underworld by Don DeLillo: From baseball to nuclear waste, all late-20th-century American life is here.
- Beloved by Toni Morrison: Brutal, haunting, jazz-inflected journey down the darkest narrative rivers of American slavery.
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck: "Okies" set out from the Depression dustbowl seeking decent wages and dignity.
- Go Tell It On the Mountain by James Baldwin: Explores the role of the Christian Church in Harlem’s African-American community.
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera: A doctor’s infidelities distress his wife. But if life means nothing, it can’t matter.
- The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark: A meddling teacher is betrayed by a favourite pupil who becomes a nun.
- The Voyeur by Alain Robbe-Grillet: Did the watch salesman kill the girl on the beach? If so, who heard?
- Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre: A historian becomes increasingly sickened by his existence, but decides to muddle on.
- The Rabbit books by John Updike: A former high school basketball star is unsatisfied by marriage, fatherhood and sales jobs.
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain: A boy and a runaway slave set sail on the Mississippi, away from Antebellum "sivilisation."
- The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle: A drug addict chases a ghostly dog across the midnight moors.
- The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton: Lily Bart craves luxury too much to marry for love. Scandal and sleeping pills ensue.
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe: A Nigerian yam farmer’s local leadership is shaken by accidental death and a missionary’s arrival.
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: A mysterious millionaire’s love for a woman with "a voice full of money" gets him in trouble.
- The Warden by Anthony Trollope: "Of all novelists in any country, Trollope best understands the role of money," said WH Auden.
- Les Miserables by Victor Hugo: An ex-convict struggles to become a force for good, but it ends badly.
- Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis: An uncommitted history lecturer clashes with his pompous boss, gets drunk and gets the girl.
- The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler: "Dead men are heavier than broken hearts" in this hardboiled crime noir.
- Clarissa by Samuel Richardson: Epistolary adventure whose heroine’s bodice is savagely unlaced by the brothel-keeping Robert Lovelace.
- A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell: Twelve-book saga whose most celebrated character wears "the wrong kind of overcoat."
- Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky: Published 60 years after their author was gassed, these two novellas portray city and village life in Nazi-occupied France.
- Atonement by Ian McEwan: Puts the "c" word in the classic English country house novel.
- Life: a User’s Manual by Georges Perec: The jigsaw puzzle of lives in a Parisian apartment block. Plus empty rooms.
- Tom Jones by Henry Fielding : Thigh-thwacking yarn of a foundling boy sewing his wild oats before marrying the girl next door.
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: Human endeavours "to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world" have tragic consequences.
- Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell: Northern villagers turn their bonnets against the social changes accompanying the industrial revolution.
- The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins: Hailed by TS Eliot as "the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels."
- Ulysses by James Joyce: Modernist masterpiece reworking of Homer with humour. Contains one of the longest "sentences" in English literature: 4,391 words.
- Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert: Buying the lies of romance novels leads a provincial doctor’s wife to an agonising end.
- A Passage to India by EM Forster: A false accusation exposes the racist oppression of British rule in India.
- 1984 by George Orwell: In which Big Brother is even more sinister than the TV series it inspired.
- Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne: Samuel Johnson thought Sterne’s bawdy, experimental novel was too odd to last. Pah!
- The War of the Worlds by HG Wells: Bloodsucking Martian invaders are wiped out by a dose of the sniffles.
- Scoop by Evelyn Waugh: Waugh based the hapless junior reporter in this journalistic farce on former Telegraph editor Bill Deedes.
- Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy : Sexual double standards are held up to the cold, Wessex light in this rural tragedy.
- Brighton Rock by Graham Greene: A seaside sociopath mucks up murder and marriage in Greene’s novel.
- The Code of the Woosters by PG Wodehouse: A scrape-prone toff and pals are suavely manipulated by his gentleman’s gentleman.
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte: Out on the winding, windy moors Cathy and Heathcliff become each other’s "souls." Then he leaves.
- David Copperfield by Charles Dickens: Debt and deception in Dickens’s semi-autobiographical Bildungsroman crammed with cads, creeps and capital fellows.
- Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: A slave trader is shipwrecked but finds God, and a native to convert, on a desert island.
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Every proud posh boy deserves a bratty, prejudiced girl.
- Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes: Picaresque tale about quinquagenarian gent on a skinny horse tilting at windmills.
- Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf: Septimus’s suicide doesn’t spoil our heroine’s stream-of-consciousness party.
- Disgrace by JM Coetzee: An English professor in post-apartheid South Africa loses everything after seducing a student.
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: Poor and obscure and plain as she is, Mr. Rochester wants to marry her. Illegally.
- In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust: Seven-volume meditation on memory, featuring literature’s most celebrated lemony cake.
- Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: "The conquest of the earth," said Conrad, "is not a pretty thing."
- The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James: An American heiress in Europe "affronts her destiny" by marrying an adulterous egoist.
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: Tolstoy’s doomed adulteress grew from a daydream of "a bare exquisite aristocratic elbow."
- Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Monomaniacal Captain Ahab seeks vengeance on the white whale that ate his leg.
- Middlemarch by George Eliot: "One of the few English novels written for grown-up people," said Virginia Woolf.
For students and teachers, the Google Docs collection provides a streamlined, collaborative solution to writing papers, organizing presentations and putting together spreadsheets and reports. But besides the basic features, there are lots of little tricks and hacks you can use to make your Google Docs experience even more productive. Here are 100 great tips for using the documents, presentations and spreadsheets in Google Docs.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Navigate your documents and screen a lot faster when you use these keyboard shortcuts for formatting and more.
- Ctrl+Home: Get back to the top of your doc.
- Ctrl+B: Bold.
- Ctrl+E: Center alignment
- Ctrl+L: Back to left alignment.
- Ctrl+M: Insert comment.
- Ctrl+H: Replace.
- Ctrl+End: Go to last cell in data region.
- Ctrl+Home: Go to first cell in data region.
- Shift+spacebar: Select entire row.
- Ctrl+Z: Undo.
- Ctrl+Y: Redo.
- Ctrl+spacebar: Select entire column.
- Ctrl+J: Full justify.
- Ctrl+Shift+L: Bulleted list.
- Ctrl+Shift+Space: Insert non-breaking space.
- Page Down: Move down one screen.
- Ctrl+K: Inset link.
- Ctrl+Shift+F: Full screen.
- Page Up: Move up one screen.
- Ctrl+Space: Remove formatting.
- Ctrl+: Heading style 1. Change the "1" to any number 1-6 and get the corresponding header.
Productivity Hacks
These hacks will make your Google Docs experience even more efficient and streamlined.
- Templates: Use Docs’ 300 templates to get started on different types of documents.
- Work offline: View and edit documents even when you don’t have access to an Internet connection.
- Create shortcuts: Create shortcuts and bookmarks for new documents, Google Docs home and more frequently visited pages.
- Save as different file types: Instead of converting docs to different file types, you can simply change it to HTML, RTF, PDG, ODT and more whenever you save it.
Features and Tools
Make use of features and tools like Docs Translation or CSS Editing to customize your docs and make them work for you.
- Polyline: Draw shapes and lines in Google docs to make graphs, images and examples.
- Docs Translation: Find the docs translator under Tools.
- Snap to Guides: With this Edit feature, you can line up shapes in your doc automatically.
- Reference tools: Google docs comes with access to a dictionary, thesaurus and encyclopedia that you can use within the document.
- CSS Editing: Change the display of your doc by manually plugging in your CSS text.
- HTML tags: Docs supports, or partially supports, some HTML tags, shown here.
Collaboration
One of the best things about Google Docs is that you get to share and collaborate on projects with others. Learn how to make the most of these features here.
- Shared foldersCreate shared folders and drag-and-drop items from other folders.
- Privacy: You can choose to have documents published publicly or privately.
- Share, don’t email: Instead of emailing docs back and forth, type in email addresses of people you’d like to share your Google document with, and they’ll be sent an editable, web copy.
- Make changes at the same time: You and your classmates can log into the same document at the same time to make edits.
- Share a folder: Share entire groups of documents saved in a single file with coworkers and students.
- Invite mailing lists as collaborators: You can share a document with all members of your email mailing lists with this function.
- Make a presentation in real-time: Invite others to view a presentation you’ve made as you see it too.
- Data validation: Make sure everyone is entering data into the spreadsheet the same way by controlling data validation settings.
- Allow people to edit without signing in: This means anyone, even if they don’t have a Google account, can sign in and edit your piece.
- Remove collaborators: If you want to take someone off a project, click None next to the name of the person you want to remove.
- Forum: If you get stuck with a docs problem, you can head over to the forums and find help from other users.
- Change ownership: Switch ownership of Google docs as project leaders change.
Files, Folders and Filters
Find out how to use files, folders and filters for optimum organization and a clearer display.
- View and unviewed: You can mark new shared documents as viewed or unviewed, like an inbox.
- Create subfolders: Make subfolders for better organization. Create, then choose to move it wherever you want.
- Drag-and-drop folders: Drag-and-drop folders and docs to spreadsheets, documents and presentations.
- Tag: Tag items with certain keywords instead of going to the trouble of moving them to a folder.
- Star: You can also star documents, like you would in Gmail.
- Upload multiple files: Click "select more files" to upload multiple files in Google Docs.
Organization
These hacks are designed to organize your Google Docs, from starting a new assignment to sharing and publishing.
- Color code folders: Color-code the names of folders.
- Insert bookmarks: Insert a link to another part of your document, like in a table of contents.
- Zip archive: Export Google docs, spreadsheets and presentations in a single ZIP archive.
- Block quote: Use this setting to automatically indent and set aside a long quote in your document.
- Minimize: Star only the docs you want to see at one time, and minimize everything in the left pane for a minimized view.
- Annotate with footnotes: Insert annotations as footnotes to your document easily.
- Preview templates: Preview a template before committing to it.
Edits
With these editing tools, you’ll track comments, save editing history and more.
- Color-code comments: You can color-code live comments in Google Docs.
- Revision pruning: When you have too many revisions, they’ll automatically collapse, or prune, but can still be viewed in revision history.
- Track edits and changes: In Google Docs you can go back and forth between edits that you or collaborators made.
- Revision history: View older versions of your document, and choose to "revert to this one" if you choose.
- Find and replace: This version of find and replace lets you match cases, match whole words, find previous words, and more.
Synchronization
Make your Google Docs work with other tools too.
- Preview docs in Gmail: You can preview Google docs attachments in Gmail.
- Google Finance: Enter information from Google Finance into spreadsheets with this formula Syntax: =GoogleFinance("symbol"; "attribute").
- Sync with Office Documents: With Syncplicity, you can sync Google Docs with Microsoft Office.
- Sync with your server: To work offline, your documents will have to be synced to your server.
- Google Mobile: Use Google Mobile to access docs on your phone.
Search
Google Docs uses Google search to find documents and more.
- Search PDFs: There’s a search box in the upper right corner of your PDF document.
- Search for docs using keywords: If you don’t remember the title of a doc, type in keywords from the document instead.
- Advanced search: Find documents by selecting who you’ve shared with, keyword, title, and more.
- Search the web: Highlight a word and search the web for matching websites and images.
- Search operators: Search operators will help you find starred, hidden and other documents quickly. Example: [is:starred]
Presentations
Learn how to make and present projects with videos, images and more.
- Embed a presentation in a website: Add your class presentations to your website or blog by publishing and pasting the HTML code that is revealed.
- Insert tables: You can insert tables into Google Presentations, too.
- Sequentially reveal objects on a slide: Bullets and text boxes will be revealed one at a time if you select this option.
- Custom colors: You can choose custom colors to add to your presentation.
- Hide the gray bar: In presentation view, click on the icon in the upper-right corner of the gray bar at the bottom of your screen to make it disappear.
- Chat: Chat with your audience in view presentation mode. You’ll need Adobe Flash Player 8 or above.
- Insert videos: You can add videos to your presentation, minimize and maximize it, and move it around your screen.
- Hide chat: Keep everyone quiet during your presentation by clicking the left side of the chat module.
- Organize slides: You can reorder slides, make duplicate slides, and insert new slides wherever you want.
- Replace image and video placeholders: Depending on your presentation’s template, you can replace placeholders with an actual image or video.
Spreadsheets
With spreadsheets, you can create forms, reports, invoices, portfolios, and other docs that solve problems, save email addresses and more.
- Google search inside your spreadsheet: Highlight a word, right click, and select Search the web.
- Print as PDF: Choose to print your spreadsheet as a PDF if you want all formatting to stay intact.
- Live lookup: Use the following formula in a cell to ask Google to look up quantitative information: Syntax: =GoogleLookup("entity"; "attribute").
- Roman function: Have numbers displayed as Roman numerals with this formula =ROMAN(number, form).
- Create forms: Google Spreadsheets has various templates for forms you can create and have people fill out.
- Edit forms: Add section headers to make it easier to divide up forms and make them easier to fill out.
- List view: Select list view to load spreadsheets faster, view from your mobile phone and access basic editing features.
- Protect sheet: Select Protect sheet to prevent certain collaborators from editing it.
- Automatically add email addresses: If you have Google Apps, the email addresses of the people who fill out the form will automatically be saved.
- Scientific notation: Adjust spreadsheets so that cells display in scientific notation.
- Solve: Maximize and minimize values when you solve problems in your cells.
- Add and delete comments: You can add, delete and edit comments in spreadsheets too.
- Freeze columns and rows: Freeze rows and columns to stop editing.
Tasks
These tasks, from printing to tracking tournaments, are examples of other ways you can use Google Docs.
- Print as a webpage: You can print your doc so that it displays as a web page.
- Insert mathematical equations: Insert Equation makes an equation editor dialog box appear to add an equation to your doc.
- GoogleTournament: Create brackets, and let Google automatically update data according to the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Division I Basketball Championship.
- Enable offline access: You can install offline access for Google Docs to edit existing documents anywhere.
- Track analytics: Track visits to published documents.
- Update posts: You can republish posts that are already on your web page if you want to make edits and support an updated version.
With so many books available, it can be difficult to decide which books you want to add to your reading list. This listing of 101 books every woman should read will make that task a bit easier. Browse through these categories, which include classics; children’s literature; books that were made into movies; literature that highlights families, the strength of women, and coming of age; recent literature; books about incredible women and their accomplishments; and important non-fiction books written by women.
Classics
These classic books tell tales of love, strong characters, painful lessons learned, and family. These classics are not to be missed.
- The Awakening by Kate Chopin. Feeling trapped and unhappy with the way her life has turned out, Edna reaches for a different path and ultimately finds her freedom in a tragic form.
- Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger. A story in two parts, the first story is about Franny as she experiences an existential crisis and has a sort of breakdown. The second half is told from her brother, Zooey’s, point of view as he helps her get through her crisis.
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. Mary Shelly’s classic tale of the desire to control nature and the personal responsibility that comes with such actions is a must-read for everyone.
- The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. A massive book, this one will require some dedication, but is worth reading for the strong characters Rand created and her theory of objectivism played throughout the story.
- Howards End by E.M. Forester. The sisters in this novel set in early twentieth century England guide the reader through an exploration of class as their relationships evolve.
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The life lessons young Scout learns in this book teach her to see the good in humanity despite the ugliness people can often show.
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Atwood explores a world where women are stripped of their rights and forced into lives of slavery based on their skills and abilities, specifically following the story of Offred who has been selected to provide a baby for the infertile Commander and his wife.
- Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak. This popular story of true love between man and woman is just one of the heart-stirring tales of fidelity and relationships in this classic.
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Not only is this story a captivating tale of morals and society full of rich characters that has lived on for generations, the fact that Jane Austen was able to publish the book as a woman at the turn of the 19th century is remarkable.
- Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. The gorgeous writing for which Woolf is so famous meshes beautifully with the theme of this story about finding and appreciating the beauty in life as the reader follows Mrs. Dalloway through one day of her life as she prepares for a party.
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Learn about the strength of a woman who can see the goodness of a man others cannot in this beloved tale.
- The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. This story chronicles the life of Chinese farmers Wang Lung and his wife O-lan and their devotion to each other and their family.
- Middlemarch by George Eliot. This classic book tells the story of a strong woman and an ambitious young doctor who live in a community full of richly-drawn characters.
- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. This epic of love and fidelity is a classic–don’t depend on the movie to truly know this story.
Children and Young Adult Literature
If you didn’t get a chance to read these as a child, or even if you did, put them on your list of inspirational and touching stories.
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. This timeless tale of sisters who embrace their family despite hard times is a story to be appreciated by all women.
- Pippi Longstockings by Astrid Lindgren. Pippi is a little girl with a lot of pep. She stretches the truth and makes life seem fun even when faced with rules.
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Talk about a leading lady, Dorothy guides this famous troop through Oz, stands up to the Wizard, and gets everyone what they need.
- Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. Where would Wilber be without the love and guidance of the nurturing spider, Charlotte? This classic tale of unconditional love will win your heart.
- Five Children and It by E. Nesbit. Five children who have recently moved from the city to the country discover a magical sand-fairy who grants their wishes each day. The misunderstanding of the wishes brings even more adventure.
- Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. Friendship and imagination lifts these two children out of their everyday lives, until tragedy strikes. This story is based on a real-life friendship between the author’s son and his friend, Lisa.
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. This classic tale of adventure has Alice traveling through a topsy-turvy world where nothing is what it seems.
- Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. The resourcefulness of the young Karana who is stranded on an island is inspirational for girls of all ages.
- Matilda by Roald Dahl. The spunky, precocious Matilda learns to use her special talents for good as she finds unconditional love with a special teacher in a story that is true to the imaginative writing style of Dahl.
- Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien. A story of both community and technology vs. nature, this tale will surely make a place in your heart long after you’ve finished the book.
- Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingles Wilder. The story of Mrs. Wilder growing up in a time long past in the midst of a family full of love and the joy of life has made this book a classic enjoyed by many.
- Heidi by Johanna Spyri. Heidi’s sweet nature that wins over her grandfather’s heart will also win yours as you read about this vivacious young girl who creates a family full of love in the Alps.
- Aunt Maria by Diana Wynne Jones. After the death of their father, Mig and Chris are sent to live with Aunt Maria–but things aren’t what they seem there. Mig is the bold girl who braves the controlling aunt and her cronies and their magical powers.
Books Made into Movies
These books have all been made into movies, but be sure to read the books, too, for a more in-depth perspective that can’t always be portrayed on the big screen.
- The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Even if you want to discount this book because of the time travel aspect, don’t. This book is all about love, life, and making do with what the universe throws your way.
- The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. A young woman overcomes a traumatic childhood and finds love among the three women who take her in and teach her about family.
- Brick Lane by Monica Ali. A Bangladeshi woman moves to London to marry her husband in an arranged marriage. The story of Nazneen and her struggles to live a domesticated life beyond her control are paralleled with that of her sister, living as a social outcast back home.
- The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. Ondaatje’s lyrical writing develops the characters of the novel and delivers them into an enchanting tale of love, loyalty, and war.
- Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. This book, some might say, has been overshadowed by the popularity of the movie, but don’t miss reading this one to really understand the relationships and adventure of these two friends.
- Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Enter the secret world of the geisha in pre-WWII Japan in this story that follows Sayuri as she grows up groomed to be a geisha and her life as a woman in a society ruled by men.
- Beloved by Toni Morrison. Follow the story of Sethe and her daughter Denver as they try to escape the haunting effects of slavery in this novel loosely based on the story of a real slave.
- Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. A young woman comes to the house of Dutch painter Vermeer and inadvertently becomes an inspiration for him.
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Celie learns to overcome her difficult life as a black woman in the south through a magnificent friendship that gives her the gift of inner strength.
- Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen. Karen Blixen, writing as Isak Dinesen, relates her life in colonial Nairobi where she falls in love the the land and the people who live there.
- The Constant Gardener by John le Carre. The story of Justin investigating his wife, Tessa’s murder and his revelations about their relationship and Tessa as a woman are beautiful and inspiring and are set against the backdrop of intrigue.
Books Featuring Familial Relationships
Parents, siblings, and daughters: these books all offer a look at the interactions that make or break a family.
- The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. A beautiful story of family secrets and quiet love, The Joy Luck Club tells the story of a young woman discovering the woman who was her mother.
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. Family relationships parallel the political climate of one corner of Africa in this powerful story.
- Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. Told from the perspectives of both the midwife’s journal and her daughter, this story tells of a family strained by an incident that is far from clear-cut to anyone involved.
- A Gesture Life by Chang-rae Lee. Franklin Hata struggles with his past as he attempts to reconcile with his daughter and forge a life more meaningful.
- The Memorykeeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards. A powerful secret creates and destroys families in this story of love conquering all.
- The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. This is a story of family and secrets, and how a sister and brother are affected throughout their lives.
- Splendor of Silence by Indu Sundaresan. Star-crossed lovers who face cultural differences lead this story about family, politics, and freedom.
- Away by Jane Urquhart. This lyrical Irish tale begins with a mystical love four generations earlier and finds great-granddaughter Esther searching for answers in her family history.
- Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. Tita must follow family tradition and is not allowed to marry her love in this enchanting and delicious story.
Books Celebrating the Strength of Women
While many of the books on this list celebrate the strength of women, these especially highlight how women can persevere through anything.
- Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood: A Novel by Rebecca Wells. Mothers, daughters, and friends are mixed and mingled in this story of sisterhood among the women in this novel.
- Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. Loosely based on a real village that isolated itself from the rest of the world during the plague, the heroine of the story loses much to the plague, yet perseveres in her attempt to save others.
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre is an independent woman with principles she stands by–despite living in an unenviable situation.
- The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Battling depression, the protagonist in this story finds a way to fight for her happiness and come through on top.
- The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn. Hester bears the scorn of society as a result of a love affair, but she carries on and demonstrates a strength and humanity above that of her lover.
- Chocolat by Joanne Harris. Vianne and her daughter settle in to a small French village where they shake things up with their unconventional ways.
- Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King. Get to know the female spirits that rule this Native American world and the human women who have a unique strength of their own in this book that will take you on a fun journey.
- Babette’s Feast by Isak Dinesen. The amazing Babette, who arrives unexpectedly in a remote village in Denmark, has amazing skills and a secret that, when revealed, shows her fortitude and adaptability.
Current Literature
These books offer some of the more recent offerings from the literary world that women will surely enjoy reading.
- The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani. This story of a 17th century young woman in Iran who, upon the death of her father, is forced into a new life–and one in which she discovers her autonomy through her skill as a rug maker.
- Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. This beautiful collection of short stories highlights women and their relationships, with each story featuring a woman and her parents, husband, sibling, or lover.
- The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. Fidelity, infidelity, and political intrigue are the major themes of this story that tells the tale of King Henry VIII and the Boleyn family.
- The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. Two women of different backgrounds and different generations both learn to find meaning in their lives in this captivating book.
- Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. This tale of a man joins the circus after he discovers his father’s veterinary business is going under is a beautifully written account of the animals and people in the circus–and based on research Gruen did from actual circuses.
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson. This compelling mystery will reel you into the plot, but the characters (one of which is based on the author’s imagining who Pippi Longstocking would be as an adult) will keep you reading to the end.
Books about Finding Oneself
Coming of age is the major theme of these books that show young women struggling to find out who they are as adults.
- Bee Season by Myla Goldberg. A young girl who never stood out in life suddenly finds a hidden talent, and then stumbles upon a way to enhance that talent. As her family falls apart, she must make a choice that will affect how others perceive her.
- Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy. This true story documents Lucy’s battle against a rare form of cancer that leaves her face disfigured from an early age.
- Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. A moving story, Middlesex starts with the family history that leads to the protagonist, Cal, living a life as a hermaphrodite.
- Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende. A young woman leaves her life in Chile to travel to the US in search of her lover and finds herself along the way in this adventurous story.
- The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. Despite loneliness and isolation, the characters in this book find a way to find push through.
- The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Offered in vignettes, this tale documents a young woman coming of age in the Latino district in Chicago.
Banned or Challenged Books
Books that are banned or challenged are certainly provocative. Find out why these books have sparked controversy, then be sure to put them on your list to read.
- Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. Often challenged, Whitman’s book contains poetry that often celebrates sexuality, both homosexual and heterosexual. This shouldn’t stop you from recognizing the beauty of Whitman’s poetry.
- Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. A touching story, this tale tells of Charlie, a mentally challenged young man who participates in a scientific experiment to raise his intelligence, portrays the awakening both intellectually and emotionally of the man. Charlie’s newfound sexuality has offended some and caused the book to be challenged.
- Fanny Hill by John Cleland. Fanny Hill describes the sexual exploits of a woman who sells her virginity and ends up a prostitute, and is considered the first erotic novel published in English.
- Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. In an attempt to escape from a loveless marriage, Madame Bovary engages in adulterous affairs, and thus this books has been banned in many countries.
- Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov. The illicit affair described in this book between a man and a 12 year-old girl causes this book to be challenged in many places today. Don’t read it as an endorsement for pedophilia, but as a study of oppression, loss of identity, and tragedy that mankind is capable of inflicting.
- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. This story is a powerful one that highlights the loyalty and bonds of friendship and family infused with a humor that makes this book a favorite for many. However, others feel that the stance Irving takes on religion and opposition to US in Vietnam are reason enough to challenge this book.
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriett Beecher Stowe. When this book was published in 1851, it was criticized by those who supported slavery as a false depiction of slavery. Luckily this novel has survived the censorship it has experience to allow current generations to learn from their ancestors’ mistakes.
- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. The language, social and racial implications, and violence in Steinbeck’s book have been reasons for challenging this touching portrayal of an unusual friendship between two men.
- Lady Chatterley’s Lover by DH Lawrence. Lawrence’s book about his famous adulterer was banned in the UK and eventually published in Italy.
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Who knows if the profanity, portrayal of smoking and drinking, and anti-religious and anti-establishment sentiments cited are the real reason for banning this book–or maybe it’s all about wanting to overshadow the idea of censorship being challenged put forth in this story of firefighters who burn down houses discovered to have books inside.
- East of Eden by John Steinbeck. This book has been challenged as an obscenity that is ungodly. Ironically, it’s major theme is the battle of good and evil that parallels the book of Genesis in the Bible.
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini’s beautiful book of friendship and loyalty looks at the life of two boys from different social classes in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan government’s upset over the content of the book is not the only reason it has faced problems. Others have challenged the book based on offensive language and a sexually explicit scene in which a young boy is raped.
Stories of Real Women
These biographies and autobiographies tell the story of amazing women, from Maya Angelou to Marie Antoinette to Amelia Earhart.
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. This autobiographical story of Angelou’s life as a young girl growing up in a time of segregation.
- The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein. Posed as an autobiography of Stein’s lover, Alice Toklas, this book is truly about the life of Stein herself.
- Florence Nightingale by Cecil Woodham-Smith. Florence Nightingale was a woman who made extraordinary changes for the field of nursing, bringing it from a disreputable job to the honorable one it is today.
- Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. While most people know who Anne Frank is, many have not had the pleasure of reading her journal documenting her family’s time in hiding from the Nazis. Do yourself a favor and read this one.
- The Story of My Life by Helen Keller. Read about the amazing accomplishments Helen Keller made over her lifetime in this truly inspirational book.
- Mother Jones: The Most Dangerous Woman in America by Elliot J. Gorn. Learn about this powerful woman who organized and agitated for the sake of the American labor movement.
- Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser. This book helps readers see beyond the public perceptions of Marie Antoinette and learn about the real woman.
- Personal History by Katharine Graham. From a childhood of privilege, Graham grew into a role of a powerful publisher of the Washington Post, but along the way faced a number of challenges.
- Amelia: A Life of the Aviation Legend by Donald M. Goldstein and Katherine V. Dillon. Find out about who Amelia Earhart really was–not just about her disappearance–in this biography.
- Portrait of an Artist: A Biography of Georgia O’Keeffe by Laurie Lisle. Learn about this amazing artist and woman who broke all the rules.
Non-Fiction
These non-fiction books have been written by women and provide insight on a range of topics that shouldn’t be missed.
- Fire in the Lake by Francis Fitzgerald. This interpretation of the Vietnam war is considered one of the best. Fitzgerald was a journalist in Vietnam, and she studied the culture at Yale prior to going there. Her experience and craft combine to make a powerful book.
- Pilgram at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. Annie Dillard wrote about the nature of nature in this classic book.
- A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf. Learn what Woolf has to say about why women write differently from men.
- Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. Carson’s popular book brought environmental justice to the American consciousness.
- Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey. Detailing the establishment of a gorilla research center in Rwanda and fighting for conservation and against poaching are the bulk of this popular book published just two years before her murder in Rwanda.
- On Death and Dying by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. This book lead the way to reduce the fear and silence surrounding death in the medical community and remains an important work today.
- Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert. Learn how Gilbert found herself after one year of traveling to attain some of her life goals.
- Twenty Years at Hull-House,With Autobiographical Notes by Jane Addams. Addams started the first settlement house and worked tirelessly to provide for and educate the poor.
- The Language of the Night by Ursula K. Le Guin. Le Guin writes about writing in this masterful book that demonstrates why she stands as one of the most important writers of the 20th century.
- Is There No Place on Earth for Me? by Susan Sheehan. This book by a former New York Times investigative journalist won the Pulitzer Prize for its documentation of the plight of a woman called Sylvia Frumkin who suffered from schizophrenia and went in and out of the mental health system.
- Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover’s Story of Joy and Anguish by Mark Levin. This touching story is about the love a family can have for a dog, what the dog can bring to that family, and how to say goodbye.
- Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. This true story of a man who has taken on the Taliban by building schools and providing education for girls.
Probably more widely known for hosting the viral videos that show up in mass emails, YouTube is actually an excellent source for truly useful videos as well. This list of 92 historical interviews attests to that fact. Browse through this collection to find video interviews from both the past and more recent time. Some of these interviews document specific eras such as interviews with those involved in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, while some are more recent interviews discussing the past, as when Walter Cronkite relates his news reporting when the first man walked on the moon. Still other interviews document history in the making, with current figures in academia, politics, business, and more sharing their knowledge.
Politics
From interviews with the likes of JFK to Noam Chomski, these videos record historical events and history in the making when it comes to politics and activism.
- Conversations with History: Noam Chomski. This famed linguist and political activist shares his views on politics and the role of the US in the global community.
- Cronkite Interview of JFK. This interview from Labor Day weekend 1963 shows Kennedy sharing his view of American involvement in Vietnam.
- Senators Ted Kennedy and Barack Obama on the Today show. This historic interview couples the late Ted Kennedy and Barak Obama before he was president as they talk about Kennedy’s endorsement of Obama for President.
- Conversations with History – Karim Sadjadpour. Sadjadpour, from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, discusses American-Iranian relations.
- Frost over the World – Benazir Bhutto – 02 Nov 07. Sir David interviews the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto about her return to Pakistan just two months before her assassination.
- Conversations With History – Robert Baer. Former CIA operative, Baer discusses spying, US policy and options in the Middle East, and what we know about Iran.
- Visit of Golda Meir to the Council of Europe. Israeli leader Golda Meir talks about the freedom and lack of freedom of the Jewish people.
- Conversations With History – Zalmay Khalilzad. Khalilzad served as the US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations and speaks about the strategies needed by the US in shaping national security, including developing more diplomacy to complement military power.
- indira. Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi defends her stance in support of Bangladesh.
- Conversations with History – Mark Danner. Journalist and professor, Mark Danner discusses his articles for the New York Review of Books on torture in response to 9/11.
- Conversations with History – Leslie H. Gelb. Learn what Gelb, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations says about power, the American misconception of what power is, and his strategy for US foreign policy.
- Conversations with History – James A Leach. After 30 years in the US House of Representatives, Leach has plenty to share about politics in America, how it has changed, and what Americans might anticipate for the future of politics.
Science
These scientists talk about their work, the role of science throughout history, and science for the future.
- PART 1: David Attenborough on Darwin – by Nature Video. Attenborough shares his views on Darwin, natural selection, and the role of the Bible in science.
- Conversations with History: Steven Chu. A Nobel Laureate in Physics, Chu talks about how his upbringing contributed to his education, his work as a scientist, and more.
- Conversations with History – Leon M. Lederman. Lederman discusses both his work in particle physics as well as his thoughts on the future of science in secondary school education.
- Conversations With History – Gibor Basri. This professor of astronomy from UC Berkeley shares what he is doing in the field of astrophysics.
- Conversations with History – Lucy Shapiro. Shapiro tells about her work in the biological sciences and also speaks on the threat of infectious diseases and how that impacts society.
- Conversations with History – Neil Shubin. Hear about paleontology from Shubin, Provost of the Field Museum and professor at the University of Chicago.
- Interview with Owen Gingerich, part 1. Professor Gingerich, astronomer and science historian, talks about his family, childhood, and his introduction to science.
- Conversations with History – John Harte. Going from physics to environmental science, Professor Harte discusses the shift in his professional focus, the current environmental crisis, and what should be done.
- Conversations with History – Leonard Shlain. Surgeon and professor Leonard Shlain shares his perspective on the connection between science and art as he has written about in his books.
- Conversations with History – Michael Pollan. This popular author talks about the food industry, national health and nutrition, and about science writing in general.
- Archive of American Television Interview with Robert…. Robert Adler, the developer of the wireless TV remote control, shares his history of the work he did.
- Conversations With History – Chikashi Toyoshima. Toyoshima discusses his remarkable breakthrough in the biological sciences as well as the role of creativity in science.
- Conversations with History – James Gustave Speth. The dean of the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale, Speth elaborates on why the future of the Earth depends on the radical transformation of capitalism.
- Conversations With History – John Heilbron. Heilbron discusses the history of science and the value science history holds for society.
Humanities and Social Sciences
These interviews include discussions on philosophy, psychology, and social issues.
- Conversations with History: David Harvey. Professor of Anthropology, David Harvey discusses his youth and education, his work in geography, and how knowledge of geography can promote understanding of the modern world.
- Conversations with History – Craig Calhoun. The president of the President of the Social Science Research Council talks about the challenges facing social science research.
- Vilém Flusser on History, Science & the Photograph. Watch this video of Czechoslovakian philosopher Flusser as discusses the flow of history and its relationship to science.
- Conversations with History – John Perry. This professor of philosophy from Stanford discusses identity, humor, and procrastination.
- Conversations with History – Joan Wallach Scott. A professor and writer, Joan Wallach Scott shares her work in the field of gender issues.
- Conversations With History – Jocelyne Cesari. Jocelyne Cesari, from Harvard, talks about the shifts in Islam as Muslims live in the western world.
- Conversations with History – Laurence R. Simon. Professor Simon discusses the role of non-governmental agencies in changing the inequalities of global poverty.
- Conversations With History – Bart D. Ehrman. This professor of Religious Studies elaborates on how the Bible explains human suffering.
- Conversations with History: Daniel Kahneman. Professor Kahneman shares his Nobel Prize-winning research on intuition and decision-making in this interview.
- Conversations with History: T.M. Scanlon. Hear about human rights, tolerance, and freedom of expression from Harvard’s Professor Scanlon.
Arts
Hear from famous artists from the world of music, TV, painting, and literature in these video interviews.
- Miles Davis interview, 1982. Listen to what renowned jazz musician, Miles Davis, has to say about jazz in this interview with Bryant Gumbel.
- Larry Dunn. Hear from legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire’s keyboardist and musical director as he talks about the creative process and creating music.
- Bob Keeshan – Archive Interview Part 1 of 7. This is the first of seven 30-minute interviews with Bob Keeshan, more commonly known as the beloved children’s TV show host, Captain Kangaroo. He talks about his past, the importance of imagination for people throughout their lives, and more.
- Art Linkletter – Archive Interview Part 1 of 6. With his trademark humor, this iconic TV figure tells about his childhood with his adoptive family and his introduction into radio and TV.
- Inside The Actor’s Studio Ron Howard 1. Ron Howard discusses his work on the famed Inside the Actor’s Studio.
- HITCHCOCK Content vs Technique. Hitchcock provides his take on the artistic process and an audience’s emotional reaction to the art.
- Conversations with History – Roya Hakakian. The author of the book Journey from the Land of No: A Girlhood Caught in Revolutionary Iran, Hakakian talks about the craft of writing as well as life in Iran.
- interview with marcel duchamps 01. In this interview from the early 1960’s, Duchamp talks about painting and his struggle with it.
- Conversations With History – Annabel Patterson. Find out what this professor of English at Yale has to say about literary scholarship and its relationship to society.
- An Interview with Michael J. Lewis. Lewis discusses art, architecture, and education in this interview.
- Francis Bacon Interview (part 1/2). This controversial painter shares his life and work in this interview from 1966.
- Howard Hodgkin (Part1/6). This British abstract painter explores what it’s like being a painter during the 20th century.
- Bob Marley Interview 1976. This rare interview with Bob Marley shows him talking about his musical influences, Rastafarianism, and his love life.
Business
Watch a rare interview with a Rothschild, hear from Nobel Laureates, and learn from leaders in the field of business with these video interviews.
- Rothschilds need to save "The System" BBC. Sir Evelyn de Rothschild talks about the current financial state and what he feels should be done.
- Principles of Leadership. Several leaders in business talk about what it takes to become a successful leader.
- W. Edwards Deming on Business/Societal Transformation. This video from 1992 features the legendary W. Edwards Deming as he discusses the need for the people of society to instigate a transformation.
- Interview with 2006 Laureate in Economics Edmund Phelps. Believing in both great thinking and some amount of risk-taking as a means to success, Phelps shares his perspective on how to create a successful economic future.
- Interview with Paul Krugman, 2008 Economics Prize. Learn what Krugman attributes to the prevention of another Great Depression from happening during the most recent financial crisis.
- Conversations with History – Martin Wolf. Wolf, Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator of the Financial Times talks about the causes of the current global economic state and offers suggestions for the future.
- Effective Business Negotiations. CEO of Think! Inc., Brian J. Dietmeyer shares the basics of business negotiations in this interview.
- Entrepreneurs Moonlighting, Don’t Quit Your Day Job. Eddy Chavey, and independent web designer explains why it may be smart to keep your day job when starting your own business.
- Conversations with History – Niall Ferguson. Learn about the history and evolution of financial institutions such as banks, insurance, and the bond market.
- Strategic Management: Routes to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition. Four successful entrepreneurs share how they acquired a small business as a start to entrepreneurship in this video from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
- Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo.. Nooyi shares her views on the growth of business in India and the role of Indian women in business.
- Conversations with History – Barry Eichengreen. This economic historian talks about the current economic crisis and how society can learn from history in these situations.
Education
From the powerful interview of Mister Rogers at the US Senate to students interviewing Holocaust survivors, these videos all touch on the subject of education.
- Mister Rogers defending PBS to the US Senate. This moving discussion between Mr. Rogers and Senator Pastore not only won funding for PBS, but also illustrates why quality education is important for the future of society.
- David McCullough Interview: The Value of Education. Historian David McCullough explains why education is important and the motivation for educating.
- Skull and Bones History. This video from the History Channel shows interviews with several people who have investigated the history and workings of this secret society at Yale.
- Conversations with History: Martha Nussbaum. Professor Nussbaum discusses women’s roles in education, religious freedom, and human development.
- Media Education and History. Robert Ferguson of the University of London Institute of Education discusses the intersection of media education and history.
- PBS "History Detectives" Host/Historian Gwendolyn Wright. Wright, an architectural historian, relates how she became involved in this influential and educational program at PBS and her work in historical architecture.
- Interview with Cordell Svengalis, Ph.D.. Veteran educator Dr. Svengalis discusses his work on identifying trends and projecting the future as it applies to education.
- "Art & Memory" – An Educational Project of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Students interview Holocaust survivors and create a work of art for this educational project.
- Interview with ABC News (Building With Books). The founder of Building With Books talks about his program that teaches students community service in which they help build schools for students in developing countries.
- Emery Stoops Interview. Emery Stoops was a visionary and highly regarded figure in education. This interview takes place three years before his death at the age of 106.
Historical Events
Watch interviews about historical events such as man landing on the moon or the Civil Rights movement in these videos.
- Walter Cronkite And The Lunar Landing (CBS News). Cronkite details what it was like to report on the first man landing on the moon.
- Conversations With History – Frederick S. Wyle, Esq.. Once a Pentagon official during the Kennedy administration, Wyle talks about the policy on nuclear weapons in Europe during the Cold War.
- Fathers of Revolution Vol. 1. Hear from leaders of the civil rights movement and those close to them in this video.
- Sidney Poitier speaks about Civil Rights. Poitier talks about his motivation and involvement in the Civil Rights movement.
- Conversations with History – David M. Kennedy. Learn about the Great Depression from writer David M. Kennedy as he analyzes Roosevelt’s role in the depression, among other topics.
- Hidden Agenda Norman Dodd 1 of 6. This is the beginning of a 1982 interview between G. Edward Griffins and Norman Dodd wherein Dodd discusses his investigations of the Reece Committee that implicated several high-profile non-profits in trying to shape history through the control of education.
- Presidential Inauguration, Interview w/ James Clyburn (D-SC). This influential congressman discusses his work in Congress as well as the historic inauguration of President Obama.
Historical Figures
From Rosa Parks to Ayn Rand, these historical figures are interviewed and recorded here.
- Academy of Achievement’s Exclusive Interview Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks describes that fateful day when she refused to give her seat to a white man on a bus.
- Malcolm X interview on Chicago TV with Jim Hurlbut. Listen to Malcolm X in this TV interview where he talks about his history, the history of African-Americans, and answers questions from panelists.
- Coretta Scott King. Mrs. King shares her experience being at the center of the Civil Rights movement.
- RetroBites: Gloria Steinem. Steinem discusses the difficulty of getting serious writing assignments as a women in this 1968 interview.
- Muhammad Ali…Recipe for Life. Muhammad Ali describes what he hopes people remember about him after he dies in this interview from 1972.
- The Panorama Interview Princess Diana Part 1. Princess Diana discusses her expectations of becoming a princess, her marriage, and more.
- Conversations with History – James M. McPherson. This Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and professor enlightens viewers on the life and accomplishments of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States.
- Interview with scribe Julie Seltzer. Seltzer is a scribe, or writer of sacred texts, and is currently working on writing out the Torah and will be one of the only known women to have written the Torah.
- Ayn Rand Phil Donahue Interview Part 1 of 5. Philosopher and author Ayn Rand discusses her life’s work, her philosophy, and politics in this five-part interview.
Law
These videos touch on legal issues such as the traditional role of judges, human rights, and the survival of middle-class families.
- Conversations with History – J. Clifford Wallace. Senior Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Wallace talks about the role of judges in a democracy.
- Conversations With History – Stephen Holmes. Holmes, a NYU law professor, discusses the implications of the Bush administration’s policies in response to 9/11 and ways future administrations can avoid errors.
- Svitlana Kravchenko & John Bonine – ELAW Interview Series. These two law professors discuss their individual work in the fields of human rights and environmental law, as well as their work together.
- Conversations With History – Amy Chua. This Yale law professor shares her knowledge on the rise and fall of hyperpowers, using historical figures to illustrate her discussion.
- Conversations with History: Elizabeth Warren. Warren explores the intersection of politics and the law where it concerns two-income families struggling to pay for housing, health care, and education.
By Alvina Lopez
Scientists are continually on a mission to learn more about the world around them, and thus the information available is continually changing as the knowledge grows. Good science teachers understand the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest happenings in the world of science. A great way to do so is by following blogs. Not only can teachers stay abreast of what is happening, but many of these blogs serve as an excellent resource for students, as well. The following blogs range from blogging science teachers themselves to specialists in specific fields within the science domain.
Blogging Science Teachers
These science teachers provide resources to enhance your teaching as well as great examples of how you might want to create a blog yourself.
- Science Teacher. This science teacher comes with a varied life experience and a down-to-earth insight on teaching.
- Science for All. Get tons of resources for teaching science here.
- What It’s Like on the Inside. Teaching, education reform, and science all get equal billing in The Science Goddess’ blog.
- Sustainably Digital. Ben includes great suggestions to use in the classroom–often with an eye on technology usage to enhance learning.
- Lovely Scientist Loves Science. Joanne’s passion for science comes through loud and clear with these fun posts.
- sciencegeekgirl. Find lots of fun and interesting science information, hands-on learning activities, and much more.
- Wisdom Begins with Wonder. This science teacher shares plenty about how he is using technology in his science classroom.
- Steve Spangler Blog. The guy who made the Mentos and soda experiment famous shares all sorts of hands-on learning activities here.
- Reflections of a Science Teacher. This science teacher shares the beauty of life and teaching with her posts on science, education, students, and so much more.
- Hurricane Maine. This veteran science teacher shares all sorts of information that incorporates teaching and technology.
- Extreme Biology!. Ms. Baker and her biology students do an excellent job of creating a fun and interesting blog relevant to their high school biology subject matter.
- Biology in Action. This blog is intended to stimulate discussion in the high school biology classroom, but it is also open for comments for online discussion.
Computer Science and Technology
Check out these teachers who are all blogging about computer science and technology in schools.
- Philly Teacher. This blogging computer science teacher provides information about using technology in the classroom.
- NJ Tech Teacher Musings. This K-8 teacher shares his experience with the technology he uses with his students.
- Free Technology for Teachers. Learn about the latest resources available for educators in this blog.
- Think Like a Teacher. This technology, teaching, and education are all covered here.
- iLearn Technology. Find out how you can integrate technology in your curriculum.
- On an e-journey with generation Y. This teacher and her students explore Web 2.0 in the classroom and share their experiences on their blog.
- The Power of Educational Technology. Learn real-world applications of technology in the classroom here.
- 2¢ Worth. This veteran educator shares his perspective on technology, education, and learning in this popular blog.
- Dangerously Irrelevant. Read about technology and the future of education in this blog.
- Blog by Carol. Carol Cooper-Taylor blogs about the world of e-learning.
- Cool Cat Teacher Blog. This popular blog features information about education with a concentration on using technology in the classroom.
Biology
These biologists’ blogs provide information about the natural world.
- Discovering Biology in a Digital World. Sandra Porter blogs about digital technology for teaching biology in her blog.
- Panda’s Thumb. This blog explores the science of evolution and often takes issue with those who promote the anti-evolution viewpoint.
- Snail’s Tales. The photos alone are a great reason to visit this blog that discusses snails, among other scientific topics.
- The Tree of Life. This evolutionary biologist posts about microbes, infectious diseases, academia, and more.
- monkey’s uncle. Written by a biological anthropologist, this blog provides a blend of academic science discussion and more simplified topics.
- Coyote Crossing. See photos and read about wildlife and more surrounding the Mojave Desert.
- Dharma Bums. As these bloggers practice the "yoga of seeing the world," they share magnificent photos of wildlife and their habitats.
- Leaves of Grass. Enjoy the gorgeous photography of the natural world in this blog that is published in both English and Portuguese.
Geology
Learn about the latest developments in the world of geology when you follow these blogs.
- Ron Schott’s Geology Home Companion Blog. Geology scavenger hunts, awesome photos, and more make this blog a must-read.
- All of My Faults Are Stress-Related. This geology professor shares fun ways to engage students along with news and information from the world of geology.
- Lounge of the Lab Lemming. The Lab Lemming makes geology seem much more humorous than you ever thought possible.
- Geology Happens. This teacher posts about geology, life as a teacher, and other interesting bits of science on his blog.
- The Musings of a Life-Long Scholar. Fieldwork, using the right tools, and photos populate this blog.
- Looking for Detachment. Learn about geology with an emphasis on the western US here.
- Clastic Detritus. Sedimentary and marine geology is the focus of this blog that has lots of photos and images to accompany the text.
- Arctic and Alpine. Learn all about land formations in cold regions when you read this blog.
- Geotripper. This geology instructor blogs about his field trips with his students and includes plenty of photos.
- Geologic Frothings. Find out what kind of digital tools are available for geologists along with the posts about geology here.
- The Lost Geologist. Mapping Jurassic carbonate rocks in the Upper Rhine Graben, this blogger posts about his experiences.
Physics
From earthquakes to cocktails, these physics blogs cover quite a range of topics.
- Cocktail Party Physics. Join these women physicists as they serve up tasty adult drinks with their science conversation.
- Physics and Physicists. Keep up with what is happening in academia and the science world at large when it comes to physics when you read this blog.
- Hypo-theses. Dr. Ian G. Stimpson writes extensively about seismology, including details of recent earthquakes, in this geophysics blog.
- The Physics Anti-Crackpot Blog. Working to debunk unscientific claims, this blog ensures you aren’t falling for bad science.
- Harmonic Tremors. This student is studying earthquake physics and writes plenty about earthquakes of past and present.
- Andrew’s Physics Blog. Learn about physics theories and stay on top of news from the world of physics with this blog from About.com.
- Walter Kessinger’s Industry Seismology and Stuff. This exploration geophysicist writes about the business of seismology and the petroleum industry.
- Adventures in the world of Geology. Written by a geophysics grad student, this blog details her work.
Climate Science
Stay on top of the latest developments in the science, policy, and politics of climate science.
- Watt’s Up With That?. With an emphasis on climate science and nature, this popular blog provides all sorts of science news and interesting tidbits.
- RealClimate. The climate scientists writing this blog hope to cover the science sometimes missing from mainstream news about climate science.
- SolveClimate. These posts offer news affecting policymaking in regards to climate science.
- ClimateEthics.org. These bloggers explores the ethics involved in climate science and policy.
- Stoat. Climate science is one of the many topics covered by this blog.
- DeSmogBlog. This group debunks the myths perpetuated by those who participate in climate change denial.
- maribo. This professor explores the effects of climate change on the environment.
- It’s Getting Hot In Here. The Youth Climate Movement is a Canadian group focused on stopping global warming and building a sustainable future.
- Rabett Run. This professor posts news and opinion on climate science as well as invites the reader into ongoing online climate science discussions.
- Only In It For The Gold. Michael Tobis blogs about climate science and policymaking here.
Meteorology
From storm chasing to hurricane analysis to photos of weather events, these blogs provide plenty of fun meteorological topics.
- Dr. Jeff Master’s WunderBlog. This blog covers weather systems, trends, and more with an emphasis on hurricanes.
- Big Sky Convection. This blog features posts about weather systems with maps, radar images, and photographs of weather phenomena.
- perilous planet (blog). This photojournalist posts incredible photos that capture weather phenomena such as lightning, tornadoes, and dense fog.
- Storm Chaser Journal. Warren Faidley posts about storm chasing, tornadoes, and more.
- Stormpulse Blog. Get in-depth hurricane analyses on this blog.
- MADWEATHER. From forecasting to reviewing after the fact, this blog takes a serious look at weather events happening in the southwestern US.
- Carlson Chasers Blog. These three storm chasers from a Denver news station will update their blog in real-time while chasing a storm and post other weather information the rest of the time.
Paleontology
Teachers and students alike can keep up with the latest dino discoveries in these blogs.
- Dave Hone’s Archosaur Musings. Read about dinosaurs, academia, and a bit of science and politics in this blog.
- The Ethical Paleontologist. Working on her PhD and blogging about paleontology topics keeps this scientist busy. She advises that this blog will not be about politics or cold-hard science, but about what makes science fun.
- Ediacaran. Chris Nedin writes on Ediacaran and Early Cambrian paleontology.
- Palaeoblog. This popular blog marries paleontology and pop culture with awesome results.
- The Life of Madygen. Information about fieldwork in the Madygen Basin and scientific abstracts are found in this blog.
- Chinleana. The discussion here is mostly on late triassic paleontology.
- Paleo Errata. Jeffrey Martz blogs about vertebrate paleontology, evolution, and a few other scientific topics.
- Dinochick Blogs. Dinochick talks about dinosaurs, dinos in pop culture, and more.
Volcanology
See photos, get details on eruptions, and learn about the mechanics of volcanoes with these blogs.
- Eruptions. Get details on the latest eruptions as well as the science behind volcanoes here.
- VolcanoWorld News. This blog from Oregon State shares news stories on volcanic activity around the world.
- The Volcanism Blog. Find photos and news about volcanoes when you read this blog.
- Magma Cum Laude.This PhD students blogs about her visits to volcanoes as well as other information about her search to "play with very hot rocks."
- Volcanista: a magmalicious blog. Volcanoes and social justice are the topics you’ll find on this blog.
Planetary Science
Find out what’s happening in the world beyond planet Earth with these fascinating space blogs.
- Bad Astronomy. This popular blog talks astronomy as well as looks at debunking bad science.
- Women in Planetary Science. The women who write this blog share information about planetary science as well as information for women in the scientific community.
- Cosmic Variance. A group of astrophysicists and physicists write this blog that touches on science, academia, pop culture, and more.
- The Planetary Society Blog. Follow the latest on space science and exploration with the news in this blog.
- Star Stryder. This astronomer seeks to connect people to science and technology through new media.
- The Martian Chronicles. Learn about the exploration of Mars as well as a few other space items on this blog.
- Galactic Interactions. Find posts about astronomy, cosmology, and physics on Rob Knop’s blog.
- Chandra Blog. Chandra is an X-ray Observatory launched by NASA. This blog provides images captured by Chandra as well as information about the mission.
- Universe Today. Get news about events happening on Earth and beyond that has to do with space.
- Space Disco. Ian O’Neill blogs here about space with a special interest in manned space exploration.
Social Science
Explore the workings of the human brain and how it affects behavior with these blogs that touch on psychology and neurology.
- PsyBlog. This blog is primarily aimed at the general public with informative articles that explain how the mind works.
- Postcards from the Id. Get fun pop psychology topics on this blog written by a forensic psychologist.
- Everyone Needs Therapy. This therapist blogs shares information and advice to help readers cope with the business of living.
- BrainBlog. This blog is written by a neuropsychologist and focuses on the brain and behavior.
- Brain Blogger. Read the latest news from the fields of neurology, psychology, and medicine.
- The Splintered Mind. A professor of philosophy, Eric Schwitzgebel writes essays on the philosophy of psychology.
- Mind Hacks. Stay current on all the fun technology that helps scientists learn about how the human brain works.
- Deric Bownds’ MindBlog. Get the latest science on the brain and how it works on this retired professor’s blog.
- Brain Windows. Learn all about brain imaging technologies from this blog.
- The Neurocritic. The Neurocritic looks at sensationalistic neuroscience in the news and explores it further to see if it is sound science.