Across the globe, there are small pockets of land where citizens have chosen to "break away" from their mother countries and forge new communities, often to escape war or turmoil.

While many of these countries begin with noble intentions, they often end up in political limbo, unable to gain recognition as legitimate countries from the global community.

Since 2005, photographer Narayan Mahon has set out to document these unrecognized states, photographing five would-be nations that are attempting to separate themselves from such war-torn countries as Georgia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, and Somalia. 

Mahon tells the New York Times that, while he expected these breakaway nations to be filled with pride, patriotism, and determination, he actually found that many nations were still at the whim of their former homes, begging for recognition while being used as pawns in a larger, geopolitical game.

“It all just comes down to nationalism, and chauvinism, and the uglier parts of humanity,” he says. “That’s kind of sad, actually.”

Mahon's series, entitled "Lands in Limbo," show that sadness and disillusion front and center.

One of the first areas Mahon visited was Abkhazia, a separatist region that broke away from Georgia during the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. It has since declared independence, built a national military, and created the usual trappings of a sovereign government.

Mahon quickly found, however, that no country in the world recognizes Abkhazia as a sovereign country, instead regarding it as part of Georgia.

In the violence that ensued when Abkhazia attempted to break away, tens of thousands were killed and several hundred thousand Georgian, Armenian, and Megrelian citizens were forced to leave the area. Only a few families still live in these apartment buildings, which are located in what was once a regional industrial center.

DigitalGlobe, a commercial satellite imaging company, has just released a breathtaking collection of its 25 best images from the year. 

The images reflect the many uses of modern satellite technology, including its ability to monitor global operations, like mining or farming, keep track of natural disasters, record human conflicts, and contribute to scientific research.

Among these are a handful of images from the company's newest satellite, WorldView-3, which launched in August and, according to DigitalGlobe, delivers its highest-quality products. 

The company is asking fans to vote for their favorite birds-eye views of Earth on its Facebook page. 

The top five images with the most "likes" will make it to the final round later this month. The website will announce the winning image in early January 2015. 

Check out all of the images here, then head over to the Facebook album to vote for your favorite. 

Satellites are often used to monitor the environment, as they can show widespread changes in habitats over time, like deforestation. This image is of the forested countryside of Alberta, Canada, shown Oct. 10, 2014.

This is Nordenskjold Basin in Antarctica on March 12, 2014. Frozen areas like this can be monitored by satellite in order to observe whether the ice is melting and assess the impacts of climate change.

Natural disasters, like these wildfires in San Diego County, Calif., are another environmental phenomenon often best observed from higher up. This image was taken on May 15, 2014.

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New York Times columnist, author, and financial planner Carl Richards has made a career out of exposing and analyzing what he calls the "behavior gap"— the gap between what you should do with your money and what you actually do.

Richards has boiled down his wisdom on wealth and happiness in a dozen sketches that he's giving away to his readers during the "12 Days Of Behavior Gap," and which anyone can receive by signing up for his newsletter. We've shared them here with his permission.

There are a limited number of things you can control, Richards says, and you don't have power over everything that matters. It's the important things you can control that should occupy your efforts.

It's your advisor's job to help figure out where that sweet spot is. "A real advisor should be the thing between YOU and the BIG MISTAKE," Richards tweeted along with this sketch.

"Even after you figure out the math around a decision, you have to navigate the emotional complexity that comes with money," Richards writes on his website. The best financial moves are usually very simple.

We like to think that we're totally logical when we make decisions. 

But over the past few decades, social science has uncovered a staggering number of cognitive biases that shape our behavior — whether we know it or not.

We've collected a list of the most common ones. 

Affect heuristic

The way you feel affects the way you interpret the world. 

For instance, if the words rake, take, and cake blinked on a computer screen for 1/30 of a second, which would you recognize? 

If you're hungry, research suggests that all you see is cake.

Anchoring bias

People are overreliant on the first piece of information they hear. 

In a salary negotiation, for instance, whoever makes the first offer establishes a range of reasonable possibilities in each person's mind.

Any counteroffer will naturally be anchored by that opening offer. 

Availability heuristic

When people overestimate the importance of information that is available to them.

For instance, a person might argue that smoking is not unhealthy on the basis that his grandfather lived to 100 and smoked three packs a day.

It's time to get serious about holiday shopping.

Trying to decide on the perfect laptop, tablet, or tech accessory can be overwhelming.

Manufacturers release tons of gadgets all year, so sifting through all of your options to find the best fit can be overwhelming.

Our holiday gift guide is full of excellent ideas — whether you're trying to find a new laptop for your son or daughter going away to college, some new cases and accessories to use as stocking stuffers, or the best entertainment devices to spice up your living room.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are the two best phones you can buy.

For most people, the iPhone 6 is the best smartphone. The iPhone 6 Plus, with a larger 5.5-inch screen, is the best phone if you want a phablet.

Why? Both phones are the perfect blend of design, app selection, ease of use, and powerful hardware.

Click here for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus review >>

Price: Starts at $649 for the iPhone 6 and $749 for the iPhone 6 Plus. 

The HTC One M8 is the most beautiful Android phone.

HTC's flagship phone, the HTC One (M8), is the best Android phone you can buy.

Like the original, the new HTC One, which is also called the M8, has a gorgeous design and high-quality metal construction. It also has an extra rear camera that acts as a depth sensor so you can edit photos later and change the focus.  

Click here for the HTC One (M8) review>>

Price: Around $540

Don't have the time or money to get a bachelor's degree? It turns out that plenty of two-year associate's degrees have a high return on investment.

According to the latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 26 highest-paying jobs that require only an associate's degree. Each has a median annual salary of at least $50,000.

This is an update of a story originally written by Vivian Giang.

26. Mechanical drafters

Median annual wage (2012): $50,360

Projected job openings (through 2022): 8,900

Work experience: None

Description: Prepare detailed working diagrams of machinery and mechanical devices, including dimensions, fastening methods, and other engineering information.

On-the-job training: None

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

25. Industrial engineering technicians

Median annual wage (2012): $50,980

Projected job openings (through 2022): 14,100

Work experience: None

Description: Help industrial engineers implement designs to use personnel, materials, and machines in factories, stores, healthcare organizations, repair shops, and offices. 

On-the-job training: None

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

24. Electro-mechanical technicians

Median annual wage (2012): $51,820

Projected job openings (through 2022): 4,300

Work experience: None

Description: Install, troubleshoot, repair, and upgrade electronic and computer-controlled mechanical systems, like robotic assembly machines.

On-the-job training: None

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

No one understands the importance of a post-work cocktail better than financiers.

Wall Street was (practically) where happy hour was invented and it's only right that we pay it a proper tribute with a list of our favorite spots.

So stop thinking about the NASDAQ numbers and start thinking about the number of drinks you'll be getting this evening.

Adrienne's Pizzabar

Pizza and beer. Does it get better than that after a long day of work? $4 beers and $5 wells drinks can easily help you unwind while you indulge in a slice.

Adrienne's Pizza Bar, 54 Stone St.

Fresh Salt

Although the menu is small, the dishes never disappoint. For an easy bite and drink after work, head to Fresh Salt for happy hour that lasts from 4 pm - 8 pm with $4 wells and drafts.

Fresh Salt, 146 Beekman St.

Luke's Lobster

If you can walk into Luke's Lobster and leave with only a drink, you have a much stronger willpower than anyone in our office. If you're human and need a lobster roll as soon as you see one, the happy hour special is your new best friend. Grab a lobster roll, chips and a beer for $18. If it's been a rough day and one beer isn't cutting it, grab one (or a few) more from 4 pm -7 pm for half price.

Luke's Lobster, 93 E 7th St.

On Saturday, December 13, 2014, tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied throughout the streets of New York City to demand justice "for all those innocent people of color killed by the misuse of police force."

Millions March NYC rallied for Michael Brown and Eric Garner. The crowd began at Washington Square Park walking north as far as 32nd street before heading south to gather at the NYPD headquarters.

Business Insider was on the scene to cover the event that started at 2PM and marched well into the evening. 

The march began around 2PM at Washington Square Park.

Everyone had something to say whether written or verbal.

Organizers estimated around 30,000 people participated in the New York City march.

We may be finished with new gadget launches for 2014, but there's plenty to look forward to next year.

Here's a look at the biggest tech launches we're expecting to see in 2015.

The Apple Watch will launch in early 2015.

The Apple Watch will be Apple's first new product category under CEO Tim Cook. While the company introduced the watch in September, we only got a limited look at all its features. Apple is still working on the device, so expect to get more details when it launches in early 2015.

Windows 10 should fix a lot of problems with Windows 8.

Microsoft gave the world a small preview of the next version of Windows, Windows 10, this fall.

Windows 10 is designed to work on all devices including smartphones, laptops, desktops, and the Xbox. It can also change its interface depending on what kind of device you're using thanks to a feature called Continuum.

It's still in the early stages, but Windows 10 will launch before the end of 2015.

Samsung reportedly has big plans for the Galaxy S6.

Samsung's next flagship phone, the Galaxy S6, will likely launch in early 2015.

Details are scarce, but some early rumors suggest this will be the biggest upgrade yet to Samsung's Galaxy phone. Supposedly, Samsung has given the Galaxy S6 the codename "Zero" because it's designing the phone from the ground up.

Housing prices continue to grow at a red-hot pace in many parts of the world.

The Global Property Guide has compiled and analyzed the property price performance of the world's big economies.

We've put together a list of the top 16 markets based on year-over-year, inflation-adjusted price performance as of the third quarter. The chart accompanying each slide shows the year-over-year percentage change in house price.

16. New Zealand

Home prices in New Zealand rose 5% year-over-year, which was a slowdown from 2013's increase of 7.82%.

Prices fell 1.64% during Q3 2014.

Source: Global Property Guide

15. Canada

Home prices in Canada rose 5.35% year-over-year, which was greater than 2013's increase of 2.68%.

Prices rose 2.23% during Q3 2014.

Source: Global Property Guide

14. Latvia

Home prices in Latvia rose 5.78% year-over-year, which was greater than 2013's increase of 2.02%.

Prices rose 0.63% during Q3 2014.

Source: Global Property Guide

First-time buyers will make a comeback into the housing market next year.

That's according to Realtor.com, which forecasts strength in the US housing market in 2015.

"The residual financial effects of recession-driven job losses and subsequent unemployment have impeded millennials' entry into the home-owning market," writes Jonathan Smoke, chief economist for Realtor.com. "In 2015, increases in employment opportunities will empower younger buyers to return to the market and fuel the continued housing recovery."

Realtor.com recently released its list of "Top 10 Markets for Housing Growth in 2015." These cities have a great deal of new construction, and their job markets are attractive to young professionals. They range from large metros like Los Angeles, forecast to see increased home sales, to small and affordable cities like Des Moines, Iowa.

Atlanta-Sandy Springs, Georgia.

Local Metrics: Household growth formation ranks seventh in forecast household growth over the next five years. Home sales are expected to grow 11%.

Comment: The Atlanta metropolitan area has the eighth-largest economy in the US and the 17th-largest in the world.

Source: Realtor.com

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas

Local Metrics: Household formation ranks first in forecast household growth over the next five years. The volume of home sales is expected to be up 7%.

Comment: Dallas has more shopping centers per capita than any city in the US.

Source: Realtor.com

Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, Colorado

Local Metrics: Growth in home sales is expected to be up 14%. Housing supply is tight.

Comment: Denver is the second-best city in which to launch a startup among the 50 most populated cities, according to a Forbes ranking.

Source: Realtor.com

I've had my iPhone 6 Plus for about a month now. I was a little reluctant to buy it because it was so expensive and my iPhone 5 was still working pretty great. But I'm glad I did it. 

The main reason: the screen is so big. I have bad, old man eyes, and having all that extra real estate allows me to do something I always wanted to do with my iPhone 5, but never could. That is, crank the system fonts all the way up to Grandpa Size.

Go to the Settings app.

Click on "General."

Click on "Accessibility."

The National Guard is the US military's reserve force, offering manpower, equipment, and expertise for missions abroad but also providing America’s first line of defense at home.

When there's a natural disaster or a threat to public safety that law enforcement alone can't handle, the Guard kicks into action. It is constantly preparing itself for new and emerging threats, be they nuclear, chemical, biological, or a natural disaster.

We recently watched the New Jersey National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry participate in a drill to practice how they would respond to a possible nuclear or chemical emergency without warning and with no immediate explanation of what was happening. The snap exercise aimed to duplicate the conditions of an actual unfolding threat and showed how the Guard keeps itself prepared for even a worst-case scenario.

The National Guard team arrives early in the morning on a frigid November day. The drill is as much a test of endurance as a test of skills, with the team working out in the cold for eight hours or more.

Arm & Hammer Park, home of the minor league Trenton Thunder baseball team, was the site of the drill. The military chooses locations for tests like these by picking “high-value targets” that would be likely to be hit by an attack, like sporting venues and theaters.

The New Jersey team, and every other National Guard team, is tested every 18 months in high-pressure, high-stakes role plays like this one.

Every reader knows that a book can change your life.

But what about the lives of an entire generation? Can a book change the future?

Miriam Tuliao, assistant director of central collection development at the New York Public Library, helped us come up with a list of the books that changed the course of history.

We also added a few ideas of our choosing.

From William Shakespeare's plays to George Orwell's "1984," these 30 titles (listed here in alphabetical order) have had a major impact. 

Do you think another book belongs on this list? Let us know in the comments.

"Aesop’s Fables" by Aesop

Believed to have originated between 620 and 560 B.C.

"Aesop's Fables" is a collection of stories that are meant to teach the listener a life lesson. The fables are often credited to an ancient Greek slave and storyteller named Aesop (though the origin of the fables remains disputed).

The stories are still important moral lessons and have had a far-reaching impact on literature and common sayings, including "wolf in sheep's clothing,""boy who cried wolf,""goose that laid the golden eggs," and many others.

Buy the book here >

"The Analects of Confucius" by Confucius

Believed to have been written sometime between 475 and 221 B.C.

Also known as simply "Analects" or "Lunyu," this book is the collection of sayings and ideas attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius on how to live a virtuous life and be kind — what he referred to as ren.

"The Analects" continues to have a profound influence on Eastern philosophy and ethics, especially in China.

Buy an English translation of the book here >

"Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Published in 1947

The book is a compilation of the diary writings of Anne Frank, a girl who hid with her family for two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The family was discovered in 1944, and Frank died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

Since its publication, "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" has been translated into more than 60 languages and remains one of the most famous and influential primary documents from Europe in World War II.

Buy the book here >

The wait staff knows your name and order by heart. The coffee tastes like dirt some days, but you and your friends never seem to mind. And when your family comes into town for the holidays, you get excited to bring them to "your spot."

Diners are an American tradition, and everyone thinks his or her hometown's greasy spoon is the best.

For this list, we scoured Yelp reviews, local newspapers, and culinary awards to find the most popular and beloved diner in every state. We defined diner as a restaurant whose primary purpose is serving breakfast, and awarded bonus points to dives open 24-7.

Did we miss your favorite? Let us know in the comments.

ALABAMA: Bogue's Restaurant

Named after owners Pat and Mildred Bogue, Bogue's Diner opened in 1938. Mildred's sweet roll recipe made the Birmingham diner famous. When plans to bulldoze the diner and build a chain drug store in its place took shape, the neighborhood and Bogue's regulars rallied to save it.

ALASKA: Snow City Cafe

Locals and tourists wait hours for a table at the Anchorage diner Snow City Cafe. The diner is so popular that it has 482 glowing reviews on Yelp. Diners come back time and time again for the cafe's original concoctions like crab omelets with a side of reindeer sausage. 

ARIZONA: 5 & Diner

The 1950s-inspired 5 & Diner has six locations across the Grand Canyon state. Known for its shakes and malts, the 5 & Diner serves 12 signature burgers to choose from. The mouthwatering Big Bopper Burger contains double-decker beef patties, melted American cheese, and the special house sauce.

Twitter took over San Francisco’s Exploratorium science museum on Friday night for their 2014 holiday party.

The party took place in a large hall full of the museum’s hands-on exhibits, which was documented by Twitter Android engineer Tim Trueman.

An oversize illuminated sign encouraged employees to "#CELEBRATE." 

All employees at Twitter’s San Francisco office were invited including their significant others.

“I'll be attending Twitter's holiday party tonight so feel free to send me all your product ideas for them & I'll share w their senior mgmt,” tweeted famed investor Hunter Walk. (His wife works there).

Party attendees voraciously tweeted photos of the evening and snapped pics with friends in the photo booth.

Most attendees showed up in their holiday best and sparkly dresses were in abundance. 

One guest commented on Instagram that the party’s upper deck had a very Great Gatsby vibe.

A pianist on a neon-lit lucite grand piano seconded attendees throughout the night.

A giant sign welcomed guests to the event.

Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/543673199909535745
Twitter holiday parties are pretty great. #celebratepic.twitter.com/rEmhIWGed7

Guests were encouraged to #celebrate.

Custom drinks were available.

Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/543673199909535745
Twitter holiday parties are pretty great. #celebratepic.twitter.com/rEmhIWGed7

Many on Wall Street are confident that the rally in equities will continue through 2015.

And when investors bet that certain stocks will fall, it can be hard to tell because they are not required to disclose their short positions.

But SunGard, one of the largest financial technology companies in the world, has a product called Astec Analytics, that tracks securities lending data — a proxy for short selling. Short sellers borrow stocks and they don't purchase them until the end of the trade.

SunGard shared its data on the most shorted stocks in 2014 with us, broken down by sector. It includes the number of shares borrowed and the cost to do this over a year ("annualized borrowing cost"), to show how big a bet investors were willing to make on these companies.

The stocks are ranked by the total amount of borrowing fees collected. SunGard then picked the most interesting stocks from the top end of the list of stocks shorted by volume.

Automobiles and Components

Tesla Motors (TSLA) - 30 million shares borrowed, 48% annualized borrowing cost:

Short interest focused on the start of the year; the electric vehicle maker saw potential rival products denting its outlook, although it still ended the year higher.

Runners Up:
General Motors (GM) – 58 million shares borrowed, 2% annualized borrowing cost.
Ford Motors (F) – 233 million shares borrowed, 1% annualized borrowing cost.

Consumer Staples, Household Durables, Food and Tobacco

GoPro Inc. (GPRO) - 10 million shares borrowed, 29% annualized borrowing cost:

Short sellers bet against the price gains from the outset. Demand to borrow the stock frequently has cost of borrowing approaching 100%, peaking at 145% in late November.

Runners Up:
Keurig Green Mountain Inc. (GMCR) - 6 million shares borrowed, 0.2% annualized borrowing cost.
Coffee Holdings Inc. (JVA) – 0.2 million shares borrowed, 18% annualized borrowing cost.

Energy Equipment and Producers

Plug Power Inc. (PLUG) - 26 million shares borrowed, 36% annualized borrowing cost:

Starting the year on a high with good 2013 earnings numbers, a $116.3m share offering and then as a casino stock labeling by Citron Research, PLUG kept short sellers interested throughout 2014.

Runners Up:
Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. (DO) - 19 million shares borrowed, 11% annualized borrowing cost.
US Geothermal Inc. (HTM) - 1 million shares borrowed, 2% annualized borrowing cost.

You are what you read, and if your goal is to build a massively successful company where you call the shots, you might want to start with the following books.

We asked wildly successful entrepreneurs and VCs, including Mark Cuban and Peter Thiel, for their top book recommendation. Here's what they said. 

Bianca Male, Aimee Groth, and Alison Griswold contributed to this article.

"The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand

Self-made billionaire Mark Cuban tells Business Insider that this book is required reading for every entrepreneur.

It's also a favorite of Charlie O'Donnell, a partner at Brooklyn Bridge Ventures. He says, "I don't know any book that sums up the entrepreneurial passion and spirit better than 'The Fountainhead' by Ayn Rand: 'The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.'"

Get it here >>

"The Effective Executive" by Peter Drucker

This is one of the three books that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had his senior managers read for a series of all-day book clubs. Drucker helped popularize now commonplace ideas about management. For example, that managers and employees should work toward a common set of goals.

"The Effective Executive" explores the time-management and decision-making habits that best equip an executive to be productive and valuable in an organization.

Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions.

Get it here >>

"The Innovator's Dilemma" by Clayton Christensen

Jeff Bezos also had his executives read "The Innovator's Dilemma," one of the all-time most influential business books and a top pick of several other founders and VCs, whose reviews are below.

Steve Blank, a former serial entrepreneur who now teaches at U.C. Berkeley and other schools, says of the book: "Why do large companies seem and act like dinosaurs? Christensen finally was able to diagnose why and propose solutions. Entrepreneurs should read these books as 'how to books' to beat large companies in their own markets."

Chris Dixon, an investor at Andreessen Horowitz and a former cofounder and CEO of Hunch, notes: "'The Innovator's Dilemma' popularized the (often misused) phrase 'disruptive technology,' but there's a lot more than that one big idea. Great insights into the 'dynamics' (changes over time) of markets."

Get it here >>

Last week, I was invited to visit the brand new Tesla store in Paramus, New Jersey, to test out the company's latest set of much-anticipated, futuristic wheels: the supercar-fast, all-wheel-drive Model D sedan. 

As it turns out, Tesla kindly provided me with a Model S to use to drive out to Paramus. It was a Teslapaolooza! Let me tell you all about it.

The drive began on a formerly desolate stretch of far-West Chelsea in Manhattan.

The Tesla store is right at home amid the art galleries that have been established here in the past decade.

Not a Model D. Rather, a Model S with a roof rack. Teslas are so versatile!