This year's 4 most popular articles offer practical guidance for people trying to use resources wisely and keep their sanity while staying home. I also wrote a series of articles about the pandemic, discovered some new recipes, and reviewed a lot of books.
Handbookery
Top 19 Articles of 2019
This isn't really a blog. It's an ever-expanding, interlinked reference book. As my new articles keep linking to old articles, and other people also link to those old articles or share them on social media, they continue to draw readers for years after publication. That means that when I look over the WordPress statistics for … Continue reading Top 19 Articles of 2019
Top 18 Articles of 2018
Like last year, this was a year in which The Earthling's Handbook drew more readers to the articles that have been here a long time (and therefore have been linked to more often, on other sites as well as in my own articles) than to new articles. The list of overall most-popular articles is so … Continue reading Top 18 Articles of 2018
Am I your role model?
It's great to hear from readers who say that The Earthling's Handbook taught them some incredibly helpful idea that they use all the time now. That's what I want to do! I want to make the world a better place by sharing things that work for me, especially things that help people conserve resources, eat … Continue reading Am I your role model?
Top 17 Articles of 2017
This isn’t really a blog. It’s a constantly expanding reference book. Most years, the most popular articles are more than a year old--they've had more time for other sites to link to them. I've made two Top 17 lists here: The articles written in 2017 that were most popular, and the articles that were overall … Continue reading Top 17 Articles of 2017
Top 10 New Articles of 2016
This isn't really a blog. It's a constantly expanding reference book. Every year, when I look at the statistics on which articles drew the most readers in the previous year, all or most of the popular articles are more than a year old. 2016 was an unusual year for The Earthling's Handbook. Losing my job … Continue reading Top 10 New Articles of 2016
Top 10 New Articles of 2015
This isn't really a blog. The Earthling's Handbook is more like a reference book. Most years, the 10 most-read articles are very similar to the previous year's 10 most-read, because over time more people link to them and their increasing popularity makes them rank higher in search-engine results. My #1 article this year is the … Continue reading Top 10 New Articles of 2015
Oh, all right. But they didn’t Book my Face!
More than three years ago, I explained why I was boycotting Facebook. Yesterday, I joined Facebook. My intention was to join as The Earthling's Handbook, but Facebook immediately responded, "You have to join with your real name! I'm the only book allowed here!" so I joined with my own name but used The Earthling's Handbook … Continue reading Oh, all right. But they didn’t Book my Face!
Top 10 New Articles of 2014
One of the interesting things about writing a handy guidebook for this planet is that what Earthlings want to know doesn't vary all that much from year to year. The 10 most-viewed articles this year were first published between 2008 and 2013 (though they've all had updates), and that blood-type article alone has been read … Continue reading Top 10 New Articles of 2014
What Earthlings Want to Know
As a professional data manager, I still don't get enough information to pore over, so I sometimes spend my lunch break delving into the WordPress stats page that tells me how people find The Earthling's Handbook. One of the more interesting features is the list of phrases typed into search engines that brought people here, … Continue reading What Earthlings Want to Know
Top 10 Articles Earthlings Read in 2013
Just like 2012, most of my most-read articles in 2013 were classics published before 2013. Well, after all, this isn't really a blog; it's a free ebook to which I keep adding chapters, so the old stuff is still relevant. Here, just in case you missed them, are the 10 articles added in 2013 that … Continue reading Top 10 Articles Earthlings Read in 2013
11 Blogs Worth Reading
Back in February, I received my second Liebster Award and was supposed to nominate 11 other blogs for the award. At the time, I found this difficult, because I don't read all that many blogs, and many of the ones I do enjoy are so obviously popular that they don't qualify for this award, and … Continue reading 11 Blogs Worth Reading
The Temporary Fate of “Cute and Thrifty Scouring Powder”
Hello, readers! Click here for the real article about how to make your own scouring powder. This post exists because, five days after I posted the original article, I noticed that it had totally disappeared!!! Because I had connected it to a number of link parties, I hastily posted an apology and attempted to give … Continue reading The Temporary Fate of “Cute and Thrifty Scouring Powder”
Liebster Award: 11 Great Blogs!
Pary Moppins nominated me for a Liebster Award! I am honored to be recognized by this perfectly practical blogger who offers such tips as a mnemonic for teaching kids to set the table and 20 very useful kitchen tools and how to make smelly shoes smell better. The funny thing is, when I received a … Continue reading Liebster Award: 11 Great Blogs!
Top 10 Articles Earthlings Read in 2012
On New Year's Eve, I looked at my WordPress statistics to see which articles in The Earthling's Handbook drew the most readers in 2012. Interestingly, 9 of the top 10 were published before 2012! I choose to believe that this is not because my writing has declined but because my older articles have ongoing relevance … Continue reading Top 10 Articles Earthlings Read in 2012
Should I start using Pinterest?
I am seeking the opinions of my readers! Please comment! Over the course of this year, I've browsed other people's Pinterest boards a number of times, and I've seen a small but increasing amount of visitors to my site coming in through links on Pinterest. I read more about Pinterest in my college alumni magazine … Continue reading Should I start using Pinterest?
I drew the Earthling symbol for nothingness.
If you found this site by searching the Web for the phrase, "I drew the Earthling symbol for nothingness," please post a comment explaining what you are seeking. I am fascinated. This phrase turns up at least once a week, sometimes several times a day, in the list of search terms that have brought people … Continue reading I drew the Earthling symbol for nothingness.
Win a FREE e-book with over 800 helpful tips!
UPDATE: Both give-away copies have been won, but you can still buy the e-book by clicking this button: This isn't really a blog, and I've never run a give-away before, but I can't resist the opportunity to give away two free copies of the new e-book That Works For Me! This book compiles the best … Continue reading Win a FREE e-book with over 800 helpful tips!
The e-book That Works For Me!
If you've ever clicked on one of the links that say, "It works for me!" in many of my posts, you've found the wonderful blog carnival Works-for-Me Wednesday, where every week about 200 writers each link an article about something that works for them. (Here are the instructions for participating in Works-for-Me Wednesday.) This delightfully … Continue reading The e-book That Works For Me!
Liebster Blog Award: 5 Great Blogs!
Despite my occasional protestations that The Earthling's Handbook is not really a blog, it has received a Liebster Blog Award! I will set aside my feelings about the yucky-sounding word "blog" to graciously accept this award and acknowledge that at least one-third of my readers have come here via weekly blog carnivals to which I … Continue reading Liebster Blog Award: 5 Great Blogs!
The Earthling's Handbook 