Whether you're looking for a new job or just wanting to move up in your current career, there are loads of books filled with advice to help you out.

Even though there are plenty of newer reads, sometimes you just can't beat the classics.

Here's a roundup of six old-school career books.

Yes, your parents may have read them, too; but the advice is so legendary — and useful — they're still worth downloading today:

SEE ALSO: How to spot bad business books

1. 'The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success' by Nicholas Lore

Are you looking for a new job? Maybe you're just hoping to reignite your passion for your current position? Whichever it may be, "The Pathfinder," originally published in 1998, is the book for you. Lore aims to help you find a career path that feels good and fulfills you.

With over 100 self-assessments, this isn’t a book you’ll be able to read and forget about. It puts you to work! In fact, it’s pretty similar to having your own personal career coach!

Already read this classic? Read another! Try "I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was" by Barbara Sher with Barbara Smith.

2. 'Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales From the World of Wall Street' by John Brooks

Did you know: Warren Buffett lent his copy of "Business Adventures" to Bill Gates. Gates went on to say that it was "the best business book [he has] ever read." That means it must be good, right? Originally published in 1969, it includes many drama-filled stories about Wall Street that will keep you entertained all the way through.

But it’s more than just salacious: You’ll get the inside scoop on the world of finance with a look at the 1962 stock market crash, the fall of a major brokerage firm, and more.

Want more personal work-related stories? Read "Mistakes I Made at Work: 25 Influential Women Reflect on What They Got Out of Getting It Wrong" by Jessica Bacal.

3. 'Unlimited Power: The New Science of Personal Achievement' by Tony Robbins

In this book, Robbins takes readers, step-by-step, through how to perform at your best, become a leader, gain self-confidence, find the five keys to wealth and happiness, and more.

Although this book was originally published in 1987, people still use it to achieve their goals and find success.

Want more tips on how to be your best? Read "Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind" by Jocelyn Glei.

Armed with an array of body paint and brushes, Kay Pike can transform into any superhero or villain.

The Canadian cosplayer paints on her own body to make herself look like 2D characters from TV and comics, including Marvel's Spider-Man and Cheetara from ThunderCats.

In January, Pike first walked Business Insider through her trippy work when she was getting started. In the 11 months since, she has amassed over 500,000 followers on Instagram and Facebook, and has done bodypaint work for several prominent companies, including Disney.

 Take a look below.

SEE ALSO: A serene green was named the official color of 2017 because the world is 'very stressful and very tense'

Pike has been a skilled painter since she was young, but she started cosplay body-painting (or "cospainting" as she calls it) in December 2015. She sharpened her craft with the help of fellow cospainter Lianne Moseley, she tells BI.

She now live-streams her process twice per week on Twitch. Below is her rendition of She-Hulk.

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Marvel's She-Hulk. 

Pike uses a water-based face paint and a special makeup to help it stick. She needs 10 to 15 bottles of paint to create just one character.

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 DC Comics' Two-Face.

Subway has gone from the king of healthy fast food to a depressing punch line. But are the sandwiches to blame?

Given falling sales, the company has been trying to win over consumers with new menu items and all-natural adjustments like removing artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives from its US menu.

However, the sandwich chain faces ample competition in the form of fast-casual restaurants like Sweetgreen that offer locally sourced ingredients. 

Worse, the company faces the stigma from former spokesperson Jared Fogle's descent.

Looking at Subway's sales slump, I wondered if Fogle's diet plan holds up over time — or is it obsolete given the evolution of Americans' dietary preferences?

In a quest to find out, I decided to try one of the most (in)famous diet plans of the 21st century: the Subway Diet.

First, some history.

The Subway Diet was extremely successful when it came on the scene in the early 2000s.

Student turned former Subway spokesperson Jared Fogle famously lost more than 200 pounds eating the sandwiches; Subway hired him in 2000.

Much of the chain's growth in the early 2000s was tied to Fogle's weight-loss success story, with Subway's chief marketing officer once crediting Fogle for as much as half of the chain's growth. Sales tripled to $11.5 billion in 2011, from around $3 billion in 1998, according to Nation’s Restaurant News.

However, what's considered healthy has changed in the past five years, and Fogle is currently serving a nearly 16-year prison sentence, after being charged for having sex with minors and possessing child pornography. Subway cut ties with him last summer.

If Subway wants to stage a comeback, it needs to find a way to appeal to discerning, health-conscious consumers and have a diet that stands out, jailed ex-spokesperson aside.

My first and most important rule was that I would eat at Subway twice a day.

While Fogle stuck to the limited menu of one 6-inch turkey sub for lunch and a footlong veggie sub for dinner, pairing both meals with a bag of baked chips and a diet soda, I was not going to maintain such a strict diet.

My rules: I would only order from Subway's Fit Fresh menu. I planned to use advice from Subway's corporate dietitian, Lanette Kovachi, on how to best maximize nutrition: Order nine-grain wheat bread, fresh veggies, and cut mayo and creamy dressings. 

Since Fogle allowed himself chips, I decided I could have sides (and occasional snacks) of my choosing. In general, I would try and maintain a healthy diet. I wasn't trying to lose 200 pounds — I was trying to see if twice-daily Subway was a feasible option for someone trying to eat healthily today. 

Still, it's a diet that not even Subway would recommend.

"We don’t expect people to eat all Subway," Kovachi told me when we met at a Subway event in February. "We want people to have a balanced diet."

But Kovachi also told me she believed that the "Subway Diet" is embedded in the DNA of the chain. If Subway wants to regain its former glory, it needs to reclaim the Subway diet and revamp it for 2016. 

The company is making some strides. Kovachi said that the chain's menu had great variety in grains and vegetables, and that it had solid options for those looking to exercise portion control — no 6-inch sub is much more than 600 calories, and the Fresh Fit sandwiches are all less than 400 calories. Recently, she said, the chain has been trying to appeal to modern customers by emphasizing health positives, as opposed to the dated no-fat trend.

The suburban Brooklyn neighborhood of Dyker Heights is a quiet and friendly area year-round – that is, until the holidays start. That's when the neighborhood is flooded with thousands of Christmas-light peepers anxious to see the area's famed displays. Countless homes in the neighborhood take part, putting up dazzling and awe-inspiring feats of festivity, and likely producing similarly awe-inspiring electric bills.

I took a trip to Dyker Heights to see the hyped "Dyker Lights" for myself. Keep scrolling to see some lights that would make Clark Griswold die from envy.

SEE ALSO: This New York City restaurant spends more than $60,000 a year getting ready for Christmas — take a look inside

Dyker Heights is a good half-hour drive from downtown Manhattan, and about an hour away on the subway. Luckily, there are Dyker Lights tour buses that will take you there hassle-free — for a price.

You can see most of the best displays between 11th and 13th Avenues around 81st through 86th Streets.

Some of the homes put up stately, elegant arrangements.

Many people look forward to the day they can hang up their work clothes for good and enjoy their golden years. For most people, retirement occurs sometime in their late 60s or even their 70s.

However with careful planning and prudent financial management, it is possible to retire even earlier. There are many factors at play when determining whether a place is suitable for an early retirement. First and foremost are financial concerns. 

If you are retiring early, you’ll need to make sure you have enough saved for housing, healthcare and enough left over to eat and live comfortably.

In order to get the most out of what could be a limited retirement income, you’ll want to stretch your dollars to their max. States with low taxes on retirement income and low property taxes enable you to do that.

After making the most efficient use of your dollars, you will probably want to make sure you have activities to do in your free time. Plus, in order to get the best healthcare during older age, the availability of doctor’s offices is important. We looked at all these factors in order to create our ranking of the best states for an early retirement.

In order to understand where we got our data and how we put it together, please read the Data and Methodology section below.

Key Findings

• Southern states rule – It looks like all the retirees moving to Florida have the right idea. The Sunshine State came in sixth in our ranking. In total, more than half of our top 10 is comprised of Southern states.
• North East not so much– The North East is the worst region if you are thinking about an early retirement due to high costs of living. Three of the bottom five best states for an early retirement are in the North East. These are Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey.
• The Great Outdoors - South Dakota and Wyoming, both states in our top 10, offer many activities for outdoor adventure-loving early retirees.
• 0% effective income tax - Our data shows that there are quite a few states which do not tax retirement income and many of these make our top 10.

SEE ALSO: 10 of the best American cities to live comfortably on $40,000 a year

DON'T MISS: I built a spreadsheet to calculate what it would take to retire early, and it was a shock

1. Wyoming

Wyoming jumps two places from last year to take the top spot in our study of best places for an early retirement. This state offers an effective tax rate of 0% on retirement income and has the third-lowest non-housing cost of living. To go with the relatively cheap living costs, Wyoming also has 73 arts, entertainment and recreation establishments per 100,000 people. That score ranks fifth in that metric.

What hurt Wyoming (although not enough to prevent it from snagging first place) is the relatively high average healthcare costs. Wyoming ranks second to last in this measure, paying an average of $11,000 per year. Only Alaskans pay more.

2. Kentucky

The Bluegrass State comes in a close second, thanks to six metrics scoring in the top 20 and its tax-friendly environment. Particularly attractive for prospective early retirees are the low costs of living. Kentucky ranks fourth in average housing costs per year at $8,600 and fifth in non-housing cost of living.

But early retirees in Kentucky may need to develop some personal hobbies. According to data from the Census, there are only 28 arts, entertainment and recreation establishments per 100,000 residents, 44th best in the country.

3. Mississippi

Mississippi is the second-highest-rated Southern state and third-highest overall for best states for an early retirement. Mississippi is similar to Kentucky in that it is a cheap place to retire. It has a 0% effective tax on retirement income. It also has the lowest non-housing cost of living as well as the second-lowest housing costs in the nation.

So why isn’t it first or second? There are only 22 arts, entertainment, and recreation establishments per 100,000 people – the lowest in the nation. There are also not as many doctors’ offices in Mississippi as there are in other states. Our data shows that it ranks 33rd in this measure.

From beef to diamonds to credit card fees, read on to see 15 things that will cost less in 2017.

SEE ALSO: 35 money questions you should be able to answer by 35

DON'T MISS: 13 things that will trash your home's value

Beef

After spiking in 2014, an increase in production along with an oversupply of beef is putting pressure on wholesale prices, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Retail prices are currently down 1%, and they'll likely fall further.

Generic drugs

While the skyrocketing prices of specialty prescription drugs have gotten a lot of attention, the cost of generic drugs has quietly been falling. Between 2010 and 2015, the prices of generic drugs provided under Medicare Part D dropped by nearly 60%, according to a recent GAO report.

Some believe that President-elect Trump will lower the bar on generic drug approvals from the FDA, which could put more generic drugs on the market and lower prices further.

Cell phone data

Now that the cell phone market in the US has reached near saturation, cell service providers are getting more competitive about attracting and keeping their customers. T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T all now offer some version of unlimited data, although that's only a good deal for those who use more than the allotted amount in the lower plans.

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Twitter at the end of November that he would be leaving his business "in total" to "fully focus on running the country." He added that legal documents were being drafted that would remove him "completely" from business operations.

Trump's business empire and the conflicts of interest it could pose have been scrutinized throughout the future administration's transition. Earlier, Trump had said that the operations of his business would be passed on to his children in what he called a "blind trust," even though that constitutes an independent manager who typically is not someone as closely tied to the holder as his or her children.

But what does the Trump Organization actually do? The answer to that question — similar to inquiries about the president-elect's income and net worth— is quite complex. According to a recent analysis by the Wall Street Journal, "Roughly half — at least $304 million — of the revenue Mr. Trump reported in a federal financial disclosure form earlier this year came from assets held in 96 different LLCs."

That financial disclosure form is 104 pages long.

The Trump Organization includes a portfolio of real estate, hotels, and golf courses, as well as investments in clothing and other products. The company does not own most of these properties outright. Though many buildings around the world have been branded with the Trump name, many were not actually built by the Trump Organization and are instead a result of licensing agreements made with other development companies. The companies that take part in this kind of deal typically pay a fee for the use of the Trump name in the development and management of a property. 

While the perceived strength of the Trump brand dipped and spiked at various points of the election season, this licensing of the family name is a large part of what the Trump Organization does.

Many Trump-branded residential properties — like the condominium portions of the Trump Towers in Chicago and New York, for example — are now controlled by unit owners. Some Trump properties are owned in partnership with other management companies. And in some cases, including the president-elect's home of Trump Tower, Trump does not actually own the land the buildings are situated on.

As for the organization's commercial interests, Trump has a 30% stake in two properties — 1290 Avenue of the Americas in New York and 555 California Street in San Francisco — through a partnership with Vornado Realty Trust. He also owns 40 Wall Street in New York's Financial District and the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

Here, we've rounded up all of the Trump-branded properties and their locations around the world. We've also noted which properties were developed as part of a licensing arrangement.

SEE ALSO: Trump's proposed tariff could cause a major problem for Ivanka's $100 million business

Since writing his 2007 book "The 4-Hour Workweek," Tim Ferriss has built a career around collecting the, as he puts it, "tactics, routines, and habits," of the world's top performers, from Navy SEALs to entrepreneurs.

His new book "Tools of Titans" is a collection of those lessons, drawn from more than 100 interviews he conducted for the book and his hit podcast, "The Tim Ferriss Show."

Ferriss recently stopped by Business Insider's New York office to talk about "Tools of Titans"for a Facebook Live Q&A. Since he always asks his guests about their favorite books, we decided to do the same.

He shared with us the five books he considers to have had the biggest influence on his life, saying that he keeps them face-out on the book shelf in his living room, "so that I see them regularly, to remind me of the lessons I took from them."

SEE ALSO: I've interviewed over 100 high achievers for my podcast — here are 13 of the best tools for success I've learned

'Moral Letters to Lucilius' by Seneca the Younger

Ferriss has long had an obsession with Stoicism, the school of ancient Greek philosophy that was also adopted by Roman thinkers.

The most famous work of Stoicism may be the philosopher king Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations," of which Ferriss is a fan, but he's especially taken with Seneca's letters to his student Lucilious. The collection is, as Ferriss said, "about everything imaginable, and it's as applicable today as it was 2,000 years ago."

"Stoicism as a whole I think is the optimal operating system for thriving in high stress environments," he said.

Find it here »

'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!' by Richard Feynman

Richard Feynman was a Nobel-prize winning physicist who was a bit of a Renaissance man. His book "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!", first published in 1985, is a collection of his autobiographical writings.

Ferriss has adopted Feynman's approach to life. He said the book "paints a picture of a very brilliant problem solver and merry prankster who was a polymath, taught himself how to play the bongos, used to paint in strip clubs. You've got to love this guy! And it's a hilarious book but it also shows you how good he was at testing assumptions and questioning dogma. Even in the face of embarrassment or criticism."

Find it here »

'Zorba the Greek' by Nikos Kazantzakis

Ferriss said that after interviewing more than 100 high performers, he saw that true success should be defined as continuing to achieve while appreciating what one already has.

He explained that the 1946 novel "Zorba the Greek" by Nikos Kazantzakis captures this insight. It tells the story of an academic who sets aside his books to immerse himself in the world.

"'Zorba the Greek' is a really good read for trying to chill out that Type A drive ... piece of yourself, so that you can actually enjoy the ride," Ferriss said.

Find it here »

Uber or Lyft drivers tell Business Insider that perhaps the best parts about their jobs are the flexibility to make their own hours and be their own boss.

Beyond that, some drivers also report that a unique perk is the ability to meet interesting people from all walks of life.

As one Lyft and Uber driver tells Business Insider, "You gain knowledge and give knowledge with every ride. Everyone you encounter in life is a teacher."

Of course, driving around a wide array of passengers also opens you up to some fairly strange behavior.

Here are some of the weirdest work conditions Uber and Lyft drivers tell Business Insider they've been subjected to:

SEE ALSO: Uber and Lyft drivers share their 11 best ride-hailing hacks

SEE ALSO: 23 teachers share the weirdest thing they've ever experienced on the job

Teens

"Driving minors is against Uber policy, so if someone clearly is not 18 I refuse to drive them. But some high school students are 18 and hail rides. One trip I had an unfiltered teenage girl talking about her 12-year-old friend's sexual exploits on the phone. Needless to say it was uncomfortable."

—Uber driver

The thrill of the hunt

"Women play a scavenger hunt game when they visit Las Vegas and a lot of them have kiss an Uber driver as an item on the list. So I've been kissed by a few random woman — don't tell my wife."

—Lyft and Uber driver

Very specific music requests

"People ask me to play very specific music. For instance, one person asked to listen to Creed."

—Lyft and Uber driver

The richest people in Britain suffered from the worst fall in fortune since the credit crunch in 2007, according to The Sunday Times Rich List 2016.

And next year's numbers are likely to cause more pain for the super-rich considering the country voted for Brexit and oil prices still remain low.

The newspaper, which lists the 1,000 wealthiest individuals and families in the UK, said that the commodities-market crash has had such a pronounced effect on some of Britain's most wealthy people that they've seen their fortunes crater by over 50% over the last few years. 

Regular rich list member and steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal has seen his wealth crash by around 75% since 2008 — he used to be worth £27.7 billion but now he's worth £7.12 billion. Len Blavatnik, the London-based, Ukrainian-born US citizen who is the owner of Warner Music Group, dropped from the No. 1 spot this year. And the Queen has failed to make the top 300 for the second consecutive year.

Only those who have significant property investments have seen their fortunes grow due to the housing boom.

Take a look at who made the top 23 spots this year below:

(All the ages of the people who made the list correspond to the time their fortunes were calculated, which was as of April 24, this year. Since the data was released, the Duke of Westminster died and so the slide has been updated to reflect his heir's claim to his wealth):

23. Bruno Schroder

Net worth:£4.06 billion ($5.84 billion)

Age: 83

Schroder and his family own a £3.7 billion ($5.32 billion) stake in City-based asset-management group Schroders. He is the great-great-grandson of John Henry Schroder, who cofounded the Schroders businesses in 1804. He is still a nonexecutive director of the group.

22. Christo Wiese

Net worth: £4.33 billion ($6.23 billion)

Age: 74

South African retail mogul Christo Wiese is a newcomer to The Sunday Times Rich List, thanks to his range of investments in retail and property.

His active-property portfolio is alone worth £80 million and he has large stakes in seven publicly traded companies. He is also the largest single shareholder in Africa’s biggest retailer, Shoprite, and in 2015 he bought the New Look fashion chain in Britain.

21. Nathan Kirsh

Net worth:£4.37 billion ($6.29 billion)

Age: 84

Kirsh founded a Swaziland corn-milling business in 1958, which later led to his sizeable fortune. He controls Kirsh Group, which has a 75% stake in New York-based cash and carry operation Jetro Holdings.

Getting a degree in business, management, or finance can springboard you into a lucrative career in banking, financial services, or the hedge fund industry.

This week, the Financial Times released its final 2016 ranking of the best business schools in Europe, ranking the most prestigious universities with the highest levels of academic rigour and best job prospects.

The FT took loads of data from business schools, including average salaries, the increase in salary its graduates see three years after finishing their degree, and the percentage of grads in work three months after finishing school. It then collated that data to create a great list of all the best schools in Europe for aspiring bankers, hedge funders, and business people.

We've already taken a look at the best schools across the whole of the continent, but given that more are located in the UK than in any other country, Business Insider decided to pull out all the UK schools that feature in Europe's top 50. The numbers in brackets are overall rankings.

13 (50). University of Edinburgh Business School — Ranking as the 50th best business school in Europe, according to the FT, Edinburgh University's business school has around 1,400 students. It has ties to some of the world's top-rated institutions, including the University of Chicago's Kellogg School of Management.

12 (49). Durham University Business School — In the pantheon of British universities, Durham often ranks just below the likes of Oxford and Cambridge as one of the country's most prestigious. MBA graduates from the university's business school earn an average of $98,029 three years after graduation.

11 (48). Lancaster University Management School — Sat on a hill close to the M6 motorway, Lancaster's business school climbs from being the 53rd best in Europe last year, to 48th in 2016.

I've shaken things up at the very top of this list this month, and I no longer consider the iPhone 7 series the top smartphone you can buy.

In its place is a phone that I thoroughly enjoyed using and which highlights the iPhone 7's lacking features.

Here's our list of the best smartphones you can buy.

Note: Prices may vary depending on the retailer.

SEE ALSO: 8 reasons Google's Pixel is better than the iPhone

DON'T MISS: These are the smartphones with the best signal strength

20. BlackBerry Passport

The BlackBerry Passport may look strange, but a lot of BlackBerry fans seem to love it. It has a really nice physical keyboard, but the key feature is its unique square design.

Price: $200

19. BlackBerry Classic

If you were a BlackBerry fan in the company's heyday, you're going to love the BlackBerry Classic. It looks similar to older BlackBerry models, but features a sharp touch-screen and an excellent physical keyboard.

Price: $362.50

18. BlackBerry Priv

The BlackBerry Priv is a huge departure for BlackBerry. Instead of running BlackBerry's own operating system, the Priv runs Android. While it may look like a standard Android phone, the Priv has a slide-out keyboard.

This could be a great device for those who want a physical keyboard but still want access to Google's apps and services that aren't available on other BlackBerry devices.

Price: $370

Read the BlackBerry Priv review »

There's no question that self-driving cars are coming — the real debate at this point is who will get there first.

We rounded up a whopping 20 companies — from traditional automakers to Silicon Valley start-ups — who are working to build a self-driving car by 2021. Naturally, when we will see a fully driverless car hinges just as much on the regulatory environment as advancements in self-driving tech.

But companies are plowing ahead with getting their self-driving cars ready by as early as 2021. Scroll down to see all the players in the self-driving car space:

SEE ALSO: BMW will release self-driving cars in China in 2021

Tesla made a big move this year to meet its goal of having a fully self-driving car ready by 2018.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced in late October that cars currently in production — which includes the Model S, Model X, and future Model 3 — will be built with new hardware that will enable them to be fully driverless, pending regulatory approval and further software validation.

It's a smart move on Musk's part — equip the cars with the necessary technology now so they are ready once self-driving cars gain federal approval. Musk said a Tesla will drive itself from Los Angeles to New York City as a demonstration of the technology by the end of 2017.

Musk has been committed to having a fully self-driving car ready by 2018.

Uber released its autonomous cars in Pittsburgh as part of a pilot program in September.

Uber released Ford Fusion cars modified with the company's self-driving tech as part of its Pittsburgh pilot in September. A select few Uber users can hail the cars as part of the program. But the cars still have a safety driver as well as an engineer up front because they do fail from time to time.

Uber and Volvo have also agreed to a $300 million alliance to develop driverless cars. Uber has made a play for the self-driving car space by poaching staff from Carnegie Mellon University's robotics department.

Uber also acquired self-driving truck start-up Otto in August. The self-driving truck completed a 120-mile route in October.

Google has never given a formal deadline, but has suggested it's working on having the technology ready by 2020.

Chris Urmson, former head of Google's self-driving car project, suggested during a March 2015 TED Talk that he and his team were working on a 2020 deadline for its self-driving car. But Google's self-driving car program has suffered from executive departures, and Google co-founder Larry Page reportedly said he was heartbroken by its slow pace, according to Bloomberg.

Google is taking a different approach from other automakers in that it isn't looking to roll out semi-autonomous features overtime, but produce a fully driverless car without a brake or steering wheel. Bloomberg also reported that some Google teammakers have pushed for partial automation, but Page is set on releasing a fully driverless car.

The cars have driven over 2.3 million miles in autonomous mode as of November.

As the year comes to a close, Hollywood looks back with mixed feelings.

Though there were some surprise box-office giants like Disney’s “Zootopia” and Fox’s “Deadpool,” which just added to the predicted success of movies like “Captain America: Civil War” and “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (not to mention the huge coin “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” will get soon), the industry also had numerous failures in its sequels (“Independence Day: Resurgence,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”) and reboots (“Ben-Hur,” “Ghostbusters”).

And though there have been record-setting box-office openings this year, ticket sales are down as many are staying home to watch what’s on TV or their streaming services.

Let’s break down what the movie business did right and what it did wrong as we highlight the five winners and losers at the box office in 2016.

SEE ALSO: The tightest race at the 2017 Oscars is best actress — here's who could win

WINNER: Disney

The biggest winner of the year by far is the house Walt built. In early December, Disney surpassed the industry record for biggest domestic box office in a year, earning $2.49 billion (Universal previously held the record for the $2.45 billion it made domestically last year). And the studio could earn close to $7 billion worldwide by the end of the year (if all goes as planned with “Rogue One”), which would break another industry record.

Basically almost everything Disney released this year did as expected or better. “Zootopia” ($1.02 billion worldwide) and “The Jungle Book” ($966.5 million worldwide) earned beyond what anyone imagined. And “Captain America: Civil War” and “Finding Dory” were the biggest domestic earners of 2016. 

If you went to the movies this year, it was likely for a Disney movie.

LOSER: Sony

The studio had a lot of stumbles this year. Movies with marquee names — like “Money Monster,” starring George Clooney, and “Inferno,” with Tom Hanks — didn’t ignite the box office and its supposed awards contender “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” used a shooting format that only two theaters in the US could show the way it was intended.

But the biggest disappointment was the release of the all-female reboot of “Ghostbusters,” only earning $229 million worldwide on a budget of $144 million. Regardless what the studio did, the people who used the internet to voice their displeasure about the “Ghostbusters” reboot affected its performance.

WINNER: “Deadpool”

Fox rolled the dice by making a movie about an obscure Marvel character whose mouth was sealed shut the last time he was seen onscreen. But its gamble payed off big time.

“Deadpool” is the shocking success of the year as it took in over $782 million worldwide on a $58 million budget. And it was an R movie! This has opened up Fox to make its next Wolverine movie, “Logan,” much more violent (and it likely will receive an R rating, too). And it’s also put the pressure on “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds to repeat the box-office success for the sequel, which is stumbling to get off the ground.

But regardless of what may occur, 2016 was the year of Deadpool.

It's hard to pick favorites when it comes to video games. As with movies and books, one's preference for video games is deeply personal.

But that didn't stop us from rounding up the top 50 video games of all time.

We did have some parameters, however, when choosing the games: This list includes console video games, spanning from the 1980s to today, and includes only games from more-modern consoles (sorry, Atari fans!). In most instances, we chose an entire franchise or series of games, rather than just one, as our favorite.

We also took into consideration Metacritic scores, user reviews, as well as our own personal experience to choose the games on this list. The good news is that many of these games were either re-released or are still around in some form, whether on eBay, Amazon, or through virtual consoles like that of the Wii U.

50. "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!"

Original release date: October 18, 1987

Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System

Buy it here.

When you think of boxing video games, the first one that comes to mind has to be "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" Players took on the role of Little Mac, who fought his way up the ranks to beat the big guy, Mike Tyson, at the end. 

The game was re-released in 1990 and billed as just "Punch-Out!!," after Nintendo's license to use Tyson expired. The last battle was replaced by a fictional character, named Mr. Dream. The game was also released for the Wii in 2009.

The game was notoriously hard, however. Not even Tyson can beat himself in the game. 

49. "Soul Calibur" (franchise)

Original release date: September 9, 1999

Platform: PlayStation, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Buy it here.

The weapon-based fighting game is a standout in the genre. There are six games in the series, which are all set in a fantasy version of the 16th century. There are a ton of characters in the game, all with unique backstories, fighting abilities, and weapons. The franchise has also included characters from other games, like "God of War" and "Assassin's Creed." In "Soul Calibur IV," you could even play as Darth Vader or Yoda from "Star Wars."

48. "Silent Hill" (franchise)

Original release date: January 31, 1999

Platform: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation Vita

Buy it here.

Unlike so many horror games that try to make you jump out of your seat, Konami's survival horror series has long relied on psychological terrors to keep gamers coming back. Each game of the franchise is set in the foggy, fictitious American town of "Silent Hill," where players are often forced to face monsters that are actually real-world manifestations of the unconscious mind.

Luxury and richness come at varying price points, and creating a space that feels and looks expensive doesn't always have to be costly.

"Sometimes when working with a limited budget, it's easy to say 'let's play it safe,"Homepolish designer Ariel Farmer told Business Insider. "More often than not this route leads to the blah and boring world of beige walls and matching sofas and love seats."

However, says Farmer, "You can just as easily achieve your aspirational home goals through sensible purchases and investing in foundational pieces with high impact."

Below, Farmer shares five tips for decorating your home to feel rich when you're on a budget.

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SEE ALSO: 13 things that will trash your home's value

1. Invest in a few primary pieces of furniture

If you're designing a living room, for example, Farmer suggests investing in statement furniture, like the sofa or media console, because as "the largest and most utilized pieces of the room ... it's imperative they be functional and stylish."

Farmer says it's important to "steer away from anything too bulky, rounded or 'of the moment.' The pieces you invest in should be timeless and able to evolve with you."

2. Or try a high-quality accent piece

Furniture doesn't always need to be the big investment, says Farmer, especially if you already own an older or inexpensive piece you want to keep. Buying high-quality accent pieces, like pillows and throw blankets, can elevate the overall look of a room, too.

"Sometimes, that $200 lumbar pillow makes your thrift store find of a lounge chair seem like it was ripped out of the pages of the latest design magazine," she said.

Ultimately, "it's more about the mix of high and low and buying the best quality that your budget can allow," Farmer says.

3. Get a good paint job

According to Farmer, "a good paint job goes a long way."

She says it's an "inexpensive way to add drama and glamour to a space," without breaking the bank. "Life is too short to live in a white box (unless it's intentional to the design of course!)."

Your options for picking a vacation destination are typically limited to the places where hotels and other accommodations have already been built. But the London-based luxury travel agency Black Tomato is changing that with a new offering: a service that allows you to make your next vacation spot anywhere in the world.

Called Blink, the highly personalized service provides temporary accommodations and a staff to set it all up and take it all down later. Prices range depending on the location and the length of your stay, but they can go anywhere from $10,964 a person for a three-night vacation in Morocco to $29,600 per person for a four-night trip to Bolivia.

Blink can bring five-star accommodations wherever you want to go, as long as you don't mind sleeping in a luxury tent. Here's how it works.

SEE ALSO: Beautiful National Geographic photos show how Americans in every state spend their downtime

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Blink said in a press release that it can set up its temporary accommodations "anywhere in the world where we can transport the tents and materials."

The travel agency's suggested destinations include the sand bank of the Mekong river in Cambodia, the Chegaga sand dunes of Morocco, and the Uyuni salt flats of Bolivia.

Travelers can choose how they'd like their accommodations to look. There are a few tent options: canvas, dome, bubble, bell, tropical villa, yurt, and lodge.

Tiger Woods remains the most recognizable name in golf today.

Despite a one-year absence from golf while he rehabbed from back surgery, Woods caused a stir with his return to the Tour to play in the 2016 Hero World Challenge.

After an unparalleled start to his career, Woods still draws attention, especially when he hits the course.

Over his career, photographers have flocked to Woods, capturing some gorgeous photos of one of the greatest golfers doing his thing.

Check out 36 of the most beautiful photos of Woods hitting the greens.

Hero World Challenge, Bahamas — 2016

Wyndham Championship, Greensboro, North Carolina — 2015

Quicken Loans National, Gainesville, Virginia — 2015

Harry Potter reigned supreme in 2016. 

The series remains among the most popular books, and the latest edition of the canon, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," nabbed the top spot, according to Google's ranking of the top books of the year.

The books and graphic novels were ranked based on their popularity in the Google Play store. But they weren't necessarily published this year — in fact, Dale Carnegie's "How To Win Friends and Influence People" still made the list, despite being first published in 1936. 

See below are the 100 most popular books of 2016. All the descriptions of the books below are provided by Google.

SEE ALSO: These are the top 50 movies of the year, according to Google

100. Batman vs. Superman: The Greatest Battles

Authors: Geoff Johns, Frank Miller, Scott Snyder, Jeph Loeb, Joe Kelly, and Mark Verheiden

Plot: "The Man of Steel against the Dark Knight! Superman and Batman are usually allies, but when they do have to go toe-to-toe, it’s the ultimate battle of brains versus brawn! Can an ordinary man take down an opponent with the power of a god? Can even superpowers prevail against a tactical genius who is never less than ten steps ahead?"

Download it: Google /Amazon

99. Find Her

Author: Lisa Gardner

Plot: "Flora Dane is a victim. Seven years ago, carefree college student Flora was kidnapped while on spring break. For 472 days, Flora learned just how much one person can endure. 

"Flora Dane is a survivor. Miraculously alive after her ordeal, Flora has spent the past five years reacquainting herself with the rhythms of normal life, working with her FBI victim advocate, Samuel Keynes. She has a mother who’s never stopped loving her, a brother who is scared of the person she’s become, and a bedroom wall covered with photos of other girls who’ve never made it home. 

"Flora Dane is reckless...or is she? When Boston detective D. D. Warren is called to the scene of a crime — a dead man and the bound, naked woman who killed him — she learns that Flora has tangled with three other suspects since her return to society. Is Flora a victim or a vigilante? And with her firsthand knowledge of criminal behavior, could she hold the key to rescuing a missing college student whose abduction has rocked Boston? When Flora herself disappears, D.D. realizes a far more sinister predator is out there. One who’s determined that this time, Flora Dane will never escape. And now it is all up to D.D. Warren to find her."

Download it: Google /Amazon

98. The Bazaar of Bad Dreams

Author: Stephen King

Plot: "Since 'Nightshift,' published 35 years ago, Stephen King has dazzled an entire generation of readers with his genius as a prominent writer of short fiction. Now in his latest collection, he once again assembles a generous array of unforgettable, tantalizing tales — including those that, until recently, have never been published in a book (such as the story 'Cookie Jar,' which is exclusive to this edition). There are thrilling connections between these works — themes of mortality, the afterlife, guilt, and what we would do differently if we could see into the future or correct the mistakes of the past. Magnificent, eerie, and utterly compelling, 'The Bazaar of Bad Dreams' is one of Stephen King’s finest gifts to readers everywhere — a master storyteller at his very best."

Download it: Google /Amazon

It's the start of winter and it's just beginning to get cold outside in much the US. For many of us, there's a good chance it'll be dark by the time we leave work every day for the next few months.

And that's depressing enough that it seems like a reason to put off workouts, curl up with a book or some Netflix, and wait until spring to get back into shape.

Unfortunately, nice as that might sound for a moment, it's kind of a terrible plan.

The benefits of exercise don't fade away with the summer sun. If you let your workout routines lapse, you're going to be stuck with weeks or months of recovery work in spring, increasing your injury risk and slowing any progress towards fitness goals.

If anything, winter is perhaps when we could most use the stress-reducing and mental health-improving benefits of exercise. Plus, a good run or bike ride is an excellent way to work off some of those holiday cookies and a way to counteract some of the brain-dulling effects of a few too many holiday cocktails.

With that in mind, we've collected a few tips from John Honerkamp, a coach with the New York Road Runners and former professional runner, and from experts at the American Council on Exercise.

Here's how to get ready to emerge from winter feeling happier and healthier than you would if you took this time off.

Know that it's worth it. Exercise improves mental health, is perhaps the most effective anti-depressant we have, improves your sex life, makes it easier to focus at work, and more. Not only is it "good for you," but you'll feel better too.

Taking a couple months off is a killer. "You’re not going to lose a ton of fitness in a week or two, but three or four weeks, it gets bad," says Honerkamp. You lose fitness pretty quickly if you aren't getting a workout in — there's no way around that. It can take months to even get back to your baseline fitness after that.

Source: Business Insider

Start as soon as you can, especially since December's weather isn't that bad. "It’s important now, because the bad months are January and February." December is the best time to get accustomed to moving around in the cold, since in most places (sorry, Minnesotans), it's still bearable out. Build a routine ASAP.