By Katheryn Rivas

Those taking college courses in the sciences likely already have a great number of resources at their disposal courtesy of their school library. But what about those late night study sessions when you need information — and need it fast — and don’t have time for a trip to the library? Or when you just want to learn new information without having to leave the house? That’s when these 100 reference sites will come in handy, letting you look up everything from the basics of the periodic table to the intricacies of human DNA.

General

These general reference tools will answer some of your more basic science questions and often cover a range of fields and specialties.

1. refdesk.com Science References: This site provides hundreds of references you can use if you have a science query.
2. Science Reference Services: Here you’ll find a great collection of bibliographies and research guides.
3. ScienceWorld: This reference on math and science offers information on chemistry, astronomy, physics, math and more.
4. Science.gov Index: Search through government resources on just about every science subject out there through this site.
5. Science Magazine: Journals, blogs and multimedia that are science related are found on this magazine’s website.
6. Beta-Theta: This site offers references on chemistry, physics, and biology.
7. Science and Engineering Encyclopedia: Look up terms and phenomena in a wide range of fields using this encyclopedia.
8. RefScout: Sign up through this site and you’ll get weekly emails about the latest science reference materials sent right to your inbox.
9. Knovel: Browse through information in engineering, chemistry, biology and much more using this research-focused tool.
10. EFormulae.com: If you need a formula, chances are good you’ll find it in this repository for scientists and engineers.

Chemistry

If you’re taking a tough chemistry course, get some support from these helpful resources.

11. PTable: You might have a periodic table in your textbook, but this dynamic and fully interactive version is a step up.
12. Chemfinder: Using this directory, you can look up any chemical or molecule structure out there.
13. Chemdex: Those looking to go to grad school or trying to find a researcher working on a particular chemistry topic should take advantage of this global database.
14. Molecular Weight Calculator: Type in a molecular formula and get the information you need here.
15. Wolfram Research Chemistry Reference: From basic chemical reactions to inorganic chemistry, you’ll find loads of tools and information to help you out here.
16. On-Line Encyclopedia of Chemical Terms: Look up any chemistry-related term in this great online encyclopedia.
17. ChemnetBase: Here you will find an absolute wealth of information on chemicals, formulae and structures.
18. NIST Chemistry Web Book: This indexed book allows you to search by molecular weight, reaction, properties and more to find the information you need.
19. Chemistry Virtual Textbook: Forgot your chem textbook? Use this handy online text for reference.
20. Chemtutor: If you’re not doing so hot in your chemistry course, consider taking some lessons on this free tutoring site.

Biology

Here you’ll find a great collection of resources to help you find answers and do better in bio.

21. Biology Online: On this site you can post questions in a forum, look things up in a bio dictionary, and read all kinds of informative articles and tutorials.
22. Everything Bio: Check out this resource to find a glossary, textbooks, images and a range of other online biology tools.
23. Life Science Dictionary: Try out this dictionary to look up life science terms and identify their meanings.
24. Molecular Biology Glossary: Students of molecular biology will appreciate this valuable research tool.
25. National Biological Information Infrastructure: Want to know and read about the research being done in the life sciences? Check out this site.
26. Biology Reference: You can look up loads of helpful biology terms in this online encyclopedia.
27. Biology Nation: From finding the best biology grad programs to looking up biology terminology, this site is a one-stop resource.
28. Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology: Search through this online dictionary to refresh your memory on the parts of the cell.
29. BioScience: With a dictionary, encyclopedia, links, software, and custom search tools, you’ll find more reference material than you could ever need on this site.
30. All Experts: Biology: Have a biology question you just can’t seem to find the answer to? This site may be able to help.

Genetics

These reference tools will lay out the human genome for you, piece by piece.

31. Amino Acids Repository: Use this site as a reference on amino acid properties alone and in proteins.
32. Table of Standard Genetic Code: This site is a great reference when trying to remember which part of DNA goes where.
33. Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms: Don’t know how to say a particular term? No worries, this glossary will tell you and more.
34. Human Genome Acronym List: Don’t have a clue what the ASHG is? This site can help you look it up.
35. Genetics Resources on the Web: Search through this site for the best genetics resources the web has to offer.
36. National Human Genome Research Institute: This site offers a number of helpful educational resources for students young and old.
37. Genetics Virtual Library: Search by organism or topic to find the genetic information you need to do your homework.
38. Genetics Home Reference: Those studying genetic disorders will appreciate this quick online reference for conditions.
39. GeneTests: Even if you’re not in medicine, you’ll be able to find interesting and compelling information on this site.
40. Gene Cards: You’ll find a collection of concise information on just about every gene out there on this site.

Botany

Look up terms, find pictures and get all kinds of information on plants from these resources.

41. Botany Glossary Online: Enter a common or Latin name into this database to find more information.
42. Bryological Glossary: Study mosses from around the world with this helpful glossary.
43. Index Herbariorum: A Global Directory of Public Herbaria and Associated Staff: Use this site to search by institution, city, state, acronym, staff member, correspondent, research specialty, and important collections.
44. Dictionary of Common Names: Find out a plant’s Latin name using its common name or vice versa using this tool.
45. Index Nominum Genericorum: Use this tool to search for a wide range of plants by their common names.
46. Plants Database: The Natural Resources Conservation Service maintains this impressive database of North American plant species.
47. Virtual Library of Botany: Find a wide range of resources related to botany and other plant sciences on this gateway site.
48. Economic Botany Bibliographic Database: Through this portal you can search for research and bibliographies.
49. International Plant Names Index: Use the scientific name to search for plants on this site and find out what research has referenced them.
50. Index of Botanical Publications: You can find just about any botanical publication you could need through this site.

Zoology

Delve into the animal world using these zoological resources.

51. American Museum of Natural History Scientific Publications: This reference tool will let you search through a wide variety of scientific publications to find the information you need.
52. Mammal Species of the World: Download this list to get the names and information of every known mammal in the world.
53. The Tree of Life Web Project: From evolutionary history to modern characteristics, this site attempts to organize the history of life.
54. Nomenclatural Glossary for Zoology: This site will let you more easily browse through and find what you need when it comes to doing zoology research.
55. Nature Serve Explorer: This site provides an amazing online encyclopedia of life forms.
56. Species 2000: Explore this database to find research and information on every animal and plant species out there.
57. Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference: If your research involves amphibians, you can find some great basic information on this site.
58. Zoonomen: Zoological Nomenclature Resource: Find photos and research information on all kinds of bird species through this site.
59. Audubon Society Bird Resources: Visit one of the most well-know ornithological organizations to get a great amount of information on species around the world.
60. Dictionary of Ichthyology-Related Terms: Improve your fish-related research with a little help from this online dictionary.

Geology

These selections can help you identify minerals, study volcanoes and even track the world’s earthquakes.

61. Mineral Gallery: Search through all the minerals out there and find out more about their physical properties on this site.
62. Geology.com: Find answers to basic geology questions, look at maps, and see satellite images as well as a whole lot more through this site.
63. Geologic Ages: This site acts as a great reference tool for looking up and remembering the geologic ages.
64. GeologyLink Glossary: Look up geologic terms in this online dictionary using this site.
65. Mineralogy Database: On this site you’ll find the reference information for over 4,714 minerals.
66. Geologic Guidebooks of North America: Use this site to look through just about every geologic guidebook of North America.
67. Earthquake News: Follow where in the world earthquakes are taking place using this tool, great for aspiring seismologists.
68. MTU Volcanoes: Learn more about how volcanoes work and where active eruptions are taking place on this site.
69. Geology Link Page: You’ll find an amazing number of useful geologic links for societies, government institutions, and individual fields of study on this site.
70. GISnet: Check out this site for more information on Geographic Information Systems.

Physics

These reference tools offer help in everything from remembering the basic formulas of physics to reading the latest literature in the field.

71. PhysLink.com: From a great physics glossary to the Greek alphabet, this site offers many references making it well worth bookmarking.
72. American Institute of Physics: Use the Niels Bohr Library and Archives to search for physics-related research and information.
73. The Laws List: You’ll want to bookmark this site as it’s full of all the laws of physics and astronomy you’ll need to know.
74. Physics for Free: This site is home to some introductory physics texts you can use for free.
75. Physics Reference Desk: With everything from the Planck constant to a unit conversion calculator, this site is a great tool for studying physics.
76. Physics Glossary: If you’re unsure exactly what a particular term means, just look it up here.
77. World of Physics: This site offers references and basic information on just about every specialization in physics.
78. HyperPhysics: Use this reference to learn more about nuclear physics, astrophysics, light and vision and much more.
79. Physics-Help: Those seeking help with physics homework can ask questions and find answers on this site.
80. PACS Scheme Guide: Not sure what your area of interest would be called? This classification system can help.

Astronomy

Use these reference guides to identify the stars, learn the correct terminology and find out more about the universe as we know it.

81. Astronomical Constants: Bookmark this site for a quick reference when it comes to astronomical constants like the Earth’s orbital velocity.
82. Astronomy Thesaurus: This reference tool will help you standardize your terminology when it comes to astronomy.
83. The Nine Planets: While it’s been technically renamed Eight Planets after the loss of Pluto, this site will help you find all the information you need about our planetary neighbors.
84. NASA Space Flight Glossary: Look up any space flight vocabulary using this site.
85. Aladin Interactive Sky Atlas: This site allows users to "visualize digitized astronomical images, superimpose entries from astronomical catalogues or databases, and interactively access related data and information from the Simbad database, the VizieR service and other archives for all known sources in the field."
86. Astronomical Data Center: This site is home to images, mission information, heliophysics, and universe-wide exploration.
87. Astronomy Digital Image Library: Need an astronomy image? Check out the information and resources on this site.
88. HyperLeda: This site serves as a database on the physics of galaxies from the basics to more specific spectrophotometry.
89. 100 Hours of Astronomy: Find photos, blogs, and many more astronomical resources on this site.
90. AstroWeb: On this site you’ll find links to astronomy departments, organizations, data resources, observatories and much more.

Environmental Science

Study ecology and environmental policy through these reference sites.

91. Ecology Dictionary: Look up ecological terms using this helpful reference.
92. Solar-Terrestrial Physics Glossary: Bookmark this tool to explore the terminology associated with solar-terrestrial physics.
93. RadWaste: Take advantage of this site to learn more about radioactive waste and harmful waste products.
94. EnviroLink: From climate to water quality, this site offers great resources on everything environmental.
95. Virtual Library of Ecology and Biodiversity: Search through all kinds of information on ecology and the environment on this site, as well as a range of other science related topics.
96. Worldwide Weather and Climate: Check up on the weather and current temp anywhere in the world using this tool.
97. Ecology Online: Use this site to search through courses, textbooks, research and even test yourself when you’re done.
98. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network: Learn what government initiatives are working on cleaner energy through this site.
99. American Meteorology Society: Take your weather knowledge to the next level with research and information from the American Meteorology Society.
100. NOAA: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will help you understand the relationship between weather, the environment and commerce.

Getting your business education from school is important, but you also likely have a few idols in the business world to whom you look for guidance when it comes to making it big in the industry. Learning from those who have achieved their own success is an excellent way to enhance your knowledge of business as well as find motivation for your own success. Read on to learn about 25 biographies you should read that share insight to leaders in business throughout history into modern day.

1. Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist. Starting with little more than a keen eye for investing, Warren Buffett has amassed a great fortune to become one of the richest men in the world. Read this book to learn about the man behind the money and what type of mindset Buffett has that has enabled him to develop such a successful method of investing in both stocks and businesses.
2. Richard Branson: The Authorised Biography. This high-profile British entrepreneur achieved success with Virgin Music and Virgin Atlantic and captured the world’s attention with his attempt to fly around the world in a hot-air balloon. See how Branson has channeled his energy and drive into making it big in the business world.
3. The John Deere Story: A Biography Of Plowmakers John & Charles Deere. The green and yellow tractors bearing a logo of a deer is one of the most recognizable machinery in the world. Find out how John Deere started as a poor blacksmith who relocated to the midwest, where he developed a steel plow that would cut through the unforgiving sod to reveal fertile soil. Deere nurtured his business with hard work, high quality materials, and fair prices, and provided the basis for a company that is still thriving almost 200 hundred years later.
4. Inside Steve’s Brain. This biography of Steve Jobs details his life and even takes a look at particulars such as his management style and his impact on Apple. This biography seems to be better received than an earlier biography that prompted Apple to pull all books from this publisher off the shelves in all Apple retail stores in protest.
5. The Helmsleys: The Rise and Fall of Harry and Leona Helmsley. Harry Helmsley started with nothing and became a real estate tycoon, amassing vast amounts of money. Late in life he married Leona, and the two of them continued to collect money. Leona became known as a ruthless, mean-spirited person and was eventually brought to trial and sentenced to 18 months in jail for tax evasion and mail fraud. This biography does an excellent job of detailing how these two business people made it big in real estate.
6. H. J. Heinz Company. Henry J. Heinz changed the face of the American diet with his innovation and dedication to quality. Starting with bottling grated horseradish, Heinz became a successful marketer and entrepreneur who built his 57 varieties of ketchup into one of the most recognizable American food products in the world.
7. Mr Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream. You wouldn’t think that anyone would actually need to market the idea of sex and sexuality, but Hugh Hefner has become the master of doing just that. Read about his life, how he maintained power amidst strong feminist backlash, and has built a successful communications and entertainment company.
8. The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst. Starting with his newspaper in San Francisco, Hearst grew the first media conglomerate. This book not only details his rise through the news media, his fortune, and his loss of fortune, but it also delves into his life that was full of contradictions.
9. The People’s Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century. Perhaps one of the most well-known American business success stories, the life of Henry Ford is chronicled in this biography. Learn how Ford went from his childhood on a farm in Michigan to work as an engineer in Detroit to establishing his own successful business filled with innovative ideas.
10. Mary Kay. Mary Kay Ash created one of the most recognizable companies, complete with pink Cadillacs as rewards for top performers. She was also a champion for women and their place in the business world. Read this book to learn how this business woman made it big and created such a powerful cosmetic company.
11. Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire. Bill Gates is frequently referred to as the richest man in America. Read this book for a look into the man behind that success, how he achieved such heights, missteps along the way, and a glimpse into the corporate culture at Microsoft in the early days.
12. The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life. Learn about the business behind one of the most beloved American companies. Disney was a man of determination, imagination, and enthusiasm who created a safe place for children and adults alike to bury themselves for a while. This biography offers a balanced look at the man who has been labeled both a saint and a communist spy.
13. Liz Claiborne: The Legend, The Woman, The Designer. Get on the waiting list for this book that is scheduled for release in April of 2010. Written by Claiborne’s husband and business partner, it describes how a young Liz Claiborne started as a designer and created a successful company based on designing and selling well-made, attractive, and affordable clothing for working women. Read a preview of the book here.
14. Empire: The Life, Legend, and Madness of Howard Hughes. Read this biography as a cautionary tale. As famous for his flight around the world as for his eccentricity, Hughes made it big in the aerospace industry, then dissolved in a sea of illicit dealings, drugs, and madness. Discover how he made his success and how he lost millions in shady activities.
15. George Eastman: A Biography. George Eastman brought photography to the average person in the early 1900s with a low-cost camera that almost anyone could afford. A bold entrepreneur, Eastman built his company on a combination of innovation and hard work that is detailed in this scholarly biography. Learn about the reclusive life, generous philanthropy, and sharp business acumen of Eastman with this book.
16. Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie became one of the richest men in the world from his business in the steel industry and later devoted himself to giving his vast wealth away through philanthropic ventures. Despite his generosity, Carnegie was known as a harsh businessman who relied more on efficiency than concern for his employees, with many of Carnegie’s practices in the workplace now illegal in modern business. This book provides balanced insight into both Carnegie’s talent and shortcomings.
17. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.. Vying with Carnegie for making the most money and giving the most away, Rockefeller came from a modest home to become the world’s first billionaire. His work in the oil industry earned him a reputation of being unscrupulous, but this book also shows a softer side to the religious, philanthropic man.
18. Morgan: American Financier. Take a look into what made J. Pierpoint Morgan so famously successful as a banker during the Golden Age. This book not only provides insight into the man, but also takes readers on a journey through a monumental shift in American and world economics as they were occurring during the time.
19. How Dell Does It. From his dorm room to his board room, this book takes a look at the rise of Michael Dell and his computer business. With less emphasis on Dell’s personal life and more on the specific strategies of the company, this book will take readers on a tour of one of the most successful computer businesses in the world.
20. The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It. Barbe-Nicole Clicquot took over her husband’s winemaking business after his death and turned it into one of the most recognizable names in champagne as well as transforming the market and image of the popular wine itself.
21. Popcorn King: How Orville Redenbacher Created One of America’s Most Popular Brands. Redenbacher’s success came later in life, but his determination to "do one thing and do it better than anyone" helped his business achieve great heights. He was also a visionary, seeing the potential for microwave popcorn in the early days of the microwave.
22. Martha Inc.: The Incredible Story of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. While biographers have not been kind to Martha Stewart, this account focuses more on her incredible business acumen that helped propel her forward as one of the most successful businesswomen in America. From her middle-class background to her business relationships with some of the most recognizable names in the industry, this book covers it all.
23. Ted Turner: A Biography. Once named Man of the Year by Time magazine, Ted Turner is a successful businessman who has gone from establishing cable TV to baseball team owner and just about everywhere in between. Learn about the way Turner has taken underdogs to the top of their game through his insightful business skill.
24. Jack Welch & The G.E. Way: Management Insights and Leadership Secrets of the Legendary CEO. Jack Welch is both loved and hated, but is indisputably one of the most recognizable CEOs in American business. Read this book to find out Welch’s business philosophy that helped take GE to the top of the field as one of the most valuable companies in the world.
25. Rupert Murdoch: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Media Wizard. Rupert Murdoch has been a major player in global business for decades. Discover some of the reasons why when you read about Murdoch’s business wheeling and dealing brought to life in this book by a business writer from Australia.

Homeschoolers sometimes don’t get as much as credit as students who attend traditional schools do, but the truth is, their education can prepare them to be just as competitive in college and in the real world. In fact, some pretty important people in business, entertainment, science, politics, and literature were homeschooled at some point in their lives. Just check out our list of 10 of the most famous and successful people who were homeschooled.

1. Venus and Serena Williams: Tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams have won championships and tournaments like the US Open, French Open, Sony Ericsson Open, Australian Open, and Wimbledon, sometimes more than once. The sisters — just 29 and 28 respectively — have also been rewarded for their hard work with endorsement deals and celebrity-level access to award shows and special events around the world. When they were young, the Williams sisters moved from Saginaw, MI, to Compton and then West Palm Beach, CA, where they were homeschooled by their father Richard. Until they were teenagers, the girls studied tennis under Rick Macci, but in 1995, their father took over their tennis training too.
2. Abraham Lincoln: Sixteenth President of the United States Abraham Lincoln was also the first Republican president and pulled the country through the Civil War, ending slavery. Today, Lincoln is widely regarded as one of the greatest presidents in U.S. history, but he grew up with much humbler roots. Lincoln famously lived in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky and only attended 18 months of formal school. Lincoln mostly taught himself under the guidance of his stepmother Sarah Bush Johnston and the local library.
3. Andrew Carnegie: Scottish business magnate Andrew Carnegie immigrated to the United States when he was a boy in the middle 19th century. He grew up in Allegheny, PA, and began working at just 13 years old, his only real education coming from his uncle back in Scotland. Though he had a history of working his way through menial jobs, Carnegie was eventually sponsored by the Colonel James Anderson, who allowed Carnegie and other promising teenagers access to his extensive library. Years later, Carnegie continued to foster relationships with academics and writers, but he is best known for building the Cargnegie Steel Company, which later became U.S. Steel after a merger. At one point one of the richest men in the country, Carnegie is also recognized through institutions like the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Carnegie Mellon University.
4. Booker T. Washington: Teacher, author and community leader Booker T. Washington was born to slaves in Virginia in 1856. Nine years later, Washington and his family were freed after the Civil War ended, and he worked in West Virginia salt furnaces and coal mines until he was able to attend college at the Hampton Institute, despite not having been able to go to formal school as a boy. After graduating, Washington attended the Wayland Seminary so that he could become a teacher, but Washington ultimately went on to become the first president of Tuskegee Institute. Washington was also known as an influential organizer in the African American community for his peaceful, diplomatic leadership.
5. Woodrow Wilson: Woodrow Wilson served as President of Princeton University, governor of New Jersey and of course as 28th President of the United States, from 1913-1921. As President, Wilson started the League of Nations, which set up a foundation for the United Nations, and helped Europe in its formation of the Treat of Versailles after WWI. Before his life in politics, Wilson was an academic, attending Johns Hopkins for graduate school, and teaching at Bryn Mawr and NYU Law School. But as a child, Wilson struggled with learning and could not read until he was 10 years old because of his dyslexia. Wilson’s father — a professor at Columbia Theological Seminary in South Carolina — took over his studies for the most part until he went to college.
6. C.S. Lewis: Writer, critic and theologian C.S. Lewis is considered of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century, and even taught English alongside J.R.R. Tolkien at Oxford University. But the Belfast, Ireland, native was homeschooled by tutors until he was sent away to a boarding school after his mother’s death.
7. Joseph Priestly: Joseph Priestly made huge contributions to theology, politics and science, and is considered the father of modern chemistry and the inventor of soda water. Born in 1733, Priestly spent time with his grandparents and later with an aunt and uncle after his mother died. He was a gifted child, and after gaining a solid education in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, entered school to prepare for the ministry. Priestly eventually became very ill and dropped out of school and was tutored in many languages like French, Italian, Syrian, Arabic and German, as well as philosophy, science and math.
8. Frank Lloyd Wright: Iconic architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed some of the most well-known buildings in the country, including the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, as well as many homes constructed in the Usonian style. When he was young, his mother — a trained teacher — brought home Froebel Gifts, special building blocks designed to help children learn on their own. Wright taught himself using these tools and eventually attended high school, but it is not known whether or not he graduated. He enrolled in the University of Wisconsin – Madison, but dropped out after one year.
9. Albert Einstein: One of the most famous and influential thinkers of all time, Albert Einstein, is credited with discovering the special and general theories of relativity, relativistic cosmology, quantum theory of atomic motion in solids, and many more scientific theories and laws. Born in 1879 in the German Empire, Einstein eventually moved with his family to Munich, where he attended a Catholic school. But when he was ten, the Einsteins fell on hard times and paid a Jewish medical student named Talmud to tutor Albert in math, science and philosophy.
10. Pearl S. Buck: Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck is well-regarded in American and Chinese literary circles for her short stories and her novels, including The Good Earth, which is taught in many schools today. Buck was born into a strong Southern Presbyterian family in West Virginia but at just three months old, moved to China where her parents had been missionaries. Buck grew up in China and was tutored in Chinese and English during The Boxer Uprising. Buck attended college in the United States, but eventually moved back to China, where she wrote some of her greatest works.

There are a lot of fun-filled and educational years between grade school and heading off to college, providing ample opportunity to forget some of the most basic lessons you learned as a child. Here are some facts and tips that will help you refresh your memory and bring back some of that important information that can help you boost your trivia knowledge or even perform better in your college studies.

Language

These facts will remind you of proper grammar, punctuation and structure.

1. Is it the "i" or the "e" first? This is a spelling question that troubles even the best spellers out there from time to time. The old rule "i before e except after c" will help you sometimes, but not in all cases. Some important addendums should include "or when sounded like a, like neighbor and weigh" and the rule should be dropped altogether when -c sounds like -sh, like in species.
2. How is a paper organized? Being able to organize an essay, research project or story is an essential part to doing well in any area of academics. While there are, of course, many subtleties, a paper should start with an introductory paragraph containing a thesis–the most important part of any essay. After this, each paragraph should have a main idea followed by information that expands on and explains these ideas. At the end, work should be tied up with a conclusion paragraph. It sounds basic, but many students let their writing become sloppier as they go along or never develop these strong fundamentals in the first place.
3. Which is the subject and which is the object? If you don’t remember which part of the sentence is which, you’re not alone. In most basic terms, you can remember that the subject is the part of the sentence that is doing something, while the object is the thing that is having something done to it. This can be helpful to know when learning a language besides English, as well.
4. What is a pronoun? Most of us know what a noun is, but do you recall what a pronoun is? Pronouns are the words that take the place of nouns in a sentence including I, she, he it, you, we and they. Using these correctly may get a bit trickier but you can find a guide here.
5. What is a homonym, antonym and a synonym. A homonym is a group of words that appear to be the same but actually have different meanings or pronunciations. An antonym refers to a word that is the opposite in meaning from another word. A synonym is a word that means the same or similar as another word.
6. What is the correct way to use commas? Commas aren’t alone in often being used incorrectly. Semi-colons, hyphens and colons are frequently used incorrectly as well. If you find it hard to remember to use these elements of speech correctly, reference a guide like this until you can commit it to memory.
7. What’s the difference between its and it’s? Find yourself often mixing these two up? You’re certainly not alone but there’s an easy way to remember which is the right word for the situation. Simply remind yourself that "it’s" is a contraction of the words "it is." If the expanded form of those words doesn’t make sense in your sentence, then you know to use "its" rather than "it’s".
8. How can you tell if a sentence is too long or too short? Sentences can either be a run-on or a fragment. You can determine if your sentence is a run-on by simply turning it into a yes or no question. If it makes sense, you’re doing ok. If not, you need to add some kind of conjunction or separate it into two sentences. A fragment on the other hand is simply an incomplete sentence that doesn’t make sense on it’s own. You can usually fix these by adding them back onto the main sentence to which they refer.
9. What are a verse, stanza and paragraph? If you can’t answer this question, it might be a good idea to refresh your memory on how writing is organized. In most cases, a verse is a single line of poetry, though more loosely it is a series of words arranged metrically. A stanza is a group of these verses, usually composed of four or more that work together in a poem or a song. A paragraph, on the other hand, is a division within a written work that focuses on a particular idea found in prose rather than poetic works.
10. What things need to be capitalized? While you’re probably aware that things like names, titles and other proper nouns need to be capitalized, are you aware of what parts of a book title should be capitalized or whether or not to capitalize the names of the seasons? Here you’ll find information on just about everything you should or shouldn’t put into caps.

Social Studies

At a loss when it comes to recalling basic social studies and history information? These facts will help you remember.

11. What are the state capitals? Unless you use this information regularly, it’s easy to forget what the capital of far flung states are. It can be good to know these kinds of things, however, so use this online table to review. If you get ambitious, learn the capitals of other countries as well.
12. What are longitude and latitude? Do you remember which is which? Longitudinal lines are those that go around the globe vertically (you can remember them as being long like hair) and latitudinal lines are those that go around horizontally like the equator. These lines allow every place on earth to be specified using just three coordinates and aid in navigation.
13. What factors led to the Revolutionary War? Taxation without representation is a phrase you should remember from your elementary education days. Taxes imposed on the colonies by the British on goods like sugar and documents enraged the public who felt that if they were gong to be taxed they should at least have some kind of representation in the British Parliament. These factors, among many much more complex issues, led the early American people to revolt against British rule.
14. How are laws made? Not sure how the regulations we have came to be? The process takes a little explaining so you can read about it here or watch the classic Schoolhouse Rocks video of how a bill gets made into a law.
15. What are the branches of the government and what do they do? The government is composed of three branches: the legislative, the judicial and the executive. The legislative branch is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. These individuals are responsible for debating, proposing and signing bills into law. The judicial branch refers to the court system, headed up by the Supreme Court. This branch decides how to apply the laws, whether or not they are constitutional and how they should be interpreted. Finally, the executive branch is composed of the president, vice president, cabinet members and various other supporting institutions. This branch carries out laws, suggests new ones and runs national defense and foreign policies.
16. What is Manifest Destiny? This term, coined in the 19th century, refers to the belief that Americans were destined, perhaps even divinely so, to expand across the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. This term was used to justify the harsh, and often violent, means implemented in an effort to bring the rest of North America under US control.
17. What are the major amendments to the Constitution? The first ten amendments to the Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. These include the right to free speech, the right to bear arms, the right to trial, and many more basic freedoms we often take for granted. Other important amendments include the 13th which abolished slavery, the 15th which gave non-whites the right to vote, the 19th giving women the right to vote, the 22nd limiting the president to two terms, and the 18th and 21st prohibiting (and then allowing) the sale and consumption of alcohol.
18. What were the 13 original colonies? The 13 colonies were Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
19. What are the names of the Great Lakes? The Great Lakes are composed of five large bodies of water: Erie, Huron, Michigan, Superior and Ontario, containing a whopping 5 percent of the world’s fresh water.
20. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? While there were several contributors to this piece of writing, the primary author was Thomas Jefferson, using the statement to declare that the 13 colonies were no longer under the rule of the British Empire.

Science

Even if you’re not heading into a science field in college, these facts will kick start your memory when it comes to understanding the world around you.

21. Why do the seasons change? If you ask most people, they’ll say it has something to do with the Earth’s distance from the sun. However, this is actually not why the seasons occur. The real reason is that the Earth spins on a tilted axis, causing different parts of the Earth to point towards the sun at different times of the year. This allows more sun to reach these areas at a more direct angle, causing the warmer and cooler temperatures that we experience as the seasons.
22. What’s the difference between mitosis and meiosis? Mitosis it is the basic way that cells of all kinds reproduce, creating two cells from one that are identical copies of the original parent cell. Meiosis on the other hand, is what happens in gamete or sex cells, producing cells with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell and creating four cells from the original one.
23. What the heck do mitochondria do? You may have forgotten the parts of the cell, but the mitochondria is an important component, providing your cells with the energy they need to do what a cell needs to do, often being referred to as the powerhouse of the cell.
24. How are animal and plant cells different? Animal and plant cells are alike in many ways but have some key differences that allow them to create such a diverse group of organisms. One difference is the lack of a thick cell wall in animal cells. Plants need this cell wall to keep from bursting. Perhaps the biggest difference between plant and animal cells is their source of energy. Plants gather light from the sun and convert it to energy through photosynthesis, while animal cells use sugars and other substances that they consume to power themselves. Additionally, plant and animal cells differ in the size, shape and number of their vacuoles, and plant cells tend to have a set shape while animal cells can differ greatly.
25. What are the phases of the moon? The moon starts off at the new moon where no light is visible. From there it grows through the waxing crescent, first quarter, and waxing gibbous into a full moon. After a full moon, the light dwindles through the waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent back to the new moon.
26. What are the types of clouds? While there are many subdivisions of clouds, the main types are: cumulus (the puffy, fluffy clouds); stratus (horizontal, layered clouds); and cirrus (wispy, feathery clouds). Add the word "nimbus" onto any of these to denote a cloud that produces rain, hail or snow.
27. What is the order of the planets? While many of us learned that there are nine planets, today there are only eight, as Pluto is no longer included. The remaining eight comprise of: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
28. How does weather work? Weather is a complex thing, but something that students begin learning about in school from an early age. Watch the animation found on this site to learn why weather changes or stays the same. You can also refresh your memory on the water cycle here.
29. How do we know the Earth’s crust isn’t solid? While the ground you’re standing on might seem solid, any fifth grader can tell you that it’s simply an arrangement of plates making up the outer crust. We can see and feel these plates move through earthquakes and can look back in history to find that the continents themselves have moved around over millions of years.
30. How does gravity work? While there are two different interpretations of gravity (Einstein’s and Newton’s), we’ll stick with the basics here. Gravity is the natural tendency for objects with mass to attract one another. In our case, this object is Earth, which, in being much larger than us, pulls us to the ground and keeps us firmly earth bound.
31. What’s osmosis? As a kid you probably hoped you could learn through this process rather than doing your homework, but you may have long since forgotten the meaning. Osmosis is the process by which water is diffused into a cell body through a semi-permeable membrane, moving water from an area of high saturation to one of low saturation, much like a sponge picking up a spill or water seeping into a basement.
32. How do reflexes work? A reflex is an involuntary reaction that your body has in response to a stimulus, like pulling your hand away from a hot surface. Reflexes are controlled by the spinal cord, which takes over, sending a message to your muscle via the nerves that tells it to react. Reflexes can include things like coughing, breathing and sneezing as well.
33. What is the scapula? The scapula is the scientific name for the shoulder blade, one of 206 bones in the human body.
34. What are the steps of the scientific method? If you want to figure something out using science, you’d follow these steps of the scientific method: ask a question, do research, form a hypothesis, test your hypothesis with an experiment, analyze your data and draw a conclusion, and finally, report your results.
35. Who laid out the Laws of Motion? The Laws of Motion (regarding force, inertia and other basics of physics) were laid out by Sir Isaac Newton in 1687 and form the foundation of classical mechanics.
36. What are the parts of an atom? There are three components to an atom: the protons (positively charged particles); the neutrons (particles with no charge); and numerous electrons (the negatively charged particles).

Math

Make sure math is still fresh in your mind by going over these grade school facts.

37. How to determine the volume, area and circumference of a shape. Here you’ll find the basic formulae needed to solve these problems–good things to know even if you don’t calculate them daily.
38. How many feet are in a mile? American students have it rough using measurements that are hard to remember because they’re so oddly numbered. There are 12 inches in a foot, three feet in a yard, 1760 yards in a mile. That means there’s a whopping 5280 feet to a mile.
39. What are the different types of numbers? There are several different groups numbers can fall into. Natural numbers (the counting numbers), whole numbers (add a zero to the natural numbers), and integers (this group throws negatives into the mix as well). Additionally, there are rational numbers (integers with the addition of fractions) and irrational (numbers that can’t be represented as fractions like pi and some square roots). Of course, there are other groups as well, but these are the basics.
40. What is a prime number? In math-speak, a prime number is a number that has two integer factors, one and itself. More plainly speaking, it’s a number that can’t be divided evenly by any number other than one and itself. Some examples of prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, and 11, though the list goes on and on.
41. Just what is the order of operations? This order can be remembered as PEMDAS: parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. This order will allow you to get the correct answer when working with complex equations.
42. What’s a mean, median, mode and range? The mean is the average of a group of numbers, the median is the middle value in a list of numbers put in numerical order, the mode is the most commonly occurring number and the range is the difference between the largest and smallest values in the list.
43. What are the types of triangles? Triangles can be put into several categories: right (having one right angle); equilateral (all angles are 60 degrees); isosceles (having two equal angles and two equal sides); scalene (having no sides the same); acute (all angles are less than 90 degrees); and obtuse (the triangle has one angle larger than 90 degrees).
44. What happens when you multiply two negatives? Negative numbers can get tricky. When you multiply two of them, you should end up with a positive number. Additionally, when you subtract a negative number from any other number the negative number is treated as an addition of a positive one.
45. Can you divide by zero? Hopefully you remembered you cannot divide by zero. Any attempt to divide by zero, even to divide zero by zero, results in an undefined result that isn’t much use to anyone.

The Arts

Here you’ll find the basics for music and the arts.

46. What are the notes on the scale? The basic notes on a scale are C, D, E, F, G, A and B in that order, though there are sharps, flats and other variations to these notes.
47. What are the types of notes? Chances are good that you used these notes in a childhood music class, but you may have forgotten them, unless you still play an instrument. The basic types of notes are whole, half, quarter, eighth and sixteenth which you can see in this picture. Each type of note tells you how many of it will appear in each measure.
48. What is the style of art Picasso is best known for? Picasso worked his way through a variety of artistic styles in his decades of production but is perhaps best known for his work with Cubism. Cubism distorts space and forms, leaving works that often have recognizable elements that have been twisted and fractured.
49. What is the difference between high and bas-relief? These represent different levels of relief. High relief art stands out from its surface, often having elements that are not attached at all. Bas relief on the other hand, is an extremely low relief, barely standing out on the surface.
50. What are complementary colors? The basic colors on the color wheel are red, blue, yellow, purple, orange and green. Of these colors, the complementary ones are those that opposite to one another–blue and orange, red and green and yellow and purple. When two complementary colors are mixed they create a neutral color like gray or black.

No matter how much you know, there is always something new to learn about science. While your college courses may cover the basics, you can get a more in-depth look at a wide variety of topics from Internet resources such as these great documentaries. These selections will help you explore everything from the inner reaches of the human mind to the outer areas of our universe and just about everything else in between. Better yet, they’re all free to watch online so you can learn more without spending a dime.

Health and Medicine

These documentaries cover topics like health care, diseases, nutrition and more so you can get great insights into health and medicine.

1. Super Size Me: In this movie, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock attempts to subsist on only a diet of McDonald’s for a full month. His discoveries will make you question your own food choices.
2. The Age of AIDS: Here you’ll find a program done by Frontline that examines some of the worst pandemics the world has ever known, focusing on AIDS.
3. How Does Your Memory Work?: Do you know how your brain really works? While there are still many mysteries to be unraveled about the brain, this film attempts to foster a better understanding of how we learn and remember.
4. Sicko: Filmmaker Michael Moore exposes the ramifications of a lack of universal health care in America in this controversial documentary.
5. The Origins of AIDS: Check out this film to learn how the AIDS virus moved into humans and the factors that led it to spread so rapidly.
6. The Slow Poisoning of India: In the spirit of Silent Spring, this film exposes the serious health ramifications the use of pesticides has had on many Indian people.
7. Body of War: What is life like after returning from war? What if you come back disabled? This heartbreaking film shows one man’s journey back home.
8. Cryonics: Death in the Deep Freeze: This film shows the first woman to have her body cryogenically frozen after her death.
9. The Half-Ton Man: Learn more about Patrick Deuel, weighing in at about 1100 pounds, and doctors’ battle to save him.
10. Darkest Hour: This movie examines the lack of health care assistance for parents of children with mental health problems.
11. Swine Flu: The Science of Pandemics: Check out this show to see how pandemics like the swine flu spread and the impact they can have on populations.

Drugs

Learn how drugs impact the brain and the variety of legal restrictions imposed upon them from these documentaries.

12. Ecstasy Rising: Watch this video from Primetime to learn more about ecstasy, its effects and more.
13. Big Bucks, Big Pharma: This documentary attempts to expose the business behind medicine–often done at the expense of the health of consumers.
14. Prescription for Disaster: Learn why the billions poured into medical treatments may not be helping people to live longer, healthier lives through this documentary.
15. The World’s Most Dangerous Drug: This show will expose the true danger behind methamphetamines.
16. In Pot We Trust: Here you’ll find a film that wants to show the medical benefits of marijuana.
17. The Drugging of Our Children: More and more children these days take drugs for behavioral issues like ADD and ADHD, but this documentary points out that those drugs can have pretty serious side effects as well.

Genetics

From cloning to genetic disorders, these documentaries will shed some light on your DNA.

18. Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita: Learn more about the research being done with stem cells as this neurologist seeks a cure for his paralyzed teenage daughter.
19. The Science of Dwarfism: Here you’ll find an informative program that will teach you about the genetic causes of dwarfism.
20. Panacea or Poison?: Check out this film to learn more about the battle between those who support and those who oppose genetically modified foods.
21. The World According to Monsanto: Watch this film to learn more about Monsanto, the leader in genetically modified organisms as well as one of the most controversial and hated corporations of all time.
22. Boy with the Incredible Brain: This documentary tells the story of David Tammet, one of the world’s true savants.
23. Clone: This film will show you the amazing potential as well as some of the more negative aspects associated with human cloning.
24. Designer Babies and Gene Robbery: If you could design your child, would you? As technology evolves, this documentary shows how this may soon be a reality.
25. Strange Culture: Learn how one man’s work with genetically modified organisms nearly got him branded as a bio terrorist.
26. Ghost in Your Genes: This film will show you how a mysterious second genome could also play a roll in determining our biology.
27. Gorillas: 98.6% Human: Remind yourself of just how close we are to the natural world with this stunning movie about the endangered mountain gorilla.

Evolution and Biological History

Learn more about life on earth, from the earliest cells to the evolution of humans, from these documentaries.

28. The Four-Winged Dinosaur: Watch this film to learn how one of the earliest ancestors of birds may have been able to fly.
29. Neanderthal: Learn more about this close human relative, what it was like, and some of the factors that caused it to go extinct while we flourished in this film.
30. The Ape That Took Over the World: This film will help you to better understand the steps and even leaps in evolution that brought human beings to where they are today.
31. Why are We Here?: In this film, you’ll get a scientific examination of the origins of life from author Richard Dawkins.
32. A War on Science: This documentary shows the longstanding battle between proponents of evolution and those of intelligent design.
33. From Butterflies to Humans: Try out this documentary to learn what forces cause animals to evolve and how the process works over time.
34. Ape to Man: Here you’ll find the story of the quest for human origins, one that has already spanned 150 years.
35. Dinosaur Hunters: Secrets of the Gobi Desert: This film brings some of the latest dinosaur finds to life in stunningly realistic animations.
36. The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs: This BBC documentary explores how some of the fiercest dinosaurs lived, ate, got around and more.
37. Dinosaur Planet: Follow along with this documentary as it shows you the story of a young velociraptor named White Tip.
38. Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia: This movie will allow you to see some of the biggest dinosaurs brought to life as well as learn what the most important dinosaur discoveries have been.
39. Origins of Life: Check out this movie to learn more about how scientists think life arose from single-celled organisms.

Physics

Even if you don’t know a ton about physics, these great movies will show you how the universe works from the smallest particles to the biggest galaxies.

40. The Quantum Revolution: Dr. Michio Kaku explores the cutting edge of quantum science in this short documentary.
41. Pythagoras: While not really a physicist, Pythagoras did come up with some of the most important mathematical and philosophical issues, or so we think, as this documentary will show.
42. Cold Fusion: Fire from Water: This documentary offers a chance to learn more about a potentially cleaner and better source of energy.
43. Uncertainty Principle: This short film will explain the history and fundamentals of quantum mechanics.
44. Illusion of Reality: Professor Jim Al-Khalili explores how studying the atom forced us to rethink the nature of reality itself in this engaging documentary.
45. Albert Einstein: Check out this documentary to learn more about this renowned physicist and thinker.
46. The Atom Smashers: This documentary follows researchers at Fermilab as they attempt to find the Higgs-Boson particle.
47. Stephen Hawking and the Theory of Everything: Learn more about the work of cosmologist Stephen Hawking in this film.
48. The Universe: Beyond the Big Bang: This movie shows how different cultures think the universe began and how it will end, including information from leading scientists.
49. Absolute Zero: Here you’ll follow a team of scientists as they attempt to reach absolute zero.

Environment

These documentaries focus on technologies and conservation efforts meant to preserve the environment.

50. Car of the Future: From hydrogen fuel cells to cars you can plug in, this film takes a look at where the automobile is headed in the next decades.
51. The 11th Hour: This documentary narrated by Leonardo Di Caprio shows the truly perilous state our planet is in.
52. Who Killed the Electric Car?: Plans for electric cars have been around for awhile, and this film examines the reasons why they’ve never come to fruition.
53. Here Comes the Sun: Learn about what a big role solar energy may play in the future of our planet.
54. An Inconvenient Truth: This famous documentary shows the true impact of global warming through a talk given by former Vice President Gore.
55. The Great Global Warming Swindle: This film takes the opposite stance, claiming that global warming is just propaganda, not reality.
56. Global Dimming: Find out more about the phenomenon known as global dimming in this film, as well as the impact it may have on our climate, our planet and, ultimately, us.
57. Darwin’s Nightmare: Take a look at this film to see some of the unexpectedly negative effects of introducing a foreign species into an environment.
58. It Runs on Water: Think things can’t run on water? This 1995 film shows otherwise, with a technology that never came to be.
59. Robinson Crusader: Keith Robinson is fighting to keep his Hawaiian island home free from corporate development in this film.

Geology

In these movies, you’ll be able to learn about the regions of the world, how Earth’s processes work, and much more.

60. Africa: The Serengeti: Check out this film to see the world of the Serengeti in detail.
61. Lost Worlds: Life in the Balance: This film will show you just how interconnected the world truly is.
62. Ocean Oasis: In this film you’ll get to take a look at Mexico’s Sea of Cortez and Baja California.
63. Australia: Land Beyond Time: The wilds of Australia seem at first like a pretty inhospitable place, but this film will show you the amazing ways life has found to survive.
64. The Bermuda Triangle: What is it about the Bermuda Triangle that makes it so dangerous to travel through? This film takes a scientific look at the phenomenon.
65. White Sands: White Wilderness: This film gives a detailed account of the plants, animals and geologic formations of New Mexico’s White Sands National Monument.
66. Volcano: Nature’s Inferno: This documentary will let you take a closer look at the volcanoes and the volcanic processes that shape our planet.
67. Hunt for the Supertwister: Follow along with this team of storm chasers as they attempt to find the biggest and baddest tornadoes out there.
68. Crude: The Incredible Journey of Oil: Here you’ll be able to learn where oil comes from and how it gets from there into your car.

Space

Explore the solar system and beyond with these great space-focused documentaries.

69. Hubble: 15 Years of Discovery: Take a look back at some of the awe-inspiring images captured by the Hubble telescope in this film.
70. Supermassive Black Holes: While black holes are still largely mysterious bodies, you can increase your knowledge of them by watching this great documentary.
71. Asteroids: Deadly Impact: Learn what (literal) impact asteroids may have on Earth and what we may be able to do to protect ourselves.
72. Carl Sagan’s Cosmos Series: Though made several years ago, this series has stood the test of time and still offers one of the best and most accurate looks at the universe.
73. 3D Sun: This documentary uses stunning 3D images of the sun to explain its history and phenomena.
74. Revealing Mars: Take a look at the Mars orbiter in this film and some of the images of Mars that have been captured.
75. Colonizing Space: This documentary will present some of the plans already in motion to take the first steps into the final frontier.
76. Secrets of the Sun: Learn more about the star central to our own solar system in this film.
77. International Space Station: This film will explain how the space station was built and is maintained and operated.
78. Alien Galaxies: Give this documentary a try to better understand the galaxies that lie elsewhere in the universe.
79. Saturn: Lord of the Rings: This documentary will allow you to learn more about this beautiful and mysterious ringed planet.
80. The Life and Death of a Star: Take a look at how stars form, live, and ultimately die in this great documentary.

Technology

These documentaries will help you learn about computers, robots and even the beginnings of electricity.

81. Nikola Tesla: The Genius Who Lit the World: Check out this film to learn more about the inventions of this man and how they shaped the modern world.
82. Big Brother, Big Business: Learn about the myriad of technologies that watch your every move from this Orwellian documentary.
83. New York City Hackers: This documentary film will introduce you to the first hackers, a group of students from MIT, and what the name originally meant.
84. Building Gods: Watch this film to learn more about the development of AI technology.
85. Welcome to Macintosh: Here you can delve into the history and development of one of the largest technology companies in the world.

Nature

Study the natural world and the fauna that calls it home through these free documentaries.

86. The Ultimate Predators: Here you can watch the life and death battle between predators and their prey first-hand with cameras strapped to the animals themselves.
87. Life After People: Learn what would happen to Earth should the human race somehow become extinct in this interesting hypothetical documentary.
88. The Private Life of Plants: Take a look at the inner world of a variety of plant species in this film.
89. Ants: Nature’s Secret Power: Ants may be tiny, but they are strong and play a valuable role in ecosystems around the world, as this film shows.
90. Cassowaries: Learn more about these giant and little known birds in this informative film.
91. Life in the Freezer: Want to find out more about Antarctica? This film will introduce you to the land and the animals who call it home.
92. Microcosmos: Get tiny and explore the creatures that live all around us, but very often, out of our sight.
93. Africa: Wilds of Madagascar: This film lets you see some of the truly unique and beautiful creatures that call this island nation home.
94. Search for the Great Sharks: Travel the world to learn about the whale shark, the blue shark and the white shark.
95. Whales in Crisis: Whales may be the largest creatures on Earth, but this film shows how they are struggling to survive.
96. The Great Barrier Reef: The Great Barrier Reef is large enough to be seen from space, comprising miles upon miles of complex, beautiful ecosystems, as this film shows.
97. Amazing Journeys: If you thought your last flight was bad, consider the long journeys these migratory animals make each year.

Miscellaneous

Watch these films to fill in the gaps in your scientific knowledge.

98. Dangerous Knowledge: Here you’ll find a great biographical film that addresses some of the eccentric, depressed, and often volatile men who helped foster modern science and mathematics.
99. Earthlings: Gain a greater respect for the creatures and the world around you through this documentary.
100. This Is Coffee: Learn more about the history, biology and social role of coffee through this film.

As an online student, you’re part of a new generation of learners. But you’re also joining a much larger group of nontraditional students who have graduated from community colleges and junior colleges before going on to undergraduate and graduate institutions, or beginning their careers. Nontraditional students, as you probably know, can be just as successful as those who completed four-year degree programs from well-known universities. Just check out our list of 10 incredibly successful people who went to community college.

1. Jim Wright: Jim Wright is a former Democratic U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House who served for 34 years on Capitol Hill. First elected in 1954, Wright was appointed House Majority Leader in 1976. Eleven years later, he was named Speaker of the House and served as Speaker until 1989, when he resigned. Now a writer and professor at Texas Christian University, Wright prepared for his career in Congress when he attended Weatherford College, a junior college located in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Wright then transferred to the University of Texas at Austin before joining the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
2. Sam Shepard: Sam Shepard is a well-known American playwright and film director who has written such works as Icarus’s Mother, La Turista, Cowboys and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Buried Child. Shepard, who has also acted in notable films like 2000’s Hamlet, The Pelican Brief and The Notebook, was born in Illinois and began his acting career after dropping out of community college. He moved to New York in the 1960s, and despite trouble with drugs, joined the Off-Off Broadway scene as a writer and occasional actor before getting his big breaks in Days of Heaven and The Right Stuff.
3. Jim Lehrer: The iconic media personality Jim Lehrer has been the news anchor for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer since 1975, when it was known as The McNeil/Lehrer Report. Lehrer was born in Wichita, KS, but grew up all over Texas, attending high school in San Antonio and community college at Victoria College. After graduating from Victoria College, Lehrer attended the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism.
4. Ross Perot: Former Presidential candidate Ross Perot ran as an independent candidate in 1992 against Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican George H.W. Bush, and although he lost the race, is still considered to be one of the richest men in the United States: Forbes estimated his net worth to be around $5 billion in 2008. Perot accumulated his fortune when he sold his company Electronic Data Systems to General Motors in 1984, started the IT services provider Perot Systems four years later, and then sold that company to Dell in 2009. Dell reportedly bought Perot Systems for $3.9 billion. Besides his wealth, Perot is known for his small-town roots and twangy accent. He was born in Texarkana, TX, in 1930, and attended Texarkana Junior College before joining the U.S. Navy.
5. George Lucas: Star Wars creator and American Graffiti director George Lucas has won countless awards for his movies and contribution to the arts, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. He attended the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, which was one of the first such schools in the United States, and where Lucas met other filmmakers like Steven Spielberg. Before attending USC, however, the Modesto, CA, native attended community college and then junior college as an anthropology student. As part of his common curriculum at junior college, Lucas explored filmmaking and cinematography.
6. Billy Crystal: Billy Crystal is a multitalented performer, director and producer who has contributed to American entertainment in film, TV, comedy, theatre, and as a long-time host of the Academy Awards. Some of Crystal’s most famous roles include Harry Burns in the iconic When Harry Met Sally and Mitch Robbins in City Slickers. Crystal was born and raised in New York and originally wanted to become a professional baseball player, attending Marshall University in West Virginia before returning to New York to attend Nassau Community College. From Nassau, Crystal transferred to NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a B.F.A. and studied directing from Martin Scorcese. Just six years later, Crystal was cast as Jodie Dallas on the popular TV show Soap.
7. Nolan D. Archibald: Archibald, the CEO and Chairman of the Board of the Black & Decker Corporation, was once the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 Company and has been celebrated by the American Marketing Association, BusinessWeek and Fortune as one of the most successful and "most wanted" business executives in the country. Exactly twenty years before being named CEO of Black & Decker, Archibald graduated from Dixie Junior College, which is today known as Dixie State College of Utah and can award bachelor’s degrees. He then attended Webster State University where he was an All-Conference basketball player and Academic All-American player. Archibald graduated from Webster State and moved on to Harvard, from which he earned an MBA in 1970.
8. John Walsh: America’s Most Wanted host John Walsh is more than just a TV personality: after the kidnapping and murder of his son Adam, Walsh has been a strong advocate for child safety and legislation reform. He and his wife helped create the Missing Children Act of 1982 and the Missing Children’s Assistance Act of 1984, and also founded the Adam Walsh Child Resource Center, which continues their campaign to fight for legislation that protects children’s and victim’s rights. Walsh, who was born in New York State, attended community college and eventually graduated from the University at Buffalo, part of the State University of New York system. He worked in hotel real estate and management until Adam’s murder inspired his campaign for legislation reform. In 1988, Walsh became the host of America’s Most Wanted.
9. Sarah Palin: Little known Alaska governor Sarah Palin became an instant spectacle when 2008 Presidential candidate John McCain chose her as his running mate. Palin became popular with conservative Republicans for her small-town cracks at Democratic candidate Barack Obama, which quickly morphed into campaign slogans. McCain and Palin lost the election, and ever since, Palin has been involved in tabloid-worthy fodder over her teen daughter’s pregnancy, new book tour and alleged plans to run for president herself. But before she entered politics, Palin was a well-rounded student at four different colleges, including North Idaho College and Matanuska-Susitna College, both community colleges. Palin eventually graduated from the University of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in communications.
10. Nolan Ryan: One of baseball’s greatest stars, Nolan Ryan is now the president of the Texas Rangers. Ryan played for four MLB teams during his career, including the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers, though he is best known as the pitcher for the Rangers. After playing for the Rangers for 27 years — until 1993 — Ryan was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. Ryan was born and raised in Texas, where he played Little League and high school baseball. After high school, Ryan attended community college but was soon drafted by the New York Mets into a minor league team, the Marion Mets.

Online university students are a new part of the education industry that involves a heightened understanding of the course and the ability to work independently with course material without leaning too much on other students or the professor.  This is vastly different from the traditional education methods of college students who work together in groups and meet with their professors regularly to discuss a topic.

Many educators are still unsure as to whether online university students truly understand the point of the course through distance learning.  While many studies have indicated that students perform better through distance learning when compared to classroom settings, educators are still unconvinced that this is a comparable teaching method.  However, many times these educators are undermining the potential of online university students as they have flourished in the “learning from home” setting.  This allows them the freedom to attend classes when they have time too and do their work in a more concise manner, rather than the typical college student.

Additionally, online university students are typically more mature than traditional college students since many of them are either working full time or raising a family full time (which is why online college is perfect for them).  As a result, many students have a small time frame to complete work and subsequently plan their schedule around this time so that they are well prepared for class and have completed all their assignments.  Traditional college students typically wait until the last minute to complete assignments rather than setting aside specific time each day to work on a project.  This is one of the major differences between the students, although it has little to do with the online education process and more to do with students’ lifestyle choices.

The online university setting has evolved in recent years along with technology so that students can feel more at home with their classes and can be in constant contact with their professors and other students.  While this is different from the face-to-face method of traditional schooling, it offers online students a way to communicate despite the boundary of the computer.  The statistics have revealed that online university students are growing at an exponential rate, indicating that many students enjoy this method of instruction and are not missing out on the traditional setting, which is causing a shift in our education system worldwide.   While we will not necessarily “give up” on traditional schooling, the modern era has determined that this does not have to be the only way to get an education. 

Whether you want to make writing your career or just want to know how to improve your writing so that you can pass your college courses, there is plenty of reading material out there to help you get inspired and hone your skills. Here’s a collection of titles that will instruct you on just about every aspect of writing, from the basics of grammar to marketing your completed novel, with some incredibly helpful tips from well-known writers themselves as well.

Writing Basics

These books address things like structure, plot, descriptions and other basic elements of any story.

1. The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers: You can improve the quality of your writing by adding a mythical quality to them with advice and insight from this book.
2. Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler: Whether you agree with the ideas in this book or not, you’ll find it a useful and informative read for writing.
3. Word Painting: A Guide to Write More Descriptively by Rebecca McClanahan: Get some pointers that will help you make your settings and characters come alive from this book.
4. Simple & Direct by Jacques Barzun: Barzun says that his purpose in writing this book was to "resensitize the mind to words" and he does this through a variety of helpful lessons on grammar, word usage and writing that are sure to make your writing better, or at least more thoughtful.
5. Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell: This book will help you create plots that will draw readers in and make your work more powerful.
6. Elements of Writing Fiction: Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card: Check out this engaging book for a little guidance on creating more believable and fully developed characters.
7. Between the Lines by Jessica Morrell: In this book you’ll learn how to craft a cohesive and layered story through the use of suspense, transitions and more.

Advice from Authors

Who better to give advice on writing than those who have made a name for themselves doing it? These books offer some insights on the craft from those who know it best.

8. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King: This is widely regarded as one of the best books for any aspiring author to read. Why? King’s book divides it’s time between being an instructional manual for writers and a richly engaging memoir that serves as a great example of how to write and write well.
9. Letters to a Young Novelist by Mario Vargas Llosa: Readers will not find a true instructional manual on writing in this book, but instead a thoughtful exploration on the the way writing itself works and how it can change or enrich a life.
10. Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You by Ray Bradbury: Many are familiar with sci-fi author Ray Bradbury. In this book of essays he gives his thoughts on the literary and commercial aspects of writing as well as providing motivation for the aspiring writer out there.
11. Ron Carlson Writes a Story by Ron Carlson: Ron Carlson is often called the "master of the short story," and in this book he shares his process for creating one of these short masterpieces.
12. The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art by Joyce Carol Oates: Containing twelve essays and an interview, this book delves into the deeper issues of writing, like inspiration, faith, and failure.
13. On Being a Writer by Bill Strickland: This book is a collection of thirty-one interviews from Writer’s Digest exploring the work and process of literary greats like Hemingway and Faulkner.
14. The Best Writing on Writing by Jack Heffron: Check out this multi-volume series to hear advice, recollections and stories from authors both famous and more obscure.
15. On Writers and Writing by John Gardner: In his time, Gardner was considered one of the best teachers of writing. In this book you’ll be able to read some of his best essays and reviews.
16. Art Objects: Essays on Ecstasy and Effrontery by Jeanette Winterson: This collection of essays touches on everything from how to look at a painting to how to keep personal and professional lives separate.
17. Everything I Know About Writing by John Marsden: Writer John Marsden shares his experience and expertise on writing in this book.
18. Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing: A Novelist Looks at His Craft by David Morrell: Morrell wrote the book that inspired the film Rambo, but he is just as well-versed in classic lit as popular fiction. In this book he’ll explain how to navigate some of the basic elements of writing a great book.
19. The Believer Book of Writers Talking to Writers by Vendela Vida: This book is a collection of conversations between writers and their mentors, offering insights into their processes and a whole lot more.
20. How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author by Janet Evanovitch: Get a behind-the-scenes look at how this author constructs her novels about the intrepid bounty hunter Stephanie Plum in this book.

Improving Your Writing

Use the information in these books to hone your writing skills.

21. Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg: This easy-to-read book will offer you some tips on writing as well as often entertaining comparisons and insights on the craft.
22. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott: Check out this instructional book to get help creating your work from the first drafts to the final publication.
23. The 10% Solution by Ken Rand: This book helps guide writers through many of the areas of writing that cause them trouble and keep them frustrated.
24. Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft by Janet Burroway, Elizabeth Stuckey-French and Ned Stuckey-French: Burroway’s book is one of the most widely read and respected books on writing fiction, and in it writers will find tips on everything from creativity to tone.
25. The Artful Edit: On the Practice of Editing Yourself by Susan Bell: There are few things more helpful to improving writing than good editing, and this book is full of tips to help you tackle scaling back and refining your own work.
26. Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly by Gail Carson Levine: Are your stories lacking that certain something? Get some tips on finding the missing ingredient from this book.
27. Edit Yourself : A Manual for Everyone Who Works With Words by Bruce Clifford Ross-Larson: No matter what kind of writing you do, you’ll find tips on trimming the fat in this book.
28. Keys to Great Writing by Stephen Wilbers: This basic guide will help you improve all aspects of your writing with lessons writers at any level can use.
29. The Classic Guide to Better Writing: Step-by-Step Techniques and Exercises to Write Simply, Clearly and Correctly by Rudolf Franz Flesch: This guidebook will help you work on organization, grammar, spelling, voice and more.

Grammar

Whether you struggle with grammar or just want to learn to master it better, these books are great reads and reference tools.

30. Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O’ Conner: O’ Conner is an editor at the New York Times Book Review and gives a witty and fun take on the often boring subject of grammar in this book.
31. A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation by Noah Lukeman: If you struggle to know when to use a semicolon or a colon, this book can help you conquer any form of punctuation.
32. Punctuation for Writers: A Thorough Primer For Writers Of Fiction And Essays by Harvey Stanbrough: Make sure your work is free from any major punctuation errors by referencing and reading this text.
33. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynn Truss: Where you choose to place a comma can make a big difference in the meaning of a phrase, as this fun grammar and punctuation manual will show.
34. Grammatically Correct by Anne Stilman: This book will help you resolve some of the most common issues with grammar, spelling and punctuation.
35. The Grouchy Grammarian: A How-Not-To Guide to the 47 Most Common Mistakes in English Made by Journalists, Broadcasters, and Others Who Should Know Better by Thomas Parrish: If you stink at using grammar correctly, then you’re not alone. This book shows you how to avoid making these common mistakes so you can sound smarter and write better.
36. The Pen Commandments by Steven Frank: This book will make learning the rules of the English language fun, interesting and maybe even funny.

Reference Books

Keep these books on hand to ensure your writing is mastering the basics like spelling, formatting, word use and more.

37. The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr., and E.B.White: This book is a must-have for anyone who writes, as it has been the standard model for proper English style for decades.
38. Writing With Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing by John Trimble: Here you’ll find many of the same writing tips contained in The Elements of Style but in a more accessible and lively format.
39. Writing Fiction: A Practical Guide from New York’s Acclaimed Creative Writing School by Brett Norris: This guide will help you go from idea to finished product with lessons that writers at any stage can employ.
40. How Not To Say What You Mean: A Dictionary of Euphemisms by R. W. Holder: Whether you’re trying to dodge using less attractive terms or just want to get creative with the English language, this book can help.
41. 1000 Most Important Words by Norman W. Schur: Improve your vocabulary with this collection of great words and intriguing dictionary definitions.
42. Dewdroppers, Waldos, and Slackers: A Decade-by-Decade Guide to the Vanishing Vocabulary of the 20th Century by Rosemarie Ostler: Those who like to set their stories in times past can get a quick reference for older slang and now defunct English words in this book.
43. The Writer’s Art by James J. Kilpatrick: Check out this book for some pretty essential tips on using the English language wisely.

Writing as a Career

If you’re looking to make a career out of writing, these books can be a big help in getting you there.

44. Telling Lies for Fun & Profit: A Manual for Fiction Writers by Lawrence Block: This book offers plenty of advice for those who want to write better and get their work published.
45. Making a Literary Life by Carolyn See: Read this book to learn how to look at writing not only as a job, but as a lifestyle.
46. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass: Get some advice from this literary agent on how to create a novel that will help you stand out from the crowd.
47. The Forest for the Trees: An Editor’s Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner: Learn what editors are looking for when it comes to actually getting your work read and possibly even published from this book.
48. The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman: Thousands of novels are submitted to publishers each year, but the vast majority of these will not be published. Learn how you can tweak your writing to give it a fighting chance in this book from literary agent Noah Lukeman.
49. The Fire in Fiction: Passion, Purpose and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great by Donald Maass: Learn what makes published authors’ stories so "hot" and what you may be doing that’s making yours, well, not.
50. Dare to be a Great Writer: 329 Keys to Powerful Fiction by Leonard Bishop: This book will teach you to write fiction that’s not just good but also sellable.
51. Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life by Terry Brooks: Check out this book from author Terry Brooks to get insight into the publishing industry and the process of writing.
52. The Marshall Plan Workbook: Writing Your Novel from Start to Finish by Evan Marshall: If you need a little push to get yourself into the swing of writing your novel, then this workbook could be a great motivational tool.
53. How To Grow A Novel: The Most Common Mistakes Writers Make and How to Overcome Them by Sol Stein: This book will guide you through the process and the necessary elements of creating an engaging novel.
54. How To Be Your Own Literary Agent by Richard Curtis: If you’re not quite ready to make the commitment to a literary agent, you can still ensure you don’t get swindled by reading this book.
55. The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less by Peter Bowerman: Those hoping to work as freelancers can get advice on finding work and making freelancing a steady paying gig in this book.

Genre or Format Specific

These books focus on particular genres like science fiction or mystery or specific types of writing like poetry and nonfiction.

56. How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card: This Hugo Award winning book will guide you through the ins and outs of creating compelling and believable sci-fi stories.
57. Writing Mysteries: A Handbook by the Mystery Writers of America by Jan Burke: If mysteries are more your thing, you can learn how to construct plots, characters and build suspense in this book.
58. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William K. Zinsser: Those who prefer writing and reading non-fiction will find a wealth of helpful information in this guidebook.
59. The Poet and the Poem by Judson Jerome: This book will teach you the basics of poetry from diction to verse forms.
60. The Language of Life by Bill Moyers: This book offers a series of discussions with thirty-four American poets, offering inspiration and insight into what makes poetry great.
61. The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present by Philip Lopate: This book contains seventy-five personal essays from an incredibly diverse spectrum of writers. It can be a great way to learn about the changes in the medium and how to develop your own essay style.

Classics

These classic books on writing, writers and creativity will get you inspired to write more.

62. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway: Published posthumously, this book details the time Hemingway spent in Paris along with other literary greats, like Fitzgerald, as well as insights into the psyche of the artist himself.
63. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce: This fictional account of the life of Joyce is not only a good read but an interesting insight into the events that shaped the life of one of the world’s most acclaimed authors.
64. Poetics by Aristotle: This ancient Greek text is all about constructing the perfect tragic drama, but offers invaluable insights into the essentials of any genre of writing.
65. Walden by Henry David Thoreau: Check out this book to learn what it means to disconnect from society and focus on nature. Thoreau’s lessons on simplicity can be applied to the art of writing as well, where less can often say more.

Creativity and Motivation

Get some tips and advice on finding your creative spark and getting motivated to finally write your own book, essay, or short story.

66. The Writer’s Idea Book by Jack Heffron: If you’re struggling with writer’s block, give this inspirational and educational book a read to get some ideas on how to move forward.
67. Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process by Peter Elbow: No matter how you like to write, this book contains a guide to help you get motivated and move through the process from beginning to end.
68. How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day by Michael Gelb: The aim of this book is to help you reach into your brain and find untapped reserves of intelligence, creativity and ability so you can unlock your own inner genius.
69. The Write Time: 366 Exercises to Fulfill Your Writing Life by Robert Yehling: In this book you’ll find writing exercises, motivational quotes and loads of resources to help you get writing.
70. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield: Novelist Steven Pressfield offers his advice to help writers (or other creative types) break through their creative barriers and get inspired.
71. Keeping a Journal You Love by Sheila Bender: In this book you’ll find journal entries from 15 poets and writers as well as their own explanations of these entries. Aspiring writers can use the book as a guide to creating a useful and productive journal of their own.
72. The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life by Julia Cameron: The essays contained in this book detail the drive to create and the many tasks of everyday life that often stand in the way as well as pointers on getting yourself to work in spite of them.
73. Room to Write by Bonni Goldberg: Each of the writing lessons in this manual are a page long, offering you numerous but succinct opportunities to kick your writing up a notch.
74. Writers Dreaming: 26 Writers Talk About Their Dreams and the Creative Process by Naomi Epel: Read this book to hear well-known authors talk about the role dreams play in their work and how they inspire their creativity.
75. Writing Begins with the Breath: Embodying Your Authentic Voice by Laraine Herring: Learn how to connect with your inner voice and become a more fully-realized creative person through the lessons in this book.

They say that you can’t judge a book by its cover, but every year publishers spend loads of time and effort getting designers to create covers that will stand out from the crowd of books on the shelf and get consumers to take them home. The cover may not tell the story, but it is certainly an important part of how people choose and remember their favorite books. Here are a few covers from the past and present that have stood out for their innovative designs, great artwork or just plain eye-catching images, many of which are not only pretty to look at but represent books that can help you learn more and stay entertained outside of your college courses.

Classics

Many of these covers have become as iconic as the books they represent.

1. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, cover art by Francis Cugat: This boldly colored, sad-eyed cover is a work of art on its own.
2. The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger, cover art by Michael Mitchell: Here you can see the bright colors and line drawings of the cover that adorned the first edition of this coming-of-age tale.
3. On the Road, by Jack Kerouac, cover art by Len Deighton: Len Deighton would go on to become a great author in his own right, but before all that he designed this cover for the classic beat generation book On the Road.
4. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, cover art by Shirley Smith: While simple, this illustration conveys the beauty and sadness of this tale.
5. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, by Hunter S. Thompson, cover art by Ralph Steadman: Ralph Steadman’s work has become a part of the work of Thompson himself, adorning most of his cover art including this 1972 novel.
6. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, cover art by Leslie Holland: The world on this cover aptly represents the dystopian topics touched on in this futuristic classic.
7. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, cover art by Edward McKnight Kauffer: Kauffer’s designs, like this one for Ellison’s beautifully written and racially charged novel, were part of the new style of graphic design he helped pioneer.
8. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller, cover art by Paul Bacon: This cover uses primary colors and simple designs to draw the viewer in.
9. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, cover art by David Pelham: Bold designs and bright colors make this cover hard to forget.
10. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, cover art by Ross MacDonald: The cover of the first edition of this book depicts the main characters of the novel in a serene landscape.
11. In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote, cover art by S. Neil Fujita: Fujita worked with Capote himself to create this simple but effective cover.
12. Winter’s Tale, by Mark Helprin, cover art by Fred Marcellino: The dreamy nighttime landscape of this cover works well as the the mythical New York depicted in the book.

Non-Fiction

From memoirs to philosophy tomes, these books have covers that make them stand out.

13. A Shortcut Through Time, by George Johnson, cover art by Peter Buchanan-Smith: The cover of this book not only works design-wise, but also relates directly to the title.
14. Born to Kvetch, by Michael Wex, cover art by Jennifer Carrow: This cover was named one of the best of the year for the aptness of the photo it contains.
15. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, by Walter Benjamin, cover art by David Pearson: In this printing of Benjamin’s classic work, the reader finds an image that’s a play on the title and contents of the book.
16. Change the Way You See Everything: Through Asset-Based Thinking, by Kathryn D. Cramer and Hank Wasiak: While focusing primarily on the text, this book forces you to do just what the title asks.
17. A General Theory of Love, by Thomas Lewis MD, Fari Amini, and Richard Lannon, cover art by John Hall: This cover may use inanimate objects, but there is much life and love implied by them.
18. A Million Little Pieces, by James Frey, cover art by Rodrigo Corral: While the book itself turned out to not be truly non-fiction, the cover art is hard to forget with hundreds of small, colorful sprinkles adorning an outstretched hand.
19. The Map as Art, by Jayne Anne Phillips, designed by Peter Mendelsund: This art book uses its cover to play around with maps and intrigue readers into checking out what’s inside.
20. A Wolf at the Table, by Augusten Burroughs, cover art by Chip Kidd: The main object on this cover may be a fork, but when combined with the title, gives the cover a sinister and compelling look.
21. Oh the Glory of It All, by Sean Wilsey, cover art by Non-Format: The cover of this memoir is simple and bold, offering enough to draw readers in but not enough to reveal what the story is about.

Modern Works

Take a look at these covers to see some inspiring and intriguing artwork.

22. Less than Zero, by Bret Easton Ellis, cover art by Chip Kidd: The cover art for this book accurately represents the time period and the subject matter of this Ellis classic.
23. All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy, cover art by Chip Kidd: The photograph and design of this cover have landed it on numerous best cover art lists.
24. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon, cover art by Michael Ian Kaye: Check out this book cover to see how a few colors and a minimal amount of graphics can go a long way.
25. The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, by Michael Chabon, cover at by Will Staehle: The illustrations on this cover are bold, trick the eye and almost veer into the territory of cuteness.
26. Everything Is Illuminated, by Jonathan Safran Foer, cover art by Jonathan Gray: Who says text-filled covers can’t be intriguing? This one sure is, with playfully arranged and boldly-colored lettering.
27. Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid on Earth, by Chris Ware, cover art by Chris Ware: Readers can expect the same attention to detail and innovation throughout the book as there is on the cover designed by the writer and artist himself.
28. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami, cover art by Chip Kidd: This cover offers another Chip Kidd work, distorting and rearranging the image of a bird reminiscent of the dreamlike quality of Murakami’s work itself.
29. August, by Judith Rossner, cover art by Fred Marcellino: This book makes you think both of summers by the seaside and Freudian psychology–a compelling mix to be sure.
30. Blindness, by José Saramago, cover art by Claudine Guerguerian: This cover uses text to play with the title of the work itself.
31. The Abomination, by Paul Golding, cover art by Chip Kidd: Here you’ll find a cover that’s pretty darn cute considering the title of the book.
32. The Last Lonely Saturday, by Jordan Crane, cover art by Jordan Crane: A designer and comic book writer, Crane’s illustrations have garnered him numerous awards.

Innovative Designs

The cover designs on these books take the art form to new places with fresh ideas and new ways to bring in readers to the material.

33. House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski, designed by Joe Paul: On this bold cover, the title stretches over both the front and back covers.
34. Bartleby the Scrivener, by Herman Meville, cover art by Nikelle Orellana: This image plays with text and white space and makes the viewer hunt for the title and information.
35. One Red Paperclip, by Kyle MacDonald, cover art by Maria Elias: No need for the name of the book on the cover with the singular image that represents it there instead.
36. The Interrogative Mood by Padgett Powell, designed by Alison Forner: The cover of this book doesn’t show much but raises a lot of questions as to just what it’s about–apt considering the title.
37. The Last Days of Publishing, by Tom Englehardt, cover art by Louise Fili: This cover uses proofreading marks found in publishing itself to create a unique and compelling image.
38. The Mayor’s Tongue, by Nathaniel Rich, cover art by Gray 318: This cover shows just how exciting and interesting an almost entirely-type cover can be.
39. All the Sad Young Literary Men, by Keith Gessen, cover art by The Heads of State: In this image you’ll be left wondering if literature can really be a burden.
40. The Way Through Doors, by Jesse Ball, cover art by Helen Yentus and Jason Booher: Using only black and white and minimal text, this cover manages to be incredibly interesting.

Science Fiction and Fantasy

From the bold minimalism of Chip Kidd to the lush illustrations of Michael Whelan, these book covers are hard to forget.

41. Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton, cover art by Chip Kidd: The artwork for this book is simple, but incredibly effective. So much so that when it came time to make a poster for the movie based on this book, the producers decided to use the same image.
42. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, cover art by Fred Marcellino: This cover uses a pop of color to draw the eye in get readers to pick up this dystopian tale.
43. Soviet Science Fiction, by various authors, cover art by Paul Rand: On this cover you’ll find a clever illustration that blends images iconic of Russia with those of space travel.
44. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K Dick, cover art by Bob Pepper: Bob Pepper did nearly all the cover art for Philip K. Dick’s most iconic novels, but this one stands out as representative of both the story and the time period when it was created.
45. 2010: Odyssey Two, by Arthur C. Clarke, cover art by Michael Whelan: The painting on this color is rendered in lush detail and vivid colors and makes it so readers can’t help but to want to know what the story is about.

Children’s Literature

These books have memorable artwork both inside and out.

46. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by JK Rowling, cover art by David Saylor: This cover brought to life the boy with the lightening shaped scar, illustrating a book that was to become one of the best selling of all time.
47. Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, cover art and illustration by Sir John Tenniel: The cover art and illustrations for this book are well-known, with the original woodcut engravings being held at the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
48. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, cover art and illustration by W.W. Denslow: The simple illustrations of this book bring to life the beloved characters within.
49. Twelve Dancing Princesses, by Marianna Mayer, cover art and illustration by Kinuko Y. Craft: The story of the dancing princesses is a classic one, but this retelling’s cover illustration is incredibly beautiful and detailed, leaving readers to return to it again and again.
50. Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein, cover art and illustration by Shel Silverstein: Shel Silverstein’s writing is in a class of its own, but his drawings are whimsical and endearing enough to stand alone.

Typical university teaching jobs require a Masters or Ph.D in a specialized subject, paired with years of research and experience in teaching.  This has not changed with the switch to online education, but online universities have made the teaching process much easier than in recent years. 

The New York Times recently interviewed several professors of online classes, many of them who simply wake up and sit at their breakfast table to post online assignments for their students.  This seems like a dream job for many of us who have to report to work at 9 and get out at 5; the flexibility of working from home seems almost unreal and something many younger workers strive to earn.  However, working from home is not everything its cracked up to be, and many times distractions from home keep you from doing the work you are assigned.  However, for many online university teachers, the joys of working from home are much different and they are better trained to ignore any outside distractions.

Online university teaching jobs are attractive to many seasoned professors who have younger children.  This allows many of them to spend time with their children at home while still teaching class via online university degree programs.  The new stay at home mom no longer has to give up her career aspirations but can instead choose a different route to a new career goal.  Online university professors additionally have the flexibility of being more available to their students than traditional university professors.  Typically, students have to hunt down their professors for an answer to a simply question; however, online professors are seemingly connected to their internet life and are available at an email’s notice for a follow-up question.

While online university teaching jobs may seem unsubstantial for many traditional professors, their easy accessibility for any lifestyle has made it an attractive choice both for stay at home moms or older professors who do not want the commute to school anymore.  The teaching process is also difficult for many professors who are used to their face to face interactions with students, but this is easily overcome after a few months in the online education sector.  Studies have even indicated that the lack of interaction has led to a newfound independence in students, rather than relying on fellow students or the crutch of professors.  Whether or not this job is for you is a different matter, as many educators still enjoy the traditional teaching methods.  However, for an up and coming education process, the online community seems set to overtake the education industry in the coming years and online teachers are at the forefront of it all.