Leaving school and entering the workforce can feel overwhelming.

Chances are, your college didn't offer classes on how to negotiate your salary, deal with a micromanaging boss, or confront annoying coworkers.

But there's still something you can do to prepare yourself for the tricky world of work: read.

Here are 28 books we think every young professional should read before starting their first job:

SEE ALSO: 23 books Mark Zuckerberg thinks everyone should read

DON'T MISS: The 27 jobs that are most damaging to your health

'What Color is Your Parachute?' by Richard N. Bolles

If you're only going to read one book on the list, you may want to choose this one. Why? It covers a little about everything. 

Bolles writes in the first chapter, "In today's world, he or she who gets hired is not necessarily the one who can do that job best; but, the one who knows the most about how to get hired." 

The first half of the book talks about how to create an eye-catching résumé and cover letter, as well as how to improve your networking, interviewing, and negotiating skills — while the second half focuses on how to find your ideal career.

BUY IT HERE»

'Never Eat Alone' by Keith Ferrazzi

"Never Eat Alone" is about using relationships to reach success. In other words, it's about who you know, not what you know.

Ferrazzi, a master networker, talks about how he used connections to get into Yale for his undergraduate degree, Harvard for his MBA, and later, to land a number of top executive positions. 

Based on his experiences and additional research, Ferrazzi claims that networking is the difference between average and super successful people. To help others achieve their dream life, he lays out his exact steps for reaching out to people in his network, as well as networking tips from the most well-connected individuals in the modern business and political world. 

These tips have helped him connect with Washington power players and Hollywood A-listers, so they should definitely be able to help you. 

BUY IT HERE»

'Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion' by Robert B. Cialdini

This book will teach you how to make people say "yes."

No matter what field you're in, you need to know how to get others to agree with you and help you out.

Cialdini explains the science behind doing just that based on his 35 years of research, as well as his three-year study on what makes people change their behavior. 

Not only does this book teach you how to become a powerful negotiator, it also teaches you how to resist one. 

BUY IT HERE»

As a member of Amazon Prime, you get a convenient and well-publicized perk: free two-day shipping on almost any item on Amazon. 

But the $99-per-year membership actually gets you a lot more than expedited shipping. In fact, signing up for Prime unlocks features like Amazon's vast library of music, movies, television, and books, one-hour restaurant delivery, and unlimited cloud storage for your photos. 

Here are 17 of the coolest benefits of Amazon Prime. 

SEE ALSO: Amazon Prime members can upload their outfits and get a fashion expert's opinion — here's what it's like to use in person

1. Free two-day shipping

Most things you buy on Amazon are eligible for free two-day shipping, but there are a few exceptions:

- Some items that are fulfilled by Amazon Marketplace sellers

- Magazine subscriptions

- Personalized gift cards

- International addresses and addresses in US territories, possessions, or protectorates (except for Puerto Rico)

2. Amazon Restaurants

For a $20 order minimum, you can get restaurant food delivered in less an hour in cities like Manhattan, Orlando, and Los Angeles (it's available in 24 locations total as of right now). 

3. Prime Photos

A Prime membership also gives you access to Prime Photos, Amazon's cloud storage feature. Members will get unlimited storage for photos, plus 5 GB for videos and documents. 

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

The Insider Pick:

• Although the humble toaster may be a small appliance compared to the stove or refrigerator, it still remains a vital part of your kitchen lineup. The Cuisinart CPT-435 Countdown 4-slice Stainless Steel Toaster is the best one you can buy with its many settings and features.

Toast has long been a beloved comfort food. It’s cheap, easy to make, versatile, and downright delicious. For many of us, the heavenly aroma of bread transforming into the best beautifully browned version of itself elicits treasured childhood memories.

Toast has transformed with the times. While we have been devouring heavily buttered toast with eggs at the diner for decades, toast became fancy in 2014 when San Francisco started serving up artisanal toast. Slathered with locally-sourced butter, jam, or other spreads, a single slice of the good stuff was pulling in a whopping $4. Avocado toast is an even hotter trend that shows no sign of slowing down.  

If you don't want to spend that much on toast, you can always make it at home, but you need a reliable toaster. We've done the research to find the best toasters you can buy for browning your bread to perfection.

Treat yourself to the right toaster and toss your cheap one

For making toast at home, there are two major types of toasters: toaster ovens and traditional pop-up toasters.  In this guide, we are focusing on the more common pop-up toasters, which come in either two-slice or four-slice options. Which one is right for you depends on both the size of your family and the size of your kitchen. If you are single and living in a cozy studio apartment where countertop space is at a premium, a two-slice toaster will probably do the trick. A family of six in an oversized suburban home? A four-slice toaster can clearly make your mornings easier.

The pop-up toaster has come a long way since it was invented by Minnesota mechanic Charles Strite in 1921. While you can still buy a fairly basic model, these days, your tiny appliance can also come equipped with big bells and whistles, including see-through glass slots, countdown timers, and high-tech LED displays. In 2017, Griffin even introduced the “connected toaster,” which comes with a Bluetooth connection and a smartphone app.

A sharp-looking toaster can be used as a focal point in a kitchen redesign or refresh. In fact, luxury Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana recently teamed up with appliance maker Smeg to introduce a line of unique appliances, including a colorful, funky toaster. Common exterior materials include stainless steel, aluminum, chrome, copper, and plastic. You can also opt for a character-driven appliance like the perennially-popular Hello Kitty Toaster or the Mickey Mouse toaster one, both of which leave an imprint of your favorite character's likeness on the bread.

The makings of a good toaster

Below are some features that are rapidly becoming commonplace on today’s toasters:

• Defrost setting: This defrosts frozen bread before switching to a different setting to toast it.
• Bagel setting: This will toast the dense bread, or anything else, on just one side.
• Different width slots: Extra-wide or adjustable slots allow you to toast thicker bread slices. Some toasters come with extra-long slots, too.
• Warming tray: This allows you to heat items — like dinner rolls — over the toaster.
• Sandwich rack: Easily warm thin sandwiches. If you butter the outside of the bread, it slows the browning process and helps warm the filling.
• A removable tray: This remains the best way to remove crumbs from your toaster.
• Reheat Function: If you tend to plop bread in the toaster and then forget about it, this allows your toast to be warmed up — without further browning.

Still, all the bells and whistles in the world don’t really matter if you don’t end up with great toast. Ideally, a toaster should brown bread evenly and consistently and fairly quickly. It should also be able to handle a variety of different bread or food products, be safe, look good, and fall within your budget. Read on to hear all about our top picks for the best toasters you can buy.

For the best of everything in your kitchen, you can also check out our other buying guides for the best knife sharpeners, the best strainers and colanders, the best spice racks, the best measuring cups, the best immersion blenders, and more on Insider Picks.

Although the Cuisinart CPT-435 Countdown Four-Slice Stainless Steel Toaster is our top pick, for various reasons laid out in the slides below, you should also consider the Oster TSSTTRJBG1 Jelly Bean Two-Slice Toaster, the Breville BTA840XL Die-Cast Four-Slice Toaster, the SMEG Two-Slice Toaster, and the T-Fal TT7061 Avante Deluxe Two-Slice Toaster with Bagel Function.

SEE ALSO: The best spice racks you can buy

The best toaster overall

Why you'll love it: The Cuisinart Countdown Four-Slice Toaster's sleek, stainless-steel design stands out, and it delivers beautifully-brown toast time and again. 

The Cuisinart Countdown Four-Slice Toaster’s seven browning settings ensure that you can take your toast however you like it — from a barely-there brown sheen right up to super crispy. But the versatile settings on this toaster are just the beginning of what makes it so much better than the competition.

The 1.5-inch wide slots allow you to toast a variety of items including artisanal bread that you slice yourself, English muffins, pastries, and bagel halves. Two sets of controls toast bread on different settings. A bagel button reduces the heat on the uncut side of the bagel. It’s also no problem if you want to plop a frozen waffle or other bread product right into the toaster. The defrost button will thaw out your bread before toasting it. Additionally, the reheat button expertly warms up forgotten toast, without further browning.

The beautiful blue LED screens on this toaster are more than a stylish accouterment. They inform you what setting you’ve selected and exactly how long you have to wait until your toast is ready.

The Cuisinart CountdownToaster comes with a three-year warranty, so you're covered if you run into any problems. User reviews on Amazon are mostly positive, with verified buyers continually pointing out that you get a lot of bang for your buck. One reviewer wrote: “Looks great. Toasts great. Great price.” Across the web, expert reviewers, including those from Good Housekeeping, Best Reviews, and Chef Horizons give high marks to the Cuisinart Countdown and similar models. 

It may be pricier than that cheap toaster you bought at Wal-Mart all those years ago, but it is the most easy-to-use and fully featured toaster you can buy.

Pros: Great value, stylish, modern LED features, high-quality bagel function

Cons: Noisy, occasional uneven browning

Buy Cuisinart CPT-435 Countdown Four-Slice Stainless Steel Toaster on Amazon for $46.59 (price varies — originally $79.99)

The best budget toaster

Why you'll love it: The Oster TSSTTRJBG1 Jelly Bean Two-Slice Toaster is an adorable, budget-priced toaster that easily competes with the big boys in performance.

Some say the Oster Jelly Bean Toaster resembles a Volkswagen Beetle. Like the car, this chic little toaster comes in a variety of colors; purple is the most popular, but red and gray are also options. The glossy finish ensures that it a shiny addition to your kitchen. The tiny toasting machine weighs in at just 3.44 pounds and is only 7 inches wide, but don’t let its cute appearance fool you. 

It has many of the same features as our top pick, including seven browning settings, and bagel, defrost, warm and cancel functions. It also offers wide slots and auto-adjusting bread guides that automatically center the food for an even browning. In test after test, the Oster Jelly Bean Toaster consistently produces evenly browned bread.

Why does it work so well? Oster uses something called Toast Logic in all of its toasters. This means that it adjusts the toasting time to compensate for the toaster's temperature and voltage input during the toasting cycle.

The Oster Jelly Bean is easy to use and easy to clean. The low-tech knobs are self-explanatory. The cord is almost two feet long, and since the toaster is so compact, many consumers choose to move it around their kitchen and sometimes store it in a cabinet. You just take out the removable crumb tray and wipe it with a damp cloth to clean it.

The Oster Jelly Bean Toaster comes with a one-year warranty in case you run into any issues. User reviews on Amazon are mostly positive, and around the web, professional reviewers, including those from Best Products, The Sweethome, and Best Reviews give the toaster extremely high marks.

Pros: Affordable, stylish, consistent, versatile, easy to use, easy to clean

Cons: Although slots are wide, they are not very deep; no method to wrap or retract the long cord

Buy the Oster TSSTTRJBG1 Jelly Bean 2-Slice Toaster at Amazon for $29.99 (originally $34.99)

The best expensive toaster

Why you'll love it: The gorgeous, high-quality Breville Die-Cast 4-Slice Toaster is simply one of the best toasters money can buy.

Australian company Breville is renowned for producing top-notch small home appliances, and its Breville BTA840XL Die-Cast 4-Slice Toaster has all the bells and whistles of our top pick — and then some! A whopping twelve browning settings are accompanied by five other setting buttons including frozen, bagel, and cancel. Breville also offers two trademarked buttons. The “A Bit More” button allows users to instantly add a little extra toasting time.

The Motorized “Lift & Look” button automatically raises and lowers the carriage so you can check the toasting progress without interrupting the toasting cycle.

We love the LED panel that illuminates according to the selected setting, and it also counts down how long is left in the toasting cycle. The beep that indicates the cycle is complete can be made louder or softer and is a more pleasing sound than the one our top pick makes. It is also virtually the only sound you will hear from this blissfully quiet appliance.

The Breville BTA840XL Die-Cast 4-Slice Toaster is a solid machine that is built to last. Although should something go awry, Breville is renowned for its customer service and has been known to quickly send replacement units after the one-year warranty has expired. The 36-inch cord is removable, but also has a neat storage space on the bottom of the unit. Unlike many other toasters, the Breville remains cool to the touch. To top it all off, the all metal exterior looks sharp and cleans up easily with a damp cloth.

User reviews on Amazon are mostly positive, with users often exclaiming that it is worth the hefty price tag. Around the web, professional reviewers, including those from Best Reviews, Best Products, and The Sweethome, give the toaster extremely high marks.

Pros: Stylish, solidly-made, consistent toasting, fun extra features.

Cons: Expensive

Buy the Breville BTA840XL Die-Cast 4-Slice Toaster  from Bed Bath & Beyond for $179.00

Earlier this month, police in Argentina raided the home of an art collector and found a door leading to a room full of Nazi knives, sculptures, medical devices, magnifying glasses, and a large bust portrait of Adolf Hitler.

"There are no precedents for a find like this," Nestor Roncaglia, the head of Argentina's federal police, told The Associated Press. "Pieces are stolen or are imitations. But this is original, and we have to get to the bottom of it."

Patricia Bullrich, Argentina's security minister, told the AP: "There are objects to measure heads that was the logic of the Aryan race."

Investigators are trying to figure out how such an extensive collection of Nazi memorabilia made it into the South American country, where several Nazi officials fled at the end of World War II.

Here is the disturbing collection of Nazi artifacts that spent years collecting dust in one man's apartment in northern Buenos Aires:

SEE ALSO: Why the Nazis studied American race laws for inspiration

After finding some illicit paintings at an art gallery, Argentinian police raided a Buenos Aires art collector's home and found close to 75 items of old Nazi memorabilia that the man kept hidden by a bookcase that led to his secret shrine.

Source: AP

A Hitler photo negative, Nazi sculptures, knives, head-measuring medical devices, and children's toys with swastikas on them were among some of the items found.

This device was used to measure the size of a person's head.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

The Insider Pick:

• Bar stools are great space savers in small spaces and they look cool in your home bar. Of all the bar stools we researched and tested, the Winsome Wood 29-inch Saddle Seat Bar Stool is the best because its versatile and casual style will accent your decor without clashing with your current set up. 

As family dinners at the dining room table continue to dissipate and the homes we live in shrink in size, bar stools have become a common household item. You may need a bar stool, or a few, for an actual mixology and entertaining countertop you have in your home, or maybe you just need some by your countertop so you can avoid having a dining room table and save that precious space in your apartment. Needless to say, at the end of the day, there is more than one use case for bar stools.

That's why we've compiled a guide to the best bar stools you can buy. Before we get to our picks, here are some aspects of bar stools to keep in mind.

• Bar stools versus counter stools: First of all, counter stools differ from bar stools, but if you don’t bother or know to look through the details of a product, it’s easy to get them confused just by browsing product pictures. The common thinking is counter stools are around 24 inches tall and are designed for sitting at a kitchen counter, while bar stools tend to be 30 inches tall and are usually thought of more as stools for a libation counter.
• Measure and do the math: To find the best bar stool for your home you have to do a little math (sorry) to calculate what will fit best. To figure out the proper height of your stool, measure your bar height and subtract 10 inches from that number.
• Spacing is key: Traditionally bar stools are further apart than kitchen chairs, so the number of stools you have in your head when you look at your currently stool-less bar, might not be the number that will actually fit. The general thinking is you should aim for 28 inches from the middle of one stool to the middle of another. To get an estimate on the number, you can fit measure the length of your bar and then divide by 28. Also, keep in mind that if your bar has brackets under it, you may not be able to fit as many stools.
• Seat width and comfort: Then you have to factor in the width of your stool seats, which are, as a rough estimate, usually 15, 17, or 21 inches wide. Here it comes down to the question of do you want more comfortable seating with wider seats, or do you want room for more stools? 

Think about different bar stool designs

There are a handful of factors that come into the design of bar stools, many of which have to do with personal preference and room aesthetics. Some things to keep in mind are stool backs, footrests, round or square seats, and the material of the stool.

• Backs and footrests: Backless bar stools tend to look more refined and sleek, but bar stools with backs will be more comfortable if you’re going to be spending a lot of time on them doing things such as eating and lounging. When it comes to footrests you may not need one because your bar already has a bracket underneath the front side, but if it doesn’t, and you’re going back and forth on which model to buy, consider getting stools with an adjustable footrest, or those that have two footrests of different heights, both which give you more versatility.
• Round versus square seating is primarily a personal preference but it’s helpful to know that round stools usually take up more space. Also, it’s a common misperception that heavier stools are sturdiest. They’re not — they simply look that way. Instead of checking out the weight of the stools, take a look at the material of them, which will give you a better idea of how durable and heavy they are.
• Match your stools to the decor: Think about the space to plan to put the bar stools. You don’t want the stools to clash with the design of your countertop. For example, if your countertop is already pretty loud with color and design, it’s best to go with more minimalistic, subtle bar stools. Alternatively, if your bar space is lacking in that ‘it’ element you can definitely go with more decorative colors and designs. Also, if you get wooden bar stools you probably want the wood to match the wood in other areas of your room.
• Saving space: If your counter space is limited, consider swivel bar stools, and if your room space is limited, opt for bar stools without arms (which will be most backless bar stools) so you can tuck them under the counter when not in use.
• Protect your floor from scratches: To keep your floors protected, make note of if the bar stools have protective caps on the bottom before ordering, otherwise you may need to add some adhesive felt.

The best bar stools will meet a handful of all of these factors, be comfortable, and appeal to your style preferences. The bar stools in our guide check off more than a few of the above-mentioned marks and we’ve either tried them ourselves or they have high customer review ratings across multiple retailers and third-party retailer sites, as well as the thumbs up from outside reliable reviewers who specialize in home decor.

We’ve rounded up the best overall bar stools, as well as bar stools for people more interested in matching bar stools to their existing countertop design, those most interested in the comfort, and those interested in the uses of they can get out of their bar stools.

To outfit your home with the best of everything, check out our guides for the best area rugs, the best clothes hangers, the best cordless vacuum cleaners, the best laundry baskets and hampers, the best sheets, the best mattresses, the best mattress toppers, the best duvet covers, thebest pillows, and more onInsider Picks.

Although the Winsome Wood 29-Inch Saddle Seat Bar Stool is our top pick, for various reasons laid out in the slides below, you should also consider the Roundhill Furniture Swivel Black Bonded Leather Adjustable Hydraulic Bar Stool, the AmeriHome Metal Bar Stool, the Winsome 29-Inch Square Leg Bar Stool, and the Roundhill Furniture Redico Adjustable Metal Barstool.

SEE ALSO: This company makes everything you need to have the perfect bar at home

The best bar stools overall

Why you'll love it: The Winsome Wood 29-Inch Saddle Seat Bar Stool is fashionable and it brings a new school brand of economic sophistication to the classic bar stool.

The Winsome Wood Saddle Seat Bar Stool is the highest rated bar stool on Amazon and for good reason. It’s timeless with a saddle style seat that goes with nearly any countertop setup. The stool has a sturdy solid wood construction, and since it's made out of natural hardwood, it can support more weight than you would guess.

When it comes to purchasing the Winsome Wood stool, you have an impressive amount of options. It’s available in both counter stool and bar stool heights, plus you can pick the color that works best for you with options of matte black, walnut, or natural wood finishes. Also, you can purchase the stools individually, rather than in pairs, which is helpful in case you need three or five, or any other odd number.

As a backless, armrest-free bar stool, it’s economical and can be a real space saver that you simply slide under your countertop when not needed. It also doesn’t scream bar stool so you could easily set an extra one in a corner of your home without completely messing up the aesthetics of your place.  

It’s strikingly similar in design to theSchoolhouse Bar Stool that L.A. based style company Emily Henderson lists in The Ultimate Counter & Bar Stool Roundup. The design company specializes in ‘mixing eclectic styles on moderate budgets’, so when looking for bar stool experts, we consider the company to be a natural, trustworthy resource.

Although it might not look like the most comfortable thing to sit on, it’s more comfortable than your eyes perceive asone reviewer commented. The same reviewer went on to say that it’s more durable than IKEA furniture as well.

It does not come assembled, and reviewers go back and forth on the assembly process with somesaying it’s unpleasant, while others say it's a "fantastic assembly experience." With a heavy mixture of reviews about assembly, we can gather that it may be a little troublesome to assemble, but that’s probably dependent upon how much assembly experience you actually have.

With a reasonable price, nearly 3,000 reviews with an average star rating of 4.3 on Amazon, and a stylish, unintrusive design, this was our natural choice for the best bar stool.

Pros: Adaptable style, economical design, high-quality construction and materials, price

Cons: Assembly may be a bit challenging

Buy the Winsome Wood 29-Inch Saddle Seat Bar Stool on Amazon for $29.88 to $35.99 (price varies based on finish)

The best bar stool for comfort

Why you'll love it: Once you sit in the Roundhill Furniture Swivel Black Bonded Leather Adjustable Hydraulic Bar Stool, you’ll find it so comfortable that standing up may be a problem.

Just looking at the Roundhill Furniture Swivel Black Bonded Leather Adjustable Hydraulic Bar Stool you can see that it's comfortable. It’s designed with comfort in mind with backed faux leather seats that have been ‘injected’ with foam. It has a footrest and a 360-degree swivel feature, making it easy to fit in a variety of spaces.

The Roundhill stools also features an airlift design, making it adjustable from 24-inches to 30 inches, so you can use it at a counter or a bar. It’s versatile, modern, and comes with a price tag that’s hard to beat.

Reviewers on Amazon consistently comment on the low price and say that these stools are just really comfy. Most agree that the stools are easy to piece together even though they do not come assembled. Basically, you know a stool is going to cushion you well whenreviewers say they spend hours on it without any discomfort. After all, many people can’t even say that about their office chairs.

The Roundhill stool is truly contemporary so it’s best if you have a bar area that at least borders on contemporary as well. On the other hand, if you have a bar area that’s just ‘okay’ with nothing special to it, this bar stool could be the decorative part you need to spruce the whole room up. The only downside is the airlift design isn’t the smoothest asone Amazon reviewer pointed out, but for the features, style, and price point we still consider it to be a great bar stool option.

Pros: Comfort is on point, price, ease of assembly, adjustable from counter to bar height

Cons: Seat cushion may show hand marks and require frequent cleaning, hydraulic system is not the smoothest

Buy the Roundhill Furniture Swivel Bonded Leather Adjustable Hydraulic Bar Stools in a set of two on Amazon for $80.01 to $139.15 (price varies based on color)

The best bar stool for design

Why you'll love it: The AmeriHome Metal Bar Stool is worth talking about as much as your entire bar with its funky red color.

It’s likely you’ve seen some resemblance of this bar stool design in a friend’s home or at a dining or drinking establishment, but the red coloring of the AmeriHome MetalBar Stool gives it that extra oomph to make it a standout piece all on its own. The metal stool is painted in a scratch-resistant, bold red powder coat finish and it features no-mar rubber feet that keep it from sliding and scratching your floors.  

It closely resembles theTolix H Bar Stool featured in The Independent’s roundup of10 Best Bar Stools. As the publication notes, its style mimics a 1930’s chair that has become an industrial design classic that's been exhibited in the Vitra Design Museum, MOMA, and the Pompidou.

TheAmeriHome MetalBar Stool has a seat height of 30 inches and a seat size of 12-by-12-inches making it easy to measure out how many of them you need. Because it’s not as wide as many others, you can probably squeeze more of these stools in under your countertop, if desired.

Without backs or arm rests, you can easily skirt it under your countertop, and because of its unique shape, it’s also stackable, so you can use a few and store them in a closet to save space. A handle is smartly built into the seat that makes it extra easy to pick up and move around.  

Reviewers rave about its look and durability — each stool can hold up to 330 pounds. One reviewer went so far as toleave a video review of the item citing her purchase as "perfect." Other love the stacking component, the price, and a few call the stools kid-proof. The only real gripe throughout the reviews seems to be that they can get damaged a little with the shipping, with some reviewers such as this one mentioning they arrived with minor scrapes.

I’ve sat on a model of this bar stool before, although it was at countertop height and found it to be more comfortable than it looks, which I credit mostly to the footrests. I also found the stool kept me sitting more upright and proper, but in a very comfortable way. I didn’t feel any back pain after sitting with better-than-normal posture for an extended period of time, which I normally do on other stools that make me slouch. 

Pros: Stunning color and design combination, can support plenty of weight, stackable and easy to store

Cons: Tends to get easily damaged with shipping

Buy the AmeriHome Metal Bar Stool Set (set of 4) on Amazon for $148.91

In Silicon Valley, the more suburban area south of San Francisco, house-hunters find a confluence of a mild climate, a strong economy with high-paying jobs, and a tech sector unlike any in the world.

The environment attracts a competitive housing marke. It's not uncommon for prospective owners to place bids well above listing prices, often for more than $100,000 over asking.

We took to Zillow to find the most modest but expensive houses on the market — under 2,000 square feet selling for over $1.1 million. They could be all yours, if you've got the funds to spare.

SEE ALSO: Go inside the hottest neighborhood in San Francisco, where home prices have risen 75% in the last 5 years

The listing describes this 1,130-square-foot cottage in Palo Alto as a "darling home tucked away on a quiet street ... close to Stanford campus, Google, [and] Facebook."

Address:477 Dymond Court, Palo Alto, California

Price: $1,999,000

It has two bedrooms and one bath, as well as a kitchen that's begging for a makeover.

A renovated three-bedroom, two-bath ranch house sits on a corner lot in Mountain View.

Address:374 Fay Way, Mountain View, CA

Price: $1,799,000

The American McMansion is officially a dying breed of architectural design, which is good news for those who consider the unnecessarily massive and disproportionate homes an eyesore.

The blog Worst of McMansions, also known as McMansion Hell by its URL, has taken on the daunting task of chronicling these monstrosities and helping the general public understand exactly what makes these homes so hideous.

The anonymous author, who simply goes by "Kate," studied architectural acoustics and has been writing about architecture for six years. We've asked Kate to gather what she considers to be the ugliest McMansions built in the past five years. Below is her list, accompanied by her own commentary in quotes.

SEE ALSO: These eerie photos of deserted golf courses reveal a new normal in America

19. Loudoun Co, VA

"Huzzah! Money can actually buy taste! Loudoun County, the wealthiest county in the country, is at the very bottom of the Top 19 List, with this cheap, remarkably boring tract home."

18. Hunterdon Co, NJ

"Another tract house hub, as evidenced by this dated, low-budget estate."

17. Prince William Co, VA

"Tract house or cult compound? You decide!"

I'm an all or nothing kind of person when it comes to iPhone games. I'll either play a game for two minutes and delete it off my phone, or I'll be addicted to it for weeks, unable to put it down at all.

While some of the games on my phone are straight from the App Store's "Top Charts" list, most of them are ones other people convinced me to download. Games that my friends, or the internet, couldn't stop gushing about.

From word games to puzzles to point-and-click adventures, here are 13 games you should definitely try if you're looking to kill some time. 

Released last week, FRAMED 2 is part animated comic book, part puzzle game: re-arrange the panels to change the outcome of the story.

I've waited over a year for FRAMED 2, the sequel to one of my favorite iPhone games of all time. Like its predecessor, FRAMED 2 strikes the perfect balance between simple gameplay and challenging puzzles that are just frustrating enough to keep you coming back for more.

Download FRAMED 2 for $4.99, or try the original for free.

Old Man's Journey is brief but heartwarming. Interact with animated landscapes to uncover memories of the main character's life.

I'm a sucker for story-driven games, and Old Man's Journey encompasses everything I love about the genre. Take in mesmerizing, hand-drawn scenes as you solve puzzles that propel the Old Man forward in the game's narrative.

Download Old Man's Journey for $4.99.

Another story-driven game, To the Moon is a point-and-click adventure that might make you cry.

This game follows two scientists who help people fulfill their dying wishes — in their patients' heads, at least. In To The Moon, you get to journey through an elderly man's memories, piece together his life story, and find out why his dying wish is to go to the moon.

I teared up on public transportation playing this game, and it was 100% worth it.

Download To the Moon for $4.99.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

When closet and cabinet space is at a premium, it's all too easy to clutter a home with the things that make up your life — books, shoes, mail, dirty dishes, laundry.

When you're working with 1,200 square feet or less, like I am, you have to get crafty with how you use your space, optimizing it for maximum organization and comfort.

I've lived in New York City for the past eight years, and I've gotten pretty good at making the most of my square footage, carefully choosing furniture and home accents that don't just look nice but also double as extra storage space.

I went through my Amazon order history from the past six months to review the best space-saving purchases I've made for my latest apartment. You'll find a few pieces I've picked up from West Elm, Urban Outfitters, and CB2 in this list as well.

Here are 10 space-saving items I've bought along with my reasons why for each — in case you want to add any to your home. For any pricier purchases I talk about, I also list a similar, more affordable pick you can supplement into your home.

If you have a space-saving hack I didn't cover, email me at ehoffman@businessinsider.com, because I'd love to hear it! The ideas in this list are specific to my apartment's layout and are by no means the only options out there.

SEE ALSO: I’ve been sleeping on the perfect sheets for the spring and summer, and I’ve never slept better

For the kitchen: a dual-compartment trash can for regular trash and recyclables.

Trash cans are surprisingly expensive! That's partly why I ended up "going big or going home" on a pricey simplehuman one. If I was already going to fork over close to $100 on a new trash can (I wanted one with compartments for regular trash and recyclables), I might as well increase my budget and get the best money can buy.

I don't have the room to store a trash can in the cabinet underneath my sink, so I treated this purchase like I would a piece of furniture. The trash can, for better or worse, is the first thing people see when they talk into my apartment, and my rose-gold one from simplehuman makes a pretty nice first impression. It's stylish (can I say that about a trash can?), surprisingly compact given the amount of gargage it can hold, and it even has a convenient liner pocket that dispenses trash bags one by one from inside the can for a faster liner change.

This is by far the best designed trash can I've seen, and for me, it is well worth the high price.

What I bought: simplehuman 15.3-Gallon Dual-Compartment Recycling Step Can with Liner Pocket, $199.99

A similar pick: Organize It All Stainless-Steel Step-On 16-Gallon Recycle Bin, $104.24

For the kitchen: a hanging pot rack for your most used pots and pans.

My kitchen has decent countertop space and cabinet storage, but it’s not enough for me to easily store of all my pots and pans. So I got this hanging pot rack from Cuisinart to free up some room and make my most used cookware easier to access.

I like the copper version best for my space (I chose it to coordinate with my rose-gold trash can), but the rack also comes in matte black, stainless steel, and bronze.

Cuisinart Chef's Classic 36” Rectangular Wall-Mount Bookshelf Rack, $99.98-$119.95

For the bedroom: a shoe rack to keep all of your footwear together and organized.

Easy to assemble and sturdier than its price suggests, this is a great shoe rack for less than $10. For $10 more, you can get a rack that holds up to 30 pairs of shoes.

Whitmor 20-Pair Floor Shoe Rack, $9.68

At the end of every academic year at the University of Cambridge, elaborate celebrations take place.

Students of all year groups don their ball gowns or bow ties and prepare for a night of eating, drinking, dancing, swimming, and general overindulgence.

Called May Balls, but hosted in June, the celebrations are final post exam blowout before students head home for the summer.

Each college hosts its own May Ball, but they're not all created equal. Tickets for balls at the biggest colleges with the most funding can cost up to £350, according to the 'Which May Ball' blog, which is run by students.

On Monday, two of the biggest college May Balls coincided: Trinity College and Jesus College.

Drinking and merry-making continues all through the night. 'Survivor photos' are a longstanding tradition for those who have the stamina to make it till dawn.

This year was no different. Students ended the festivities with a skinny dip in the river Cam, which must have been a welcome relief from Monday's 31-degree heat.

Scroll down to witness the May Ball aftermath in all its boozy glory:

Hi! Welcome to May Ball, 2017. Exams have gone well or terribly and you're finally ready to let loose and blow off some steam. Here's how it's going to pan out.

May Balls are a glamorous affair. Dress codes can be black or white tie and usually have a theme. Themes this year included 'The Night Circus,' 'Monopoly,' and 'Outerspace'.

Source: Which May Ball.

According to The Mirror, revellers enjoyed a five-course meal, followed by oysters, a hog roast, and a chocolate fountain.

Source: The Mirror.

The Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves have become the latest teams to announce the addition to advertising patches to their jerseys for the upcoming 2017-18 season.

So far, eight teams have announced the addition of ad patches and certainly more will come as we get closer to the season. While we don't know how much every team is making off the patches, the Warriors would reportedly command $15-20 million per year.

Some teams have opted for team-color-friendly patches. Some teams have formed true two-way partnerships with their ad patches promoting a business that the team also works with off the court. And one team has even chosen to promote a charity with their ad patch. 

Below is a look at the partnerships that have been announced so far.

Philadelphia 76ers and StubHub

Read more: Philadelphia 76ers become first NBA team to land jersey advertisement with StubHub

Brooklyn Nets and Infor

Sacramento Kings and Blue Diamond Almonds

You made it to New York City!

Summer internships in the Big Apple are really exciting—whether they're in finance, media, the arts, or any other industry. 

But you might also find yourself feeling a bit overwhelmed in the sea of 8.5 million people. 

Like, how are you supposed to work all day, feed yourself, do your laundry, and keep your apartment from turning into a complete disaster?

Business Insider is here to help. We've compiled a list of life hacks to get you through that summer internship.

Check them out.

Portia Crowe and Lucinda Shen contributed to an earlier version of this post.

First, buy a MetroCard

The New York City subway has 472 stations across 722 miles of track. This means you can get almost anywhere in the city for just $2.75. That's a steal compared to cabs, Uber, or Lyft. 

You can save even more with an unlimited MetroCard. These are especially useful if you'll be commuting to work every day. 

A 30-day unlimited is $121, so after 44 swipes the card will pay for itself. (For comparison, a normal month has around 20-22 work days, and don't forget weekends!)

And if you lose your card, don't worry. The MTA will reimburse you a prorated amount for however many days were left on the pass (roughly $4 a day).

Better yet, go on bike

There are 600 Citi Bike docks throughout the city—and the system is rapidly expanding to farther away neighborhoods.

A day pass is $24, offering unlimited half-hour rides for 24 hours, which isn't bad if you want to spend an afternoon riding along the river.

But to get your money's worth, shell out for a full-year pass and you'll get unlimited 45 minute rides for $14 a month. It's great for one-way trips or getting somewhere the subway doesn't go. 

Download all of the transit apps.

Google Maps is a good start, especially now that it has x-ray maps of the subway stations.

Add on City Mapper, and you're really in business. Just save your home, work and any other important address and you'll have subway, bus, biking, walking or riding directions just a tap away. 

If you're really feeling charitable, Transit uses the location of other riders to tell you when the next train is coming—a miraculous feat given the how old the technology running the entire subway system is. But you have to share data in order to get data. 

As a final addition to your arsenal, try Exit Strategy, it'll tell you where to go, as well as where you should stand on a platform so you can be closest to the exit at your destination. It's worth the $4. 

Despite all this planning on your part, you'll also want to bookmark The Weekender and the MTA's twitter feed to keep up with delays and service changes. Sigh. 

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

We all know making our own meals can save us money and help us be healthier, but it's not always the easiest option. If we're being honest, cooking can sometimes be a nuisance. 

There are instructions to follow, ingredients to collect and prep, and dishes to do afterward, which makes it all the more tempting to scrap the whole thing and order take out. 

I asked the Insider Picks team about which kitchen tools they use to make cooking easier. These picks can save you time before, during, and after you cook, so you can focus on actually enjoying your meal.

Although the items on this list cover the problems we've faced, we encourage you to send us an email if we missed your biggest kitchen gripe.

DON'T MISS: Everyone can extend the shelf life of their fruits and vegetables with this simple kitchen tool

An avocado slicer

I love guacamole, but removing the pit with a knife is pretty dicey. Most avocado tools are just for cutting it up, but the OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer does more. It slices the avocado in half, helps you pop out the pit, and cuts perfect slices for avocado toast or guacamole mashing.

— Malarie Gokey, guides editor

OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer, $9.95

A tea infuser

I got really nice loose leaf tea from Harrods during the London leg of my last trip to the UK, but I didn’t have anything to keep the leaves out of my drink, so I bought this twisting tea ball from OXO Good Grips off Amazon for $10.

It’s actually in Insider Picks' buying guide for the best tea infusers, so you can read more about why it’s awesome there.

— Ellen Hoffman, Editor, commerce editor

OXO Good Grips Twisting Tea Ball, $9.95

A foldable cutting board

My house plans were not designed with me — or anyone — in mind. To compensate for limited counter space, I have to sit down at our kitchen table to prep any food, and it's just far enough away from the stovetop to mean some food might fall off the cutting board and onto the ground en route. This foldable one makes the process smoother, and I’m guaranteed to lose fewer ingredients on the way.

— Mara Leighton, commerce reporter

Joseph Joseph Chop2Pot, from $10

Everything around us is becoming connected. As a result, we are seeing shifts in investments and returns. There is already a great demand for network expansion, cyber security and insurance. And generally, the prices of hardware will fall as IoT becomes less of a novelty.

All of this opens up a huge opportunity for everyone to make and save a lot of money. We will invest $6 trillion in IoT between 2015 and 2020, which will yield $12.6 trillion ROI over the next decade. Enterprise will make up the majority of the investment dollars, followed by government and consumer.

BI Intelligence has created a slide deck exploring the most disruptive trends in IoT. To get a more detailed view of the progression, landscape and projections of the Internet of Everything, access the complete slide deck by clicking here.

Some of the topics covered include:

• The market drivers for the IoT.
• Forecasts for the IoT market.
• A breakdown of how many industries are utilizing IoT devices.
• A look at how governments are using the IoT to revolutionize their cities and defense.
• An examination of the smart home and connected car market.
• And much more.

Below are 8 sample slides from the 60-page deck. Want the full deck? Access it here for FREE >>

Want the full 60-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>

Want the full 60-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>

Want the full 60-page slide deck?  Access it Here - FREE >>

The whole point of MINIs has been and presumably always will be F-U-N. They're fun to look at, fun to drive, and fun to own. 

For much of MINI's history, however, MINIs weren't fun to take on a lengthy road trip or even on some shopping excursions. This is because the vehicles were based on the very mini original MINI, which were designed by the legendary Alex Issigonis and introduced in the late 1950s in the UK and later rebooted under BMW in the early 2000s. 

The MINI Cooper isn't un-roomy, exactly, but it is snug. The MINI Clubman, which came later, added some space, but not a whole lot. And even though MINIs have a devoted following, the brand was lagging the market, especially in the US, as consumers shifted their preferences toward SUVs and crossovers. 

So in 2011, the Countryman arrived — and it was immediately decried by MINI-istas as the "Big MINI." Regardless, the Countryman gave MINI a needed extra: a notably larger vehicle.

We recently borrowed a $35,400 MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 (base price: $31,100) and used it to conduct life in suburban New Jersey. Here's how it did in proper SUV country:

SEE ALSO: The MINI Cooper S Convertible is the MINI perfected

No mistaking this ride as a MINI. Our tester came in a "Thunder Grey" paint job.

The "Big MINI" is indeed larger than its stablemates, which can be sort of deceptive because ...

... it shares an engineering platform with the BMW X1 — BMW's smallest crossover SUV.

Read the review here.

Like so many things created in France, PlayStation 4 exclusive game "Detroit: Become Human" is unbelievably beautiful.

Not bad, right? He's one of the many humanoid robots featured in a new game from French game-development studio Quantic Dream. And that's not computer graphics you see above — that's the game itself.

But maybe you don't go in for robot people. How's this?

"Detroit: Become Human" is an upcoming game for the PlayStation 4, with no release date beyond the entire year 2018. What we've got right now, though, is a ton of information, images, and videos about the gorgeous upcoming game.

SEE ALSO: I played Nintendo's insane new 'Super Mario' game for the Switch — here's what it was like in person

"Detroit" is a game about artificial intelligence and humanity's future. Guess where it's set?

The game is set in a near-future version of real-world city Detroit, Michigan. Things haven't improved much from current day, it looks like.

The outskirts of the city are still looking not so great. The near-future of "Detroit: Become Human" isn't a utopia, but it is recovering from its current state.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase. 

Buying men's dress shoes can feel like a paradox. 

You can either buy an inexpensive pair that looks nice but needs to be replaced often, or spend a small fortune on a pair of dress shoes that will last a few years. 

Paul Farago noticed this, and in 2012 he founded Ace Marks, a company that sells direct-to-consumer handcrafted shoes at a more reasonable price. 

After finding the right factory in Italy to make the shoes, Ace Marks began production and has since completed two successfulKickstarter campaigns in addition to selling loafers, wingtips, and other footwear options through its site.

Because they're hand-dyed and burnished, each pair of Ace Marks' shoes will be a little different. If you're looking to add a unique piece to your regular shoe rotation, you're definitely covered.

What sets Ace Marks apart from other luxury shoe makers — besides trying to make handcrafted shoes accessible to more people — is its focus on giving back. The brand will issue a $50 credit toward a new pair of shoes if you send them your old pair, and they'll donate that old pair to charity.

Some of the members of the Insider Picks team were able to try Ace Marks shoes, and you can find our thoughts below.

SEE ALSO: This company makes the perfect summer shoes, and you never have to break them in

Breton Fischetti, senior director of commerce

I had not heard of Ace Marks until they sent over these shoes for us to try, but they are definitely a worthy entrance into the mid-to-high range men's shoes market; they take their quality and design seriously. The shoes took about two days to break in but have been very comfortable ever since.

Not that I advise doing this test, but I did get caught in the rain with them and was very pleased with how well they handled drying out. The leather didn't get splotchy or streak. You shouldn't go around jumping in puddles, but these shoes didn't lose their seal after getting wet.

Like many well-made shoes, Ace Marks' are made in Italy and use high-quality calfskin leather. As with many dress shoes at this price point, they are an investment that should last years, especially if you get rubber treads put on the soles before you start wearing them.

It's common for shoes not to come with them, but it's worth the extra $60 to get it done. It'll be the difference between have to resole the shoe in three years as opposed to five or seven.

Monkstrap Brandy Antique, $295

Brandt Ranj, associate commerce editor

I've never owned a pair of Chelsea boots before, but Ace Marks' have turned me into a big fan. Breton and I had the same experience with breaking them in — it took about two days, but now they fit very well. 

You can tell these shoes are well-made by looking at them, but that point is further emphasized when I put them on. Although they weren't made explicitly with comfort in mind, I could walk around in these shoes for extended periods of time without getting uncomfortable.

Because I don't have a lot of experience with this style of shoe, I don't have a good basis of comparison, but this pair can be dressed up or down depending on the situation. While I've generally worn them on weekdays to work, I wore them during a night out a few weeks ago and they held up really well.

Chelsea Boot Black Antique, $325

Spencer Lambert, commerce intern

Like Breton, I tried out Ace Marks' monkstrap shoe and was a immediately a fan.

Usually there’s a noticeable change in how I walk when I'm in dress shoes versus sneakers, but I managed to wear this pair to work for a week without ever noticing a difference in comfort and mobility. 

While it's important for nice shoes to be practical and comfortable, they also need to look good, and this pair definitely checks that box. They are versatile enough wear with either jeans or tailored pants, and the double buckles really catch the eye. 

After trying them out for a couple weeks, what sets these shoes apart is how comfortable I feel wearing them. While other dress shoes may look great, none of them feel good enough for me to want to wear them casually. I can get away with wearing these shoes to work without having to worry about changing into a new pair if my evening plans involve a lot of walking.

Monkstrap Black Antique, $295

Want to work for a top boss that you actually like?

Try getting a job at Clorox, Facebook, or T-Mobile. Employees at these companies love their CEOs.

That's according to a new report by Glassdoor, an online jobs and careers community.

The 2017 Highest-Rated CEOs report relied solely on the input of employees who elected to participate anonymously in an online company review survey.

Respondents were asked to rate their CEO and say whether they approve of the way he or she is leading the company.

To be eligible for the final ranking, each CEO had to run a company with at least 1,000 employees, and had to have at least 100 approval ratings, senior management ratings, and company reviews from US-based employees between May 2016 and May 2017.

The results were pretty close toward the top of this list. In some cases, Glassdoor had to go to the thousandth decimal place to determine a CEO's rank, so these final results were rounded up to whole numbers and are not ties.

Head over to Glassdoor for the top 50 list, and keep scrolling below for the top 26 CEOs.

SEE ALSO: A typical day in the life of Mark Zuckerberg, who wears the same thing every day and tucks his daughter in every night

1. Benno Dorer, The Clorox Company

CEO approval rating: 99%

"Excellent communication on vision, strategy, and where we are going. Constant access to leadership through round tables and other company events that allow all employees to feel like they are part of our decision making and strategy."— Clorox company employee

2. Jim Kavanaugh, World Wide Technology

CEO approval rating: 99%

"The executive team is amazingly friendly and sincere, which does not go unnoticed by new employees — even after five years I hear new employees compliment this."— World Wide Technology employee

3. Michael F. Mahoney, Boston Scientific

CEO approval rating: 99%

"Great leadership with progressive and innovative mindset. Growing company that's focused on developing and retaining diverse talent."— Boston Scientific senior manager

We're fast approaching the end of the first half, and that means it's league table time on Wall Street.

Wall Street banks care a lot about how they stack up against their rivals. At the top of their earnings statements, they tout where they placed in each line of business, and those rankings appear in just about every pitch book they hand out.

Global dealmaking revenue stands at $36.8 billion for the year to date, up slightly on the same period last year. 

US fees are up 9% at $18.4 billion, while fees in Europe, Middle East and Africa (-4%) and Asia Pacific (-6%) are down. 

So far in 2017, it's the usual suspects at the top of the tables. JPMorgan ranks number one overall, while Goldman Sachs has maintained its customary position at the top of the mergers and acquisitions league table.

Here's how the banks stack up:

SEE ALSO: A new breed of trader is threatening the Wall Street establishment

JPMorgan ranks No. 1 overall, with the top 8 banks holding the same positions they did in the first half of 2016.

Goldman Sachs ranks No. 1 for M&A revenues.

JPMorgan ranks top for debt capital markets revenues...

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

The Insider Pick:

• Every home needs good lighting that's energy-efficient and attractive. We've researched and tested a number of light bulbs to find the best ones you can buy, and the Cree 60W Equivalent Soft White A19 Dimmable LED Light Bulbs are our top pick because they will last you two decades, dim on demand, and save lots of energy. 

Good lighting is essential in any home, and it all starts with the humble light bulb. The first electric light was developed back in 1802 by Humphry Davy, and different versions of the light bulb were made over the course of that century by a number of inventors until Thomas Edison created the first commercially successful incandescent light bulb in 1879 and got all the credit.

Up until fairly recently, incandescent bulbs were still king, but now, there are tons of options, including LEDS, Compact Floursecents, and smart bulbs. Light bulbs can change colors, turn on and off with voice commands or the movement of your arm, dim to suit your desires, and do so much more than Edison could have dreamed.

It can be confusing to figure out which light bulbs are best for your needs, but we've done the research to help you find the best bulbs to light up your life. Before we get into our picks, here's what you need to know.

Types of light bulbs

• LED (Light-Emitting Diode): LED bulbs are the most energy efficient ones you can buy and they can last between 20,000 to 50,000 hours, which Consumer Reports says figures out to 18-46 years if you only have them on three hours a day. We highly recommend you choose these kinds of bulbs over all others. LED bulbs are more versatile, too, because they can change colors, dim to suit your preferences, and you can alter the color temperature so as to avoid the excessive blue light these kinds of bulbs tend to emit.
• CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb): CFL bulbs were once the most energy efficient bulbs you could own, but now they're in second place behind LEDs. They're still a great option if LEDs prove to be too expensive for you. After all, CFLs last between seven to ten times longer than old-school incandescent bulbs, and they use about 75 percent less energy, which is nothing to sneeze at. CFLs come in multiple color temperatures, but few are dimmable.
• Halogen incandescent light bulb: Halogen incandescent light bulbs use about 25 to 30 percent less energy than old-school incandescent bulbs. These bulbs work with dimmers and appear more blue or cool than other bulbs. 
• Smart light bulbs: Smart light bulbs have special features that most other bulbs don't offer, including the power of remote control, programmable scheduling, color changing, voice control, and compatibility with other smart home products. The best ones are LED bulbs and connect via Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth. Some may require a hub, and they are pricey.

Features to consider

• Lumens and brightness:  The brightness of light bulbs is measured in lumens. If you want to match the brightness of a 60-watt incandescent bulb, you should find a bulb that's 800 lumens.
• Color temperature: Whether you like warm or cool light is entirely a matter of preference. Warm yellow light is around 2,700 Kelvin, white light is about 3,000K, bright white light is 3,500K to 4,100K, and bluish white light is 5,000K to 6,500K, according to Consumer Reports. 
• Dimmable bulbs: If you hate super bright lights, you'll probably want to find light bulbs that let you adjust how bright they are. Most LED bulbs are dimmable, but many CFLs are not.
• Motion-activated bulbs: Motion-activated bulbs turn on in response to motion. This is good for outdoor lights, entry-ways, and so on. Check out this one from Sengled on Amazon for $15.99

After much research and some testing at home, these are our top picks for the best light bulbs. We've included mostly LED bulbs because they represent the best value for your money, but we also highlight the best smart light bulbs and the best vintage filament light bulb you can buy.

If you're outfitting your new home or apartment, check out more of our great buying guides like the best area rugs, the best sheets, the best mattresses, thebest pillows, the best clothes hangers, the best cordless vacuum cleaners, the best laundry baskets and hampers, and the best home security cameras you can buy.

Although the Cree 60W Equivalent Soft White A19 Dimmable LED Light Bulb is our top pick, for various reasons laid out in the slides below, you should also consider the Phillips Hue Smart Light Bulb Starter Kit, the Phillips 60W Equivalent Soft White A19 Dimmable LED Light Bulb, the KINGSO Vintage Edison Bulb 60W Incandescent Antique Dimmable Light Bulb, and the TCP 9W LED 60 Watt Equivalent A19 Non-Dimmable Light Bulb.

The best light bulb overall

Why you'll love it: The Cree 60W Equivalent Soft White A19 Dimmable LED Light Bulb produces soft white light that dims on demand and works as well indoors as out.

LED light bulbs are great for conserving energy, and the Cree Soft White Dimmable LED Light Bulbs are the best of the bunch. These bulbs produce a soft white light with a warm tone, thanks to their 2,700K output. The brightness level is similar to a 60 Watt incandescent bulb and you can dim them if you find these bulbs too bright.

The Cree bulbs pack 815 Lumens and only use 9.5 Watts of energy, which amounts to 84% less energy use in your home than you'd get with an old incandescent light bulb. The bulbs are Energy Star certified and Cree claims these bulbs will last you more than 22 years or 25,000 hours. 

Cree offers a 10-year warranty in case you run into problems with your new LED light bulbs. You can use the bulbs indoors or outdoors without fear, which is a nice perk. You can pop them in most light fixtures, whether it's a table lamp, a floor lamp, or an overhead light fixture. Anywhere an A19 bulb can fit, these Cree ones will go. 

The Sweethome named the Cree bulbs its top pick for their versatility and warm light production. Buyers on Amazon praise the bulbs enthusiastically and they have a 4.5-star rating. The Home Depot's buyers also mostly approve of the Cree bulbs and agree that they produce great light. Many buyers also like that they come in a four-pack, though the price is a bit high at around $5 a bulb if you buy them at their original price. Amazon's current sale price is lower and closer to $3 a bulb.

Overall, these are the best light bulbs for most people because they work anywhere, produce warm light for LED bulbs, and conserve lots of energy.

Pros: Dimmable, Energy Star certified, 10-year warranty, soft white light tone, 60 Watt equivalent, lasts more than 22 years, can be used indoors or outdoors

Cons: A bit expensive

Buy a four-pack of the Cree 60W Equivalent Soft White A19 Dimmable LED Light Bulbs on Amazon for $7.97 (originally $21.97)

Buy a four-pack of the Cree 60W Equivalent Soft White A19 Dimmable LED Light Bulbs from the Home Depot for $12.97 (originally $19.97)

The best smart light bulbs

Why you'll love it: The Gen 3 Phillips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 Smart Bulb Starter Kit lets you program your lights, dim them, change their colors, and even turn them on or off with your voice.

Honestly, we're smart light bulb evangelists here. Ever since we started using the Phillips Hue Starter Kit in our New York City apartment, we can't imagine life without them. They are quite simply the very best smart light bulbs money can buy.

You will have to shell out nearly $200 for the third-generation set, which comes with the hub and three color-changing bulbs, but you can spend as little as $69.99 if you buy the older starter kit with the hub and two white-light-only bulbs. If you need more bulbs, you can get three white Hue bulbs for just $39.99, which amounts to $13.32 per bulb. 

The hub connects to your Wi-Fi during the set-up process and syncs your bulbs up with the Phillips Hue app. You can name your light bulbs, put them in rooms, and adjust them in the app. The lights can dim, change color, and turn on and off at a set time that you choose in the app.

Perhaps the best feature, though, is voice control. If you're an early adopter who sprung for an Amazon Echo or a Google Home smart speaker, or if you happen to own an iPhone with the HomeKit app, you can use your voice to turn your lights on and off at will. You can also dim them and change their color with your voice.

I named my Hue bulbs after presidents (nerdy, I know), so anytime I want a specific bulb off, I can say, "Hey Google, turn off the Jefferson (or Washington or Clinton)," and hey presto! The light turns off. It's absolutely magical, and it makes for one hell of a party trick.

The real benefits are in the energy savings you can get by dimming your bulbs and programming them to go on and off when the time it right. I've used lots of different smart bulbs, and none have worked as seamlessly or as effortlessly as the Phillips Hue. 

Pros: Easy to set up, excellent app, dimmable, can change colors, programmable, very stable, work with other smart home devices like Google Home and Amazon Echo

Cons: Expensive 

Buy the Phillips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 Gen 3 Starter Kit (three bulbs plus the hub) on Amazon for $179.99 (originally $199.99)

Buy the Phillips Hue White A19 Starter Kit (two bulbs plus the hub) on Amazon for $69.99 (older model — no color changing)

Buy three Phillips Hue White A19 Light Bulbs on Amazon for $39.99

Read our full review of the Phillips Hue Starter Kit on Insider Picks

The best LED light bulb

Why you'll love it: The Phillips 60W Equivalent Soft White A19 Dimmable LED Light Bulb dims to a soft glow, saves tons of energy, and produces warm light in every room.

If the Cree bulbs aren't for you, the Phillips Dimmable LED Light Bulb is the next best thing. These 60 Watt equivalent bulbs have a brightness of 800 Lumens and you can dim them further if you want to. The light temperature is also adjustable between 2,200K and 2,700K, so you can determine how warm you want the lighting to look.

The Phillips bulbs will last you 22.8 years if you turn them on for three hours a day and they use only 9.5-Watts of energy to consume 80% less energy compared to older incandescent bulbs. Since they're A19 bulbs, they fit in most light fixtures, including table lamps, floor lamps, and overhead light fixtures.

Some 94% of people who bought the Phillips LED bulbs at The Home Depot love these bulbs and give them an average rating of 4.7 stars. Buyers on Amazon love these light bulbs, too, and The Sweethome called them its runner-up for the best LED light bulbs.

You can get the Phillips LED light bulbs in a three pack, and they average just above $5 per bulb, which isn't bad.

Pros: Soft white light, dimmable, adjustable color temperature, environmentally friendly, long lasting, versatile

Cons: A bit expensive, not for outdoors

Buy a three-pack of the Phillips 60W Equivalent Soft White A19 Dimmable LED Light Bulb on Amazon for $16.99