Twitter is like a window into the soul of America. It shows us faster and more accurately what is on our collective minds than any other medium currently in use. So it was only a matter of time, in a bad economy and a worse job market, that Twitter would be flooded with both job seekers and job offerers. The way they find each other is through certain key hashtags, the best of which we have laid out for you to help you in your quest for employment. Some of these will give you broad search results and take a while to sift through, but let's face it — you have lots of free time.

To Find an Employer

These are the tags to plug into Twitter's search engine to connect you with companies with openings.

1. #hiring: Here it is, your No. 1 word to find a hiring company is … hiring.
2. #tweetmyjobs: It's a pretty clunky phrase, but #tweetmyjobs has been tagged nearly a million times, so include it in your search.
3. #HR: The folks handling the headhunting for the company will be from human resources, so go straight to the source.
4. #jobopening: Now we're talking. This tag is almost exclusively used by people offering people work. Easy.
5. #jobposting: "Jobposting" is another efficient tag to search, only it's used a bit less than #jobopening.
6. #employment: Often listed along with #jobs at the end of a tweet, #employment is a major keyword used by businesses in the market for talent.
7. #opportunity: There will be some quotes and other tweets that don't help you, but there will be plenty of hookups to employment opportunities.
8. #recruiting: Search this hashtag to find not only employers that are hiring, but inside info on the recruiting techniques they'll be using.
9. #rtjobs: Many Twitter users are there helping you out by retweeting job openings they come across.
10. #jobangels: The JobAngels are a volunteer group working to help unemployed people find jobs, and they have a strong presence on Twitter.
11. #jobsearch: Sometimes this will be the only hashtag a hiring company will use, so be sure to make it one of your search terms.
12. #joblisting: Attention! I'm a hiring employer and this is my way of telling you that I've got a job right here just waiting to be filled.

To Attract an Employer

Strut your stuff and get yourself out there with these hashtags to help employers find you.

13. #hireme: Don't beat around the bush. #Hireme is short, sweet, and to the point.
14. #MBA: Have an MBA? Shout it out in a hashtag to direct employers to your top-shelf business acumen.
15. #linkedin: If you're unemployed, you're no doubt already networking away on LinkedIn, so let them know you have a viewable profile.
16. #profile: While you're at it, go ahead and tag "profile" too, and couple it with #facebook, #linkedin, #monster, or any other place your details are posted on the internet.
17. #unemployed: It's what you are, so own it and let employers know you are totally available for engagement.
18. #resume: If you're tweeting about your resume posted online, be sure to hashtag it.
19. #CV: Curriculum vitae is basically a more fleshed-out résumé, but #resume is nearly twice as popular. Use both to be safe.
20. #needajob: Thousands of the unemployed have tacked this phrase onto the end of their tweets in the hopes an employer will stumble across it in a search.

To Educate Yourself

These tags may not directly land you a job, but they will enlighten you on the latest trends in finding, keeping, and enjoying a job.

21. #jobtips: By far the best search phrase in this category, it will load you up with more good job advice than you could ever read.
22. #career: At half a million tags, searching #career will score you some job listings and tons of helpful guidance for your professional life.
23. #interview: Hiring companies don't use this word as much, but "interview" and "interviews" are still helpful because they turn up a wealth of advice from fellow tweeters on making your best possible first impression.
24. #benefits: Knowing what to expect in the way of benefits is a good weapon to have heading into an interview.
25. #personalbranding: Do a search for this hashtag to find ideas and tips on selling yourself in the job market.
26. #compensation: If you know the going rate for whatever you do, you are much less likely to be taken advantage of.
27. #training: Searching for "training" is a good way to find great, free job training resources.
28. #jobhunt: A search for this tag brings up mainly advice on job searching, but there will be a healthy smattering of job postings, too.
29. #unemployment: This tag has been used more than 100,000 times by users tweeting about unemployment news, ways to combat unemployment, and jobs to pull you out of unemployment.
30. #employers: They may not be tweeting about themselves, but plenty of employees and commentators are tweeting news and reviews of employers and their practices.
31. #jobless: Curious about what's going on with others in your predicament? Search for this commonly-used tag and find out.
32. #laidoff: It's the same idea as #jobless, except it has more of a sad connotation. If you want to commiserate with some other people about searching for that elusive job, this is the tag to search.

To Find a Certain Type of Job

If you don’t want just any old job, try searching these hashtags for that special placement you have in mind.

33. #freelance: This is a hugely popular tag used by job hunters who want to leave the option of part-time, freelance work open.
34. #homebusiness: If you're eyeing a job being self-employed, try searching this term for entrepreneurship ideas and tips.
35. #greenjobs: Here's one for the truly unselfish people who put the environment before employment.
36. #dreamjob: If you aren’t sure what you want to do with your life, search this tag and get some ideas of what other people would do if they had their druthers.
37. #hotjobs: Hot jobs call for a hot hashtag.
38. #consulting: Another in the potentially temporary job category, #consulting is a nice tag to widen your net and earn some income.
39. #consultant: It might seem silly to use two tags that say virtually the same thing, but those three letters might make the difference in connecting you with your new employer.

Hottest Tags by Field

If you work in one of these industries, you are in a trending field, which could be good (lots of job listings) or bad (lots of competition).

40. #SEO: "SEO" is another one that has been tagged millions of times by job seekers and tweeters discussing search engine optimization.
41. #webdesign: Clocking in at nearly a million uses all-time, #webdesign is another hot topic on Twitter.
42. #accounting: If you're an accountant, you are in luck, as job listings in your field pop up regularly on Twitter.
43. #telecom: Telecommunications is another field with a strong showing on Twitter; it's been used in hashtags more than 81,000 times.
44. #legal: We live in a litigious society, and the need for paralegals and other non-lawyers is increasing. It's a great career to consider because paralegal certification can be obtained relatively quickly.
45. #lawyer: The number of lawyers in America has surged in the last 10 years, which explains why this tag is such a popular one in the Twitterverse.
46. #industry: Pair this with another tag like #music or #hotel and you'll find listings and info on your area of expertise.
47. #salesjobs: You don't have to pound the pavement looking for a sales job; just do a search for this popular tag on Twitter.

To Search When You Have a Couple Hours

You'll need to free up your morning to adequately search through these tags.

48. #jobs: You've probably been wondering when this word would come up. The tag's been used all of 14 million times all-time, for everything from political discussion to job listings. Your best bet is to search it with another tag from this list.
49. #job: Although it has registered only half the uses as #jobs (7 million), the singular version calls up more listings and won't take you as long to sort through.
50. #design: Because it's a generic word, #design has been hashtagged a healthy 2 million times, so if you work in design be sure to supplement tweets with at least one other tag.

Thanks go to topsy.com for the usage stats included in this list.

One of the greatest conduits for explaining creativity remains, interestingly enough, creativity itself. Although every writer, artist, thinker, dancer, actor, director, and other assorted innovators each nurture their own unique process to get the job done, at least a few commonalities exist. The more cinematically inclined might very well find the following films — even those depicting fields beyond their expertise – relatable to at least some degree.

1. 8 1/2 (1963) dir. Frederico Fellini

   Inspired by the director's own struggles with creative block, this seminal, influential masterpiece explores one of the most stressful facets of the entire process. Here, a filmmaker begins succumbing to the frustrating reality of constipated innovation when his science-fiction project stumbles. Oneiric visuals pass in and out of actuality, reflecting the overwhelming mental haze that comes when one's creative process abruptly pauses and hinders productivity for an unknown period of time — not to mention how personal issues often end up exacerbated as a result.

2. The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) dir. Carol Reed

   Creative types these days still have to deal with employers, marketers, and distributors who enjoy meddling in their visions, frequently to disastrous ends. So they can fully relate to this partly fictional account of Michelangelo's very real Renaissance woe. The Agony and the Ecstasy adapts the story of his work on the Sistine Chapel and the volatile patronage of Pope Julius II. Like the title states, their relationship mirrors the same emotions experienced when one throws himself into a potentially game-changing project requiring passion, concentration, and a hefty time investment … then watches it all end up dismantled and overanalyzed.

3. Tampopo (1985) dir. Juzo Itami

   Poor widowed Tampopo only wants to run a fine little ramen stand supporting her and her beloved little son. Unfortunately, she also happens to completely suck at all things culinary. A pair of truck drivers who happen across her stand attempt a veritable Cinderella story as they embark on a whimsical, lighthearted romp to whip up a far more appetizing recipe. It's more fun than heart-wrenchingly, movingly insightful, but still enjoyable viewing all the same, particularly the hilariously bizarre parallel vignettes satirizing both Japanese and foodie cultures.

4. Barton Fink (1991) dir. Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

   The eponymous author, a renowned Broadway playwright, winds up on an assignment in Hollywood penning movies about wrestling. Unfamiliar with the new medium, format, and surrounding culture — which he worries might separate him from the more salt-of-the-earth element that so fascinates him — Barton Fink descends into a nasty period of writer's block. Although some of the Coen Brothers' trademark wit and humor wrench things up to a beautifully over-the-top level, their depictions of imagination tug-of-war and mental blockage might very well seem eerily on the mark to many creative types.

5. La belle noiseuse (1991) dir. Jacques Rivette

   Honore de Balzac's "The Unknown Masterpiece" serves as the rather loose inspiration for a Cannes Grand Prix winner about an older painter who ekes out a quiet life with his wife, who once worked as his model. When a new muse and her artist lover (a man much younger than his creative mentor) happen into their lives, the humble home springs forth a wellspring of ideas and passion. The more youthful model's presence encourages the completion of La belle noiseuse, a painting shelved when the aging man lost his will to complete it. While the film unfolds, viewers end up treated to deep analysis of protagonist Edouard Frenhofer's own personal reawakening.

6. El Sol del Membrillo (1992) dir. Victor Erice

   Known also as Dream of Light or Quince Tree of the Sun to international audiences, El Sol del Membrillo concerns a painter (Antonio Lopez Garcia, as himself) and his persistent failure to relay the true beauty of a quince tree he once planted. In the backyard it sits, tormenting him with its lusty leaves and flirtatious fruit. And no matter how skilled he may prove with a paintbrush or other subject matter, he just can't seem to capture his taunting muse on canvas. It's a beautiful work regarding the pain of never living up to one's own creative expectations, no matter how much pining, passion, and time go into a project.

7. Noises Off! (1992) dir. Peter Bogdanovich

   Fans of breakneck, screwball comedies and showbiz deconstructions must absolutely pick up Noises Off!, which focuses on everything that can and will go wrong backstage — and how these incidents can impact productions right as they happen in front of a live auditorium audience. Creative individuals who must work with others know firsthand how the process can result in almost as much discord as it does harmony. No movie does it better than this hilarious send-up where a dysfunctional theater troupe starts crumbling for multiple reasons, but has to wipe up the hilarious mess before hitting the stage lest it ultimately muss their show.

8. Adaptation. (2002) dir. Spike Jonze

   Adaptation. began life as Charlie Kaufman's attempt to write a screenplay based on Susan Orlean's novel The Orchid Thief, but ended up an engaging metacommentary on the nature of inspiration. At the center sits a pair of twins (named after the screenwriter himself), one working on an adaptation of The Orchid Thief (See? Meta!), the other pooping out cliche Hollywood fare, earning, of course, far more money in the process. The persistent debate over selling out and making a living or staying true to one's artistic inclinations factors quite heavily into this dissection, obviously.

9. American Splendor (2003) dir. Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini

   Underground comics sensation Harvey Pekar found his writerly niche chronicling the mundane minutia of his file-clerk life, pairing up with numerous artists for straightforward, frequently insightful stories. Part biopic, part documentary, the film named after his most popular series digs into the creative process of this fantastic figure. Many stereotypes regarding how great authors (and, of course, others in artistic industries) conduct their personal and professional business end up entirely shattered with its protagonist's earnest — albeit cantankerous — approach and everyday background.

10. Synecdoche, New York (2008) dir. Charlie Kaufman

    Once again, the brilliant Charlie Kaufman dissects all the intricacies of creativity with stark-raving clarity, this time stepping into the director's chair. Synecdoche, New York's intensity unapologetically reflects the ugly, obsessively isolationist component that so often torments great innovators. And, of course, their loved ones. With a postmodern deftness, he traces the trajectory of creative torment and passion's darker corners.

Baseball may have been America's national pastime once, but today football is king. No doubt attention spans are shorter, and the relaxed pace of a 9-inning ballgame isn’t for everyone. But the exodus of fans from the gentlemen's game was certainly hastened by the Steroid Era. People who had loved baseball because of its purity and resistance to change felt betrayed by players who had shattered decades-old records by cheating. For many, college sports remain the only place to see pure competition. Though baseball and basketball seem clean enough, college football unfortunately  has an ugly side seeping through that in recent years has become increasingly difficult to ignore.

1. Sleazy recruiting

   Recruiting is easily the ugliest aspect of college football. Recruiting violations are popping up more and more. Coaches pepper players as young as 13 with text messages and phone calls, or treat them to alcohol and strippers. Agents arrange rides in Ferraris and gifts for family members. And it doesn’t get any better when college players head for the NFL draft. They are met by more greedy agents looking to capitalize on football stars by any means necessary.

2. Health damage

   For a game that has been played for a century and a half, it is only recently that steps have been taken to prevent dangerous head injuries to players. In fact, it took the NFL instituting policies penalizing helmet-to-helmet hits before colleges started getting serious about protecting players. Still, two former college footballers recently sued the NCAA alleging the association did not do its due diligence to crack down on coaches teaching players to hit with the helmet, or to provide for injured student athletes.

3. De-committing

   At least some football players do it for motives other than just a love of the game. In a practice tactfully referred to as "de-committing," players who had previously pledged to attend a certain university renege on the promise and go somewhere else. In layman's terms, they bail for a better deal. Part of the problem is coaches try to lock high school players in so early that the team's management or competitiveness may have changed by the time a player gets there. But students aren’t the only ones to blame; players can have promised scholarships revoked if a new head coach chooses not to honor prior agreements.

4. Steroid use

   Although coaches and officials claim a decline in steroid use in the last decade — writing it off as "a problem in the 90s" — some allege the problem persists in Division I football. In 2005, former BYU player and later NFL-er Jason Scukanec claimed up to 15 Brigham Young players had doped and that the story was the same for teams around the country. The same year, USA Today reported steroid usage among high school athletes had more than doubled from 1991 to 2003. It is naïve to think a 'roiding high school star would not try to find a way to pass NCAA drug tests in order to maintain a high level of performance in college.

5. Keeping the status quo

   As the recent events at Penn State have made abundantly clear, football is a sacred cow. An assistant coach saw a young boy being raped and his first move was to call his dad for advice on how to proceed. He knew exactly what Joe Paterno knew: don't rock the boat. The venerable head coach was aware of the molestation, and apparently even he was afraid to come forward. He knew perfectly well it meant heads would roll in Penn State's multi-million dollar athletics program. When he was fired for sitting on the information, students at Penn State rioted, proving once again that you don’t mess with college football.

6. Soaring revenues

   With heads firmly buried in the sand, some still contend that to allow college football players to see some of the revenue that schools and promoters are reaping off their work would hurt the "integrity" of the game. It is true that footballers with scholarships get free room and board, which can be worth as much as $40,000 per year or more. However, compare that to the average pay for the CEOs of football bowl games: $500,000 per year. The Texas Longhorns team is worth $129 million. Meanwhile, many of the players' families who are poor hope and pray that their son will make it to the NFL (a 1% chance) so he can finally be paid for his work and send some money home. If he doesn’t, he'll find all that time he spent playing and training hurt his chances of landing a job in the non-athletic world.

7. Coach meltdowns

   Every so often, a college football coach goes over to the dark side. It's that moment when the pent-up aggression from watching grown men smash into each other for three hours gives way to rage. Upset that a journalist had referred to one of his players as "fat," OSU head coach Mike Gundy went on a long, screaming tirade. Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer warned a reporter to "be very careful" and threatened to fight him. Coaching legend Woody Hayes went to the dark side when he punched an opposing player for intercepting his quarterback at a crucial point in the game. Hayes never coached again.

Horatio Alger could be called the father of the American Dream. His novels about poor boys who achieve success through hard work and determination are the classic examples of the rags-to-riches ideal. But in a post-bank bailout world, the American Dream is a much harder sell than it used to be. Perhaps it was a myth all along, propagated by a man who himself is the stuff of myths like these.

1. Alger's writing was driven by his desire to reform wayward youth by building their character.

   Some believe Alger's compassion for the thousands of "street urchins" in New York City in the late 1860s prompted him to create his stories filled with "proper advice" for succeeding. The truth is that his reason for coming to the Big Apple in the first place was that he fled his post as a pastor in Brewster, Mass., the same day his church accused him of molesting two young boys. Instead of being a noble enterprise, Alger's writings were more likely an attempt to atone for his "secret sin."

2. After coming to New York, Alger was a staunch child advocate the rest of his life.

   It is true that in the late 1800s, Alger was one of the most prominent voices for abandoned children in New York City. However, bearing in mind his past, it is worth asking how appropriate it was for an admitted child molester to take in children off the street to live with him. Regardless, toward the end of his life Alger famously said, "I gave up my room on 34th Street because I had too many young callers who were unwelcome … For this reason please don't tell them where I am."

3. The idea that poor children can escape poverty by trying hard enough is realistic.

   In reality, this was extremely unlikely to happen in Horatio's time, and it's not much truer now. According to the Urban Institute, up to 60% of children born into poverty will stay there through childhood. Of those, more than 30% will be poor through early adulthood.

4. Alger's life was a rags-to-riches story.

   Some readers may have been under the impression that Alger's own background was the inspiration for his tales of boys starting out in poverty and achieving wealth. In fact, Alger's childhood was quite comfortable. The son of a minister and a descendant of a Constitutional Convention delegate, Alger studied the classics, attended prep schools, and eventually went to Harvard.

5. Alger's heroes were self-made.

   Amazingly, a staple of Horatio Alger stories was wealthy benefactors who gave the heroes gifts and helped them on their way, thus contradicting the basis of the idea of a self-made man achieving success through hard work. Dick, the star of Alger's Ragged Dick series and his most famous creation, once said in a story, "I'd like it if some rich man would adopt me, and give me plenty to eat and drink and wear, without my havin' to look so sharp after it."

6. The heroes of Alger's stories worked hard.

   "Working hard" is a very subjective phrase that is open to interpretation. We expect "hard work" as Alger sees it to be enterprises like digging ditches or coal mining. Instead, he seems to mean something akin to the "hard work" a day trader does; in other words, white collar work. Take Alger's novel Do and Dare: A Brave Boy's Fight for Fortune. The hero's "fight" involves being hired by a rich benefactor who gives him money to invest in a mine that pays off and makes the hero rich. That's not really practical help for poor kids.

7. Alger was correct in thinking hard work automatically translates to success.

   Let's examine the numbers to dispel this myth. A recent study found that Mexicans are the hardest-working people in the world, working nearly 10 hours per day on average. They also happen to have the highest level of relative poverty among developed countries, at 20%.

8. Alger thought hard work is all you need.

   Alger sidestepped this opportunity gap by providing his heroes one brilliant stroke of luck that changes their lives, like rescuing a beautiful young girl from being crushed by a safe falling out of a window. And wouldn't you know it, the girl's father is so thankful he lavishly rewards the poor hero with money/a job/his daughter's hand. "Pluck and luck," Alger called it. If only there were one falling safe and one wealthy heiress for every poor person in America dreaming of a better life.

9. Alger's heroes were poor.

   Surely, at the very least, it can't be a myth that the poor boys in Alger's stories were actually poor, can it? Alas, as professor and writer Alvin Schorr pointed out, Alger's boys did not know the meaning of poverty. Unlike the polite, plucky heroes of the books, people in true poverty are generally uneducated, non-white, and uncultured. Alger's heroes primarily experienced "episodes" of a shortage of money, but with education, wealthy family members or acquaintances, and knowledge of etiquette, they always had the means to succeed at their fingertips.

10. Alger believed in every aspect of the American dream.

    A cursory study of Alger's books reveals Alger probably did not believe in a key part of the American Dream: the idea that it lies within the grasp of any man or woman, regardless of race. In the 100+ stories he wrote, every protagonist is a white male. Apparently Alger did think races like the "heathen Chinee" could succeed in America, only not through honest work but through "craft and deceit."

11. Alger's popularity and number of published titles must mean he was a skilled writer.

    Although at the height of his popularity he was as widely-read as Mark Twain, Alger has since been called "the most terribly bad of writers." For his part, Twain loathed Alger's writing and even penned a parody story called The Good Little Boy, in which an Algeresque hero does all the right things but in the end gets blown up.

Bibliophiles, along with pretty much everyone else (except for maybe super harried parents), rejoice once school lets out for the winter holidays. No longer crunched beneath the stress of finals, projects, professors, extracurriculars, and other hallmarks of college-dom, they may now decompress with the simple, satisfying companionship of a hot drink and even hotter new read. Textbooks give way to something far more voluntary, and the break provides an excellent opportunity to catch up on everything assigned reading precluded. This year saw the publication (or English-language publication) of some truly fantastic fiction and nonfiction works, a few of which may very well enter the realm of the classics in due time. One could certainly do worse when picking out something to snuggle with next to the fire…

Fiction

1. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

   Lovers of the magic realism style might want to spend their winters in Florida's sweltering Everglades, following the noble journey of a teen girl hoping to pull her beloved family from ruin. Their gator park livelihood stands threatened when the matriarch, as its main draw, winds up severely sick and sets off a chain reaction of total uncoolness.

2. The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

   The lives of three Brown seniors congeal into a strange love triangle that follows them through a year past graduation and pays homage to the romantic narratives of George Eliot and Jane Austen. While everything twists and turns and intertwines, the gorgeous story also plays as a lit crit tug-of-war between the postmodern and the more traditional tales from the nineteenth century.

3. Pym by Mat Johnson

   University of Houston professor Mat Johnson possesses contemporary American literature's keenest pen for racial satire, as evidenced in his provocative, positively searing parody Pym. Tired of treatment as a token, an English professor indulges his lust for Edgar Allen Poe's only novel and sets forth to find an Antarctic utopia where he and his crew might very well find their niche…or not.

4. The Pale King by David Foster Wallace

   Although unfinished, the late David Foster Wallace's 2011 release still earned it a right fair amount of attention and accolades, so fans of His Royal Footnote Enthusiast should certainly give it a read if they haven't already. Challenging and dense, The Pale King opens up crushing and humorous insight into human emotional suffering through an absurdist corporate espionage tale.

5. Divergent by Veronica Roth

   In a dystopian future Chicago, all 16-year-olds are required to pledge their lives to specific virtues; protagonist Beatrice Prior (or "Tris") allies herself with Courage despite hailing from a family devoted to Selflessness. Young adult literature fanatics will love following the heroine as she learns that building up her stores of bravery requires more than just surviving a bit of the old ultra-violence.

6. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

   Another haunting masterpiece by quintessential postmodernist author Haruki Murakami, this time exploring one woman's experiences trapped between two different realities in 1984. She eventually crash-lands in with a ghostwriter on a particularly strange assignment, and the pair unite to meander the brave new divergent reality world in search of something that makes sense.

7. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

   Folklore and family collide when a doctor in the war-ravaged Balkans decides to investigate the myriad questions surrounding her grandfather's passing, believing answers may lie in the stories he used to tell and the books he used to read. Her research, however, unearths more tales he never spoke of – tales which might very well unlock some of the mysteries she's encountered along the way.

8. Blueprints for Building Better Girls by Elissa Schappell

   Over the course of eight vignettes, a diverse selection of new twists on familiar female stock characters ruminate on the qualities that make them them and bridges between daughterhood and motherhood. Each narrative connects with the others around it, and they unfold over decades in order to illustrate how things have changed for women over time.

9. The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

   Rapture fervor engulfed some demographics in 2011, and things only get crazier as 2012 conspiracy theorists edge closer to humanity's alleged date with doom; Tom Perrotta's The Leftovers, suffice to say, hit shelves at a very appropriate time. His lauded novel covers what happens to those remaining after something quite unexpected causes millions of people to just up and disappear one day.

10. The Call by Yannick Murphy

    A hunting accident leaves a veterinarian's son in a coma, sending his formerly idyllic existence into a tense frenzy of finding out who's to blame for the tragic accident. Humor, strength, and a task delegated to him by an odd stranger guide Dr. David Appleton and his wife through their trying new situation.

Nonfiction

11. Bossypants by Tina Fey

    Whomever touts that women just can't write comedy – as well as those who know and love the fact that they can – should add Tina Fey's essays to their winter read pile. Here, she wrings humor out of pretty much everything imaginable, sprinkling it with liberal dashes of insight into the realities of nerd-dom, womanhood, and nerdy womanhood.

12. Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton

    Foodie bibliophiles eager to add something to their shelves alongside Anthony Bourdain and Fergus Henderson now have another critically-acclaimed culinary delight to explore. Popular Prune owner Gabrielle Hamilton covers her transition from lover of all things gustatory to a celebrated restaurateur, which involves some fascinating people, places and events that eventually molded her career.

13. Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff

    Three survivors of a horrific plane crash during World War II must maneuver the potentially lethal New Guinea jungles, home to violent indigenous peoples and the Japanese military along with the usual milieu of toxic flora and predatory fauna. It's a strange-but-true adventure story about testing the very limits of everything the human body, mind, and spirit can endure.

14. The Ecstasy of Influence by Jonathan Lethem

    Celebrated largely as a novelist, Jonathan Lethem allows audiences to witness the true extent of his literary knowledge in this lovely essay collection celebrating everything he finds inspiring. One can easily enjoy his musings on pop culture, family, Brooklyn, drugs, and other eclectic topics without previously picking Motherless Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude, As She Climbed Across the Table and other novels, though doing so certainly helps broaden understanding of his mindset and creative process.

15. In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson

    In 1933, William E. Dodd ended up serving as the U.S.' ambassador to Germany, which just so happened to coincide with the mounting persecution of Jews under the Third Reich. Despite all attempts to alert the State Department about their atrocities, his pleas for intervention end up largely ignored; add in the fact that his daughter harbored quite the Nazi fetish and one ends up with a glimpse into a complex, engaging historical moment.

16. Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer

    Half journalistic research, half memoir, Moonwalking with Einstein stands as a super cool analysis of the human memory – specifically, why some people possess particularly adroit ones and what strategies they use to keep their skills in tippy-top shape. Author Joshua Foer ended up competing in the U.S. Memory Championship a year after embarking on his quest, utilizing many of the age-old techniques he picked up on along the way.

17. Townie by Andre Dubus III

    Following his parents' divorce, the son of a recognized author ends up coming of age amongst grotesque violence, believing that physical prowess remains the only conduit for survival. What little time Andre Dubus III could muster with his father opened him up to the therapeutic benefits of writing, providing a far safer, peaceful outlet for frustration – not to mention an eventual escape from the cycle of horrors.

18. 1493 by Charles C. Mann

    One year after Cristoforo Colombo started conquering the indigenous peoples of the Americas, massive biological changes began occurring around settler and native alike, forever altering the continents' ecosystems. Both botanical and zoological species hitched rides on Atlantic-spanning ships (oftentimes to the crew's complete ignorance) and only spread from there, resulting in what some believe to be one of the most significant life scientific moments in history.

19. The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth by Alexandra Robbins

    Geek culture reigns as one of the more mainstream, influential lifestyles out there these days, up from the former fringes to which it was once pushed. High school, however, continues trying to suppress those who do not conform to some arbitrary (often media-induced) standards – but after graduation, the supposed "undesirables" frequently end up better off than their bullying peers.

20. Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein

    Pretty, pretty pink princesses aren't inherently problematic, but an oversaturation of pastel royalty does lead to some interesting – and potentially damaging – sociological phenomena. Specifically, the creation of arbitrary gender norms, which lead to the ostracizing of those who do not sit inside a narrow definition of acceptability; not to mention the infantilizing of young girls who grow up into severely entitled adults.

One of the greatest lies ever perpetuated about the teen years is that they're supposedly "the best years of your life." Ask any high schooler these days how he or she genuinely feels about this statement and the opposite sentiment might very well end up relayed instead. Every year, more and more pressures regarding classes, getting into the right college (or deciding if college is even the right choice), families, jobs, extracurricular activities, friends, relationships, and other stimuli just keep burbling away beneath their still-developing forms. Suffice it to say, this avalanche of stress hinders their progress and personalities far more than it helps, but many think they have no real alternative. Without persistently striving toward an unattainable perfection, students find themselves trapped between success or failure, with no "gray areas" in between. And the situation worsens every year, although there are plenty of things administrators, teachers, parents, and even the teens themselves can to do promote calmness and balance. Before that, though, they should understand exactly what's at stake when it comes to stress and anxiety in the high school classroom.

1. Most high school students consider cheating OK: According to a CNN poll of 4,500 high schoolers, around 75% engage in "serious cheating," over half plagiarize directly from the Internet, and about 50% believe that copying answers doesn't even count as cheating. Such questionable ethics apparently stem directly from absurd competition, since grades mean the difference between getting into a dream school and a backup. To alleviate the mounting stress to constantly perform at the highest level, students turn toward cheating and compromising their own education as a solution.

2. One in five teens qualify as clinically depressed: According to Mental Health America's estimates, 20% of teens are clinically depressed, and the real tragedy lies with how their parents and teachers approach the subject. Because so many dismiss the symptoms of depression as mere adolescent adjustments, a disconcerting number of these teens go without the treatment they need to enjoy a healthy, happy life. Obviously, depression stems from numerous factors beyond just heightened academic pressures. But they certainly render already painful situations even worse, regardless of whether or not they exist as the root cause.

3. Stress ups the suicide rate…: Over in the UK, Oakgrove head teacher John Harkin told The Guardian that anywhere between 600 to 800 students between the ages of 15 and 24 commit suicide annually. A poll of 804 teachers revealed that 73% considered school (and life in general) far more stressful for students than in the previous decade, which more than likely contributes to the climbing suicide rate. Eighty-nine percent believed high-stakes classroom assignments and exams played a major (if not the premiere) role in nurturing anxiety.

4. …oh, and self-harm, too: Beyond suicide, though, British students also cause self-harm in greater numbers than before, correlating with the increase in school and other life pressures. As reported by The Guardian, 46% of polled teachers claimed they knew of kids in middle and high school harming themselves. Cutting seems to be the most popular trend beneath this tragic umbrella, although anorexia — which, by the way, has little to do with simply wanting to "be skinny" — and other eating disorders appear on the rise as well.

5. The same thing happens in the U.S., too: The problem of depression, anxiety and suicide transcends nationality, and The Almanac printed statistics from the National Institutes of Health and its study on random San Francisco students. Although obviously not indicative of the whole nation's risk, it did highlight the relationship between stress and mental health taxing the youth. A staggering 30% of the city's high schoolers suffered beneath a suicide risk, and one institution in particular (Menlo-Atherton High School) saw 40 teens forced to go under behavior monitoring within a year.

6. Some schools have purged the AP Program altogether…: Despite the prestige heaped onto offering Advanced Placement classes and harboring students who get stellar scores on the affiliated exams, some schools have decided to forgo them completely. These college-level courses taught in high school require a heftier workload than their level and honors counterparts, and institutions like Beaver Country Day School in Massachusetts don't think the inflated stress is worth the emotional and physiological toll. So they've obliterated the program, which they claim has no impact whatsoever on graduates' eventual college acceptance and success.

7. …and managed to implement some successful alternatives, too: Along with jettisoning the AP Program, some schools — like the aforementioned Beaver Country Day School — have decided to implement other measures to keep students from succumbing to stress. More low-key assignments, like shooting videos or writing songs, prove just as effective as more rote, lecture-based methods used in traditional classrooms. Other strategies include weekends with no homework assigned, improved communication between teachers so major exams don't correspond with those in other classes, and longer study and recreation periods. Once again, the school reports that these strategies improve the quality of life for their students without compromising their academic performance or potential.

8. And the teachers on the front lines could be doing better as well: Regardless of whether or not they work in a school experimenting with more stress-reduction methods, teachers themselves could generally do better when nurturing mentally and emotionally healthy students,  especially those teachers with Advanced Placement kiddos under their care. Menlo-Atherton High School math teacher Jerry Brodkey practices empathy in his classroom, tailoring his workloads to maximize education while minimizing anxiety. Such a simple concept and awareness of his students' lives beyond his calculus and algebra classes resulted in improved scores once AP Exam time rolled around. Not to mention some seriously positive teacher evaluations mentioning how the relaxed atmosphere better facilitated learning and information retention.

9. It starts much earlier than high school: Increased college competition means increased high school competition. Increased high school competition means increased middle school competition. Increased middle school competition means increased elementary school competition. Once students get to the last four compulsory grades, the pressure to constantly excel and perform has already been shoved into their growing bodies. So when kids do succumb to the pressures, chances are they may very well have been lurking beneath the surface long before freshman year.

10. Female students feel it harder than their male peers: A survey conducted by the Associated Press and MTV discovered that of the 85% of students claiming they experienced "stress at least sometimes" (if not more than that), most were female. Forty-five percent reported they felt it "frequently," compared to 32% of their male colleagues. Most disconcertingly, the trend seemed to reflect an increase in stress and anxiety levels when compared to surveys from the year before — at least 10 points higher, says MSNBC. Interestingly enough, students hailing from mid-range income families experienced far more pressure than those from low- or high-income ones.

11. Girls are more likely to suppress their stress: Not only are female students more likely to experience hefty amounts of stress, they also typically handle it more discreetly than males. However, the boys don't always handle it healthily, either — according to Dr. Roni Cohen-Sandler, they typically react to the anxieties by dropping out mentally. Social pressures push girls towards constant perfection in school, extracurriculars, appearances, relationships and friendships without ever growing ragged or showing signs of exhaustion (what sociologist Michael Kimmel refers to as "effortlessly perfect"). In fact, 55% told the psychologist they place almost unnecessary amounts of stress on themselves to maintain society's near-impossible expectations of flawlessness.

12. School ranks as the highest stressor in high school students' lives: For both females and males between the ages of 13 and 17, school stood as their primary conduit of super stress. Once they hit the 18-to-25-year-old demographic, work supplants academics. But high schoolers face down more anxieties than that, including (but not limited to) bullying, broken homes, substance abuse (or the temptation towards substance abuse), relationships and sex, jobs, extracurricular activities, appearances and more. Girls and young women in particular find themselves petrified for safety reasons at a higher rate than their male counterparts, as they're more likely to be the victims of rape and sexual assault.

13. GPAs are increasing: In California, at least, where state schools saw a significant rise in the GPAs of incoming freshman between 2003 and 2009. Petaluma360.com's Colleen Rustad noted that UC Davis transitioned from a 3.86 to a 4.0 average, and Berkeley witnessed an increase from 3.58 to 3.61. So while some modicum of positivity can be squeezed out of the overworked teenagers' plight, the serious mental and physical health tolls often render them a rather Pyrrhic victory instead.

14. Parents can exacerbate the situation…: Even the most well-meaning, loving moms and dads (or grandparents or aunts or uncles or legal guardians) run the risk of contributing to Little Junior or Muffy's ever-mounting anxiety. Although parents and guardians should encourage and support their kids' academic and (within reason) personal goals, they should stay alert for signs of burnout as well. Success (ethically earned, of course) is always great, but should never take precedence over the health, safety and overall well-being of a student, either. The likelihood of entering an Ivy League university even with a perfect record sits between 7% and 18%, and there's no shame in pointing kids toward more affordable — and still thoroughly viable — options requiring less strenuous high schooling.

15. …but they're also key in making it better: Dr. Cohen-Sandler's research revealed that less than 50% of the most stressed-out female students believed their parents and guardians didn't notice the mental and physical cracks forming. Along with "less stress" and "more sleep," the primary thing this demographic desires is more communication and support from parents and guardians. They believe bouncing their feelings off a more experienced individual who knows them well will prove game-changing in better managing their time, emotions, friendships, and other messy hallmarks of being a teen. In addition, tighter-knit, more genuine social circles and the eradication of "mean girls" will considerably help ease the transition into adulthood.

Gone are the days when press releases and ad copy were enough to get by in public relations. Now, public relations professionals have to deal with online reputation, blogging, social media, and more. It's for this reason that the PR industry is moving faster than ever before, and you don't want to get left behind before you've even started! These blogs will help you do just that, keeping you on top of news, the latest in communications, and more.

News

Follow news in the world of PR with these blogs.

1. PR Week: Check out PR Week for PR and communications news, as well as opinion, research, jobs, and events. (Recommended Post: Investment in Social Media Set to Increase Over Next Year)
2. Everything PR: Stay on top of public relations news with Everything PR, a public relations news portal blog. (Recommended Post: 100 Media Monitoring Tools for PR)
3. PR News: PR News will help you become a smart communicator with media relations, PR jobs, industry events, news, and much more. (Recommended Post: Do Something Different: Engage the Media Using Twitter)
4. PRBlogNews: Find subjective public relations news and commentary on PRBlogNews.com. (Recommended Post: Useless Knowledge)
5. O'Dwyers: On this blog, you'll find insider news in public relations and marketing communications. (Recommended Post: Cooking PR Chile)
6. PRSA Newsroom: Follow this blog from the Public Relations Society of America for awards, advocacy news, events, and more. (Recommended Post: PRSA Speaks Out on "Pay for Play")

Public Relations

Follow these blogs to get a general look at public relations.

1. Online Public Relations Thoughts: Read this blog to find daily thoughts on PR and trends in communication online. (Recommended Post: Anger and Ignorance)
2. PR in Your Pajamas: Find practical publicity ideas for entrepreneurs on PR in Your Pajamas. (Recommended Post: 15 Types of Stories That Get You Free Publicity)
3. Tech PR Nibbles: Tech PR Nibbles features small insights and ideas for conversations, influences, and even bigger ideas. (Recommended Post: The Digital Miscommunicator)
4. Skogrand PR Solutions Blog: Find solutions, tips, and insights on public relations, social media, and more on the Skogrand PR Solutions blog. (Recommended Post: An easy way to keep clients: surveys)
5. Beyond the Hype: Lois Paul's blog takes high tech PR beyond the hype and into reality. (Recommended Post: Rebuilding Your Reputation by Digging a Deeper Hole)
6. PR Couture: Read PR Couture for reflections and news in fashion PR. (Recommended Post: Fashion PR With an Editor's Touch)
7. The Flack: Follow Peter Himler's blog to see the role public relations plays in politics, finance, technology, and more. (Recommended Post: Long Live PR (and the Press Release Too))
8. Public Relations Blogger: On this blog, you'll find resources for PR, social media, media relations, and more. (Recommended Post: 4 Reasons Public Relations (Not Advertising) Builds a Brand)
9. Drew B's Take on Tech PR: See what Drew has to say about his work as a managing director at a tech PR agency. (Recommended Post: How Digital PR is Changing)
10. Solor PR Pro: This blog is great for PR students who want to learn how to become a successful freelance PR consultant. (Recommended Post: Why You Need an Online Home Base — and How to Get One)
11. Prowl Public Relations: Read Temple University's student-run PR firm blog for PR strategies and knowledge beyond the classroom. (Recommended Post: Fighting the Dark Side of Social Media)
12. PR Breakfast Club: Start your day off right with this PR blog for fresh PR news, education, and insight. (Recommended Post: Defending the PR Profession)
13. Think: Temple University's American Marketing Association shares this blog to get you thinking about PR. (Recommended Post: PR/Marketing/Events Internship)

Media & Communications

Check out these blogs for a guide to marketing, media, communications, and more.

1. PR Meets Marketing: Find out about the application of PR and marketing on PR Meets Marketing. (Recommended Post: Beware of "Speeds and Feeds" PR)
2. PR for Thought Leaders: This blog shares insight for B2B marketing and public relations. (Recommended Post: The Huge Mistake We All Make)
3. COMMS corner: COMMS corner is the home of people-shaped communities. (Recommended Post: The Don Draper Guide to Social Media Marketing)
4. Jeff Esposito: Jeff Esposito explores conversational media on this blog, and shares how you can win the race in communications and community building. (Recommended Post: Measuring Social Media and the Value of Information)
5. Media Bullseye: On the Media Bullseye blog, you'll find thoughts for communicating more with less. (Recommended Post: Ragu, Dads, and Lessons Learned for Communicators and Bloggers)
6. Holtz Communication + Technology: Check out this blog to learn about communicating at the intersection of business and technology. (Recommended Post: It's Not About You)
7. Brian Solis: Follow Brian Solis' blog to see the convergence of media and influence. (Recommended Post: The Rise of Social Commerce)
8. Journalistics: In this blog, you'll learn about topics at the intersection of public relations and journalism. (Recommended Post: A Look at How People Share Content on the Web)
9. Media Relations Blog: Media Relations is dedicated to the world of media, public relations, and marketing. (Recommended Post: Beginner's Guide to SEO for Optimized PR)
10. Strategic Public Relations: Find strategy for integrated marketing communications on this blog. (Recommended Post: What Would Jesus Twitter?)

Social Media

Social media is one of the biggest things happening in PR these days, and these blogs offer great guidance for staying in touch via social media.

1. PR 2.0: Deirdre Breakenridge offers strategies for new media, tools, and audiences on PR 2.0. (Recommended Post: PR 2.0 Checklist)
2. Liberate Media: This online PR and social media agency has insight for online and offline expertise in PR. (Recommended Post: Crowdsourcing Compendium)
3. Karen's PR & Social Media Blog: Karen's blog features reputation management, social media, and crisis communication, (Recommended Post: PR & Reputation Insurance for Clients)
4. Peter Shankman: Peter Shankman's blog is all about advice for social media and business from a guy who's been there. (Recommended Post: Be Careful What You Post)
5. 360 Digital Influence: On this blog, you'll find fresh influences in social media and word of mouth marketing. (Recommended Post: How Hospitals are Quietly Leading the Way with Social Media)
6. PR-Squared: On PR-Squared, read about the next big things that are already here with conversations in social media and marketing. (Recommended Post: Social Media Abhors a Vacuum)
7. Social Realist: Check out Social Realist for social media without stupidity. (Recommended Post: A Few Words for Social Media Cyberbullies)

PR Professionals

On these blogs, you can read about PR from professionals who do it every day.

1. Cathy Hrudicka & Associates: Cathy Hrudicka offers her advice and guidance as a PR, social media, and marketing mentor on this blog. (Recommended Post: An Unrelenting Passion to Make the World Better)
2. WiredPRWorks: Barbara Rozgonyi offers inspiration in direct, digital, and dynamic marketing and PR on her blog. (Recommended Post: Most Powerful Twitter Women at the Moment)
3. Voce Communications: Voce shares great ideas for building brand awareness and more on this blog. (Recommended Post: Understanding the Big and Small of Social Media Measurement)
4. 360 Days in Our Circle: Follow this PR group to see what it's really like to work in the world of public relations. (Recommended Post: How to Create a Viral Video)
5. BiteMarks: BiteMarks takes a fearless look at global communications. (Recommended Post: Real-time Marketing)
6. Communiqué PR: Communiqué PR offers insight into the life of a strategic public relations firm on this blog. (Recommended Post: Coca-Cola Fan Page Takes Facebook by Storm)
7. A PR Guy's Musings: Stuart Bruce shares his musings on public relations, corporate communications, and social media. (Recommended Post: An Inconvenient PR Truth)
8. POP! PR Jots: This blog offers regular commentary on PR, publicity, and related topics in starting a public relations firm. (Recommended Post: I Don't Do SXSWi)
9. PerkettPRsuasion: Get a look into integrated PR, social marketing, and digital content on PerkettPR's blog. (Recommended Post: The Art of Listening in Client Service)
10. Next Communications: Riche Escovedo writes about conversations and communities in school communications and beyond on this blog. (Recommended Post: PR People Can Measure Social Media. We Just Need to Learn.)
11. Dave Fleet: Follow Dave Fleet's blog for a look at communications, social media, and PR. (Recommended Post: 8 Questions to Ask Your "Social Media Expert")
12. StevenSilvers: Read Steven Silvers' field notes on PR and strategic influence on this blog. (Recommended Post: Five Things All PR Students Should Know About Their Choice of Career)
13. prTini: Heather Whaling blogs about collaboration, integration, and social good on prTini. (Recommended Post: Say Hello: Beyond Social Media Cliques)
14. Bloomacious: Carrie Leber's blog features PR, event planning, and publicity, with the occasional style and craft feature. (Recommended Post: Desperate Housewives Set Style)

When you're in college, or even a new graduate, chances are you're not cooking in a designer chef's kitchen. The reality is that your cooking tools are probably more likely to involve a mini fridge and microwave, but if you're really lucky, you just might be able to use a hot plate. With a hot plate, you can make just about anything you can create on a traditional stove top, making this kitchen tool super useful and versatile for those low on space and budget. Pick up a few pots, pans, and even a wok, and you'll be rocking out these delicious meals from even the tiniest of kitchens.

Breakfast

Breakfast foods on the hot plate are great because they're not only delicious for breakfast, but you can eat them for dinner and even lunch, too. Bust out these awesome recipes on your hot plate whenever the mood strikes you.

1. Fluffy French Toast

   This recipe for french toast uses flour, so it's fluffier than most.

2. Bacon & Egg Breakfast Grilled Cheese

   This egg sandwich is so good and easy to make that you just might be skipping the drive thru to stay home and use your hot plate.

3. Cannoli French Toast

   Stuff your french toast with ricotta cheese and confectioner's sugar for a really impressive hot plate breakfast.

4. Banana Pancakes

   These healthy pancakes are easy to make, and very tasty!

5. Green Eggs & Ham

   Dr. Seuss lovers will also enjoy this egg dish with tomatillo salsa and chopped ham.

6. Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast

   You'll be ready for fall with this tasty pumpkin french toast you can make on your hot plate.

7. Skinny Omelet Recipe

   Cook your eggs crepe style in this recipe for a fancy and healthy breakfast, lunch, or even dinner.

8. Sourdough Pancakes

   Use sourdough starter for these extra light pancakes that will melt in your mouth.

9. Cocoa Guinness Pancakes

   Whether it's St. Patrick's Day or not, these Guinness pancakes are a delicious hit for breakfast and beyond.

10. Bananas Foster French Toast

    If you have a double hot plate, you can fire it up for french toast on one and bananas foster topping on the other.

11. Baby Spinach Omelet

    With spinach and Parmesan cheese, this egg dish is healthy, enticing, and easy to make on your hot plate.

Vegetarian

Having a tiny, nearly nonexistent kitchen is one thing, but eating vegetarian complicates things even further. Not to worry, though, these awesome meals can be fired up in a flash on a hot plate.

12. Shakshuka

    Garlic, jalapeno, tomatoes, and lots of eggs come together in this filling, delicious meal.

13. Garden Fresh Stir Fry with Seitan

    Highlight seitan's texture and taste in this veggie-packed stir fry recipe for the hot plate.

14. Hot Plate Tofu

    Throw egg tofu, mushrooms, onion, and garlic together with seasonings for this easy hot plate tofu. Add chili and minced meat if you don't want to go veggie.

Pasta, Rice & Noodles

Carbs seem to be a college staple, from mac and cheese to ramen noodles. Ramen and mac can make for a good meal, but you don't have to stop there. Go beyond the usual by preparing these tasty meals on your hot plate.

15. Ginger-Mango Couscous

    With 30 minutes and a little chopping, you can prepare this mango and ginger couscous for dinner. Substitute vegetable stock instead of chicken, and it becomes a vegetarian meal, too!

16. Mixed Roasted Veggies and Pasta

    Eat healthy and delicious with this roasted veggie and whole wheat pasta recipe.

17. Shrimp and Pasta

    Add frozen shrimp to your pasta in this recipe for a healthy, easy to prepare meal.

18. Creamy Stovetop Chicken Pasta

    Enjoy this chicken pasta recipe with cream sauce and vegetables for a no-fuss hot plate meal.

19. Stovetop Chicken Parmesan

    Instead of using an oven to create chicken Parmesan, this pasta makes it easy to get the flavor without all the fuss. It's also a cheaper alternative, stretching the servings of a pound of chicken.

20. One Pot Macaroni and Cheese

    This classic mac and cheese recipe with a twist has a dash of nutmeg and mustard powder. Put bacon bits, tomatoes, or breadcrumbs on top for fun toppings.

21. Stovetop Pasta Marinara with Broccoli and Chickpeas

    Broccoli and chickpeas are the stars in this pasta recipe. It's vegetarian and can be made gluten free with gluten free pasta spirals.

22. Fried Rice

    Many variations exist on this classic, but this one has green onions, mushrooms, eggs, and shrimp.

23. Thai-Peanut Ramen

    Combine vegetables, thai peanut sauce, and ramen noodles for this hot plate meal that's ready in about 8 minutes.

24. Oriental Stir Fry and Noodles

    With lots of vegetables and nuts, this stir fry is as delicious and healthy as it is easy to make.

25. Tuna Casserole Ramen

    With egg, ramen, tuna, and cream of mushroom, you can make a hot plate tuna casserole for less than $1.

Sandwiches

Sandwiches are of particular interest to college students, because you can eat them on the go, whether you're headed to class or on your way to a party. Put together these grilled sandwiches for a warm, filling meal.

26. Easy Cuban Sandwich

    Pile on the meat, cheese and condiments, and grill this sandwich on your hot plate for a warm, satisfying meal.

27. Spinach Pesto Grilled Cheese

    Using spanakopita pesto and grated gruyere, you can grill up this cheese sandwich on your hot plate.

28. Green Goddess Panini

    With tons of green herbs and spices, this salad-inspired grilled cheese is one of a kind.

29. How to Make a Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich Every Time

    Make this perfect grilled cheese sandwich, and serve with tomato soup for great comfort food from your hot plate.

30. Blue Buffalo Grilled Cheese

    Combine blue cheese with shredded chicken and red hot sauce to make a smokin' sandwich with buffalo wing flavor.

31. French Dip Panini

    Heat up roast beef in this skillet sandwich.

32. Grilled Cheese with Arugula and Truffle Oil

    Follow this recipe to make the fanciest grilled cheese you've ever eaten.

Soups

When you're away from home on a cold day, you may find yourself missing your dear old mom's cooking. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, whip up one of these tasty soups.

33. Creamy Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

    Use leftover root vegetables, or steam up fresh ones for this spicy, creamy soup.

34. Curried Butternut Squash Soup

    Get your veggies and fruit servings in with this soup that features butternut squash, apples, onions, and perhaps best of all, curry.

35. Tortilla Soup

    Fry up tortilla strips, and throw them into the pot with onions, chiles, and shredded chicken for this classic soup.

36. Creamy Mushroom Soup with Cheddar and Andouille Sausage

    Enjoy sausage and mushroom in this cheesy, smoky soup.

Fish & Meat

Enjoy fish, shrimp, chicken, beef, and even pork, all with recipes you can put together on your hot plate.

37. Pad Thai

    Peanuts, shrimp, and noodles are the stars in this Thai restaurant favorite you can make in a wok on your hot plate.

38. Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna with Spicy Carrot Sauce

    As a former small space living Londoner, Amy Powell shares this recipe for ahi tuna, which she chose both for its flavor and low potential to leave a lingering fish smell in her living space.

39. Gambas a la Plancha

    Follow this pan grilled shrimp recipe with plenty of spice and lemon for flavor.

40. Aussie Beef Burgers

    Pile on the toppings with this Australian style burger featuring egg, onions, and beet.

41. Mexican Steak Salad

    Bring sirloin steak together with salad staples for a hearty, healthy treat.

42. Grilled Steak Skewers

    Ginger, onion, and vinegar turn plain round beef steak into tasty kabobs in this recipe.

43. Meat and Potatoes Grilled Salad

    Grill your potatoes and meat together with this simple recipe.

44. Lettuce Cups with Stir-Fried Chicken

    This fresh recipe is great for hot plate cookers watching their carbs.

45. Chicken Broccoli Vegetable Saute

    In just one skillet, you can prepare this chicken broccoli meal with carrots and mushrooms.

46. Citrus Grilled Chicken Recipe

    Marinate chicken in orange and lemon juice with honey, and do a quick grill for a flavorful main dish.

47. Maple Pork Medallions

    With maple syrup, lemon juice, and spices, you can marinate and bring out the natural sweetness of pork medallions.

48. Sausage Hot Plate

    Combine sausage, tomatoes, leafy greens, and beans for this sausage hot plate treat.

49. Sweet and sour pork

    This recipe brings pork, vegetables, and sweet sauce together for a full, delicious meal.

50. Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops

    Brown pork chops on your hot plate, and add cream of mushroom soup for a hearty gravy sauce with this recipe.

Although a strong education is by no means a requirement for business acumen or success, many still saunter off to college and further hone what they've already got. Those walking on or logging onto campus with visions of profits and genius dancing in their heads shouldn't relegate their learning within those boundaries exclusively. They should drink up any potentially valuable insight they can, and the venerable TED offers up one such conduit. One of the world's most beloved and stimulating repositories for human knowledge available, it certainly explodes with amazing business, marketing and inventing advice. Try a few of these for starters!

1. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on aid versus trade

   As Nigeria's former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala understands how trade, aid, private investment and government support all impact an economy differently. She wraps up TEDGlobal 2007 opining on what they all mean for business-minded Africans and what still needs doing to stimulate their minds.

2. Alexis Ohanian: How to make a splash in social media

   Just because a video lasts less than five minutes, that doesn't mean it has little to offer budding entrepreneurs. Considering effective social media use often translates to much better business and promotion, any advice on improving Facebooks, Twitters and blogs is extremely valuable (maybe even game-changing for some).

3. Anil Gupta: India's hidden hotbeds of invention

   The Honey Bee Network provides opportunities for some of the world's most marginalized peoples to channel their creative, inventorial and entrepreneurial inclinations. In doing so, it nurtures both humanity and economy and ultimately might very well create a more prosperous and equitable planet.

4. Cameron Herold: Let's raise kids to be entrepreneurs

   Cameron Herold notices a correlation between many undesirable educational and behavioral traits, such as poor grades and spastic attention spans, and entrepreneurial potential. He argues for teachers and parents alike to recognize such characteristics and nurture rather than squelch or control them.

5. Dean Kamen on inventing and giving

   Entrepreneurship might conjure up images of current and future capitalist fat cats, but such drives undoubtedly carry considerable philanthropic applications as well! Segway inventor Dean Kamen shares some innovations meant to give developing nations a necessary boost: an undoubtedly inspiring lecture for charitable students.

6. Joseph Pine on what consumers want

   The most sustainably successful entrepreneurs know how to market their goods and services to the intended (or, sometimes, unintended) audience, maybe even filling a niche nobody even knew existed. So making an effort to understand how consumers choose might very well mean the difference between a failing or triumphant business initiative.

7. Majora Carter: 3 stories of local eco-entrepreneurship

   Students with entrepreneurial inclinations should find inspiration in Majora Carter's fascinating tales of some impressively enterprising individuals from Chicago, Los Angeles and Whitesville, West Virginia. With the green movement swelling in popularity, many opt to keep their ideas local and sustainable, and the incoming results proved absolutely spectacular.

8. Tim Harford: Trial, error and the God complex

   This economist actively encourages innovators, inventors and creatives to fail and genuinely embrace the results! His inquiries into how wildly successful ventures pop into existence reveal that the entrepreneurial individuals behind them often enjoyed a steady stream of not-so-greatness before achieving their goals.

9. John Gerzema: The post-crisis consumer

   When the world's economy collapsed, it completely overhauled the ways consumers approached purchasing goods and services, which John Gerzema dubs "The Great Unwind." Faced with new challenges, they now take a more active role in budgeting and planning — and future inventors and business owners must consider this mindset before marketing anything.

10. Nigel Marsh on how to make work-life balance work

    No matter how brilliant one's ideas might be, he or she must not cave to the pressures of workaholism, even though society actively encourages such potentially dangerous addictions. Ponder some of the tips offered here and strive towards striking a better balance between the financial and the filial.

11. Euvin Naidoo on investing in Africa

    Desiring "to separate the rhetoric from the reality" when it comes to the African continent, the South African Chamber of Commerce's president weighs in on investment and entrepreneurial opportunities. Euvin Naidoo's TED Talk revolves around encouraging businesses to consider what these oft-misunderstood nations have to offer, since it might very well prove mutually beneficial.

12. Itay Talgam: Lead like the great conductors

    Even the entrepreneurial with absolutely squat for musical ability or knowledge may still glean excellent leadership advice from six amazing conductors. As a conductor and businessman, Itay Talgam intimately understands how the two disciplines overlap, and he shares his observations and lessons here.

13. Caroline Casey: Looking past limits

    All her life, this speaker and activist yearned for an action-filled adulthood, only to spend her 17th birthday finding out she's legally blind. Her parents, who knew, never provided her with any special assistance, which she considered absolutely refreshing. Current and future business owners might find her philosophy towards roadblocks a great inspiration.

14. Saul Griffith on everyday inventions

    An idea doesn't have to change the world or completely shift paradigms to be considered awesome and profitable. Sometimes a simple concept making daily chores and phenomena easier, such as the smart rope, is all an entrepreneur really needs.

15. Robert Neuwirth on our "shadow cities"

    Marginalized peoples, like the billion currently occupying squatter, might very well possess some of the most spontaneous, innovative and inventive minds on the planet. They just need more resources to phase their concepts into reality, which some entrepreneurs might want to invest in. Though, of course, they must avoid exploitation and other inhumane acts.

16. Dan Cobley: What physics taught me about marketing

    Viewers who love science and business as much as Dan Cobley will undoubtedly appreciate his observations about the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, Newton's Second Law and plenty more. All of these, he argues, hold some surprising marketing and business methods for those knowing where to look.

17. Steven Johnson: Where good ideas come from

    Like the complex "trial and error" patterns mentioned earlier, innovation and inspiration typically involves a slower process than most people assume. Sometimes, ideas that simmer instead of flash fry end up extremely profitable — and occasionally even game-changing.

18. Frank Gehry asks "Then what?"

    This lauded architect talks career and professional philosophy with Richard Saul Wurman here, emphasizing how failure eventually molded him into the man he is today. Among other valuable lessons, of course, but entrepreneurial individuals should probably pay close attention to that particular nugget.

19. Jessica Jackley: Poverty, money — and love

    Kiva.org partners philanthropists and lenders with impoverished and marginalized innovators to create some amazing, sustainable business opportunities. Here, one co-founder shares her experiences, philosophies and mindset shifts, hopefully encouraging entrepreneurial students towards social and economic justice.

20. Alex Steffen sees a sustainable future

    Whether economic, environmental or a combination thereof, sustainability exists as more than just another empty buzzword — it's a business philosophy aimed at creating a healthier, equitable society. The more innovators and inventors apply sustainable initiatives and ideas to their practices, the more consumers will concern themselves with ethics and eco-friendliness in kind.

From grade school to grad school, textbooks are a must for students who want to gain the full educational experience available. Yet the cost can be prohibitive, and many cash-strapped college kids may have to choose between buying books and buying their next meal. This isn't how things have to be, however. An increasing number of schools and publishers provide students with alternative, low-cost ways to acquire their textbooks.

Many current trends already majorly impact colleges around the nation, and will likely go from being the exception to the norm over the next decade. Whether you're a student looking to save on books, a professor trying to respect their financial limitations or a book publisher trying to keep up with the changing market, these trends are something you need watch.

1. A growing number of schools are switching to digital textbooks.

   Many students will be heading back to school this year with a lighter backpack and a heavier wallet thanks to digital textbooks. Colleges, retailers and publishing companies are making the switch, as devices like the Nook, Kindle and iPad grow increasingly popular on campus. This fall, over 7,000 titles will be available to students as e-books — a number that doesn't include works of literature or non-fiction often used in courses. While the majority of students still prefer traditional textbooks, the trend could change soon, with rising costs and a wider selection of available e-reader devices.

2. Students now often rent instead of buy books.

   With the average student spending over $1,000 a school year on books, college kids are looking for ways to save big. One way many are doing so involves renting instead of buying. Loaner books can cost 60% to 80% less than a new one, meaning big savings that often can't be matched — even when rolling used. For students who don't need to keep their books from year to year, this can be an amazing deal. Sites like Chegg, eFollett and BookRenter are making it simple for students to order books online and have them waiting at their doorstep before classes start.

3. Many states and schools are considering regulations to help control textbook costs.

   In some parts of the country, textbook prices have risen as much as 22% in the past few years alone. With new editions being put out every few years, students can't sell back used books and make back any of their investment. Many schools are fighting back, believing that affordable textbooks should be available for all enrollees. In Texas, House Bill 33 was introduced mandating that universities provide students with information on their required texts at least one month before classes begin and assistance locating the best prices. Other institutions, like Marshall University, have formed committees on textbook affordability to help state and school develop better policies. These laws and programs may just push publishers into providing cheaper options for students unable to afford new textbooks each semester.

4. Retail apps for textbooks are seeing huge sales this school year.

   With a large portion of college students coming to campus with smartphone in hand, it only makes sense that many are using them not only to text and make calls, but order books as well. Take the app Kno, for instance. It was the number one back-to-school download for the iPad, and provides students with access to over 100,000 digital textbooks. Traditional book retailers are also doing well over smartphones and mobile tools, with apps for Amazon, Chegg and Half.com also popular. When students are done with textbooks, they can easily get the best prices for selling them online, using tools like the BookScouter app.

5. Comparison shopping for books online has become the norm.

   Long gone are the days of students only being able to buy whatever books the college bookstores made available. Now, the majority of students do bargain shopping online before deciding where to purchase their texts. Sites like SwoopThat, BookBurro and BigWords can help students easily find the best deals on any required materials for class — usually with very little effort involved. While sometimes the best deals will be found through college bookstores, students these days have a lot of options when shopping. They may find used books more cheaply on the internet, driving up the popularity the online textbook industry — as well as sites making it simple to bargain hunt through multiple stores.

6. Digital textbooks pose new piracy problems for publishers.

   Prior to the digital age, it was pretty hard to pirate textbooks. Today, however, many publishers are struggling to keep pirates from sharing their copyrighted material online. Textbook pirates operate by making digital scans, and then posting them online for students — sometimes completely gratis. One of the sites, LibraryPirate, hosts over 1,700 illegally copied textbooks to date. Some think these will force publishers to lower the costs of electronic textbooks, so students feel more motivated to download them legitimately instead of stealing.

7. An increasing number of students will purchase an e-reader or be given one by their college this year.

   Whether students go for the popular Kindle or a more multi-purpose gadget like the iPad, e-reader devices are hot items on campuses this year. Some campuses are even giving them out to incoming freshmen. However students come by them, they're rapidly growing in popularity, and may be a major reason e-books and e-textbooks are considered such attractive alternatives. With e-readers unlikely to go away anytime soon, more and more textbook publishers may be looking for ways to go digital.

8. Free and open textbooks are gaining ground as prices skyrocket.

   Students looking for an alternative to traditional textbook retailers might want to check out the increasingly popular Flat World Knowledge. The company offers students the option to buy an all-access pass for texts, so they can use them in any format they'd like. And, in addition, get access to the company's study guides and printable materials. The license to use these materials never expires. So as long as students need the books, they can use them. The company is also looking into institutional licenses, which would allow professors to provide all enrollees with access to a digital text — at a much lower cost! This model has been successful so far, and with the growing popularity of online textbooks, it could see major growth over the next few years. It's entirely likely they'll spark some copycats who may just give them competition.

9. Teachers and professors are using alternatives to pricey textbooks.

   Many professors don't want to put undue financial stress on students, so they're looking for alternatives to textbooks. Some, like Jeremy Short, a business professor at Oklahoma U, are using graphic novels and comic books as a low-cost alternative. With many educational titles out there, Short feels like there are a lot of options. They not only save money, but make sometimes dull course material more interesting. He's also started his own graphic novel business, writing his own and collaborating with other faculty members to create titles retailing for about $20. Short is just one of a growing number looking outside of the box when it comes to assigning low-cost, equally viable reading material.

10. Digital textbooks are being integrated with other software.

    Textbooks these days aren't just for reading. While many traditional textbooks come with software, digital texts are taking it to the next level, allowing students to highlight, take notes and even study with their peers. Digital publisher Inkling announced a social aspect to their books this year, allowing students to rate and review books and share their notes and information with others in the class. This is in addition to existing content offering students built-in tests, videos and 3D images.