We have a weekly podcast where we ask remarkable people to rave about four of their favorite tools. We took the best shows and compiled them into a really cool book. Hundreds of unusual and fantastic tools are recommended. Paper copies are still available, but we can now offer a digital version  – especially useful to those outside of the US. It’s a PDF, in full color, with active links for all tools mentioned. And the 300-page book is only $1.99. Download Four Favorite Tools here. — KK

We have yet to upgrade our old washer and dryer, but my husband upped our laundry game by buying these Wool Dryer Balls ($7, 6pk). They accelerate drying time by absorbing moisture and help prevent static cling. — CD

A free newsletter I find valuable is Exploding Topics. The weekly emails spotlights about 5 words or phrases that are quickly rising in popularity among web searches and social media mentions. The terms might be a product, a company name, a bit of slang, a Millennial catch phrase. It’s a nice easy way to track what’s rapidly trending. (Explanations of the trends are included in the newsletter but not the website.)  - KK

I consider myself well-versed in figuring out people’s love languages, but I was surprised to find out that there was such a thing as an apology language. I took this free quiz and discovered that I am most receptive of apologies that “Accept Responsibility” meaning simply saying “I was wrong.” The other types of apology languages are “Genuinely Repent,” “Expressing Regret,” “Make Restitution,” and “Request Forgiveness.” — CD

I study Japanese, so I use this plug-in to watch Terrace House in Japanese. It allows me to read the kanji and kana as they are spoken by the characters and use the control buttons to play sentences over and over again if I’m having trouble understanding what someone is saying. I can also click on a kanji to translate it into English. I can also configure it to pause at the end of every subtitle so I can study them before moving on. This is a language learner’s dream. — MF

I recently opened a jar of natural peanut butter in which the oil and solids had separated so much that I couldn’t mix it with a spoon. I had to use a drill and a stirrer I made from a bent metal barbecue skewer to mix the peanut butter. (I posted a photo to Twitter. It was messy and the skewer bent, so I went to Amazon to look for a better solution. I found it: the EZPB Natural Nut Butter Stirrer. It’s a zig-zag metal rod that fits most jars and requires patience, but will get the job done far better than a spoon and without splashing peanut oil. Watch the video on the Amazon product page to see how well it works. — MF

Takecare.io is a curated list of sustainable alternatives for consumer goods and other innovative companies. It’s a crowdsourced list, so it’s growing all the time. Scroll through and check it out. — CD

If you are looking for something in your house, and you finally find it, when you’re done with it, don’t put it back where you found it. Put it back where you first looked for it. — KK

In your browser search bar, enter “five minute timer” (or whatever time you need) and Google will display a timer that beeps when it runs out. — MF

Because the batteries of cordless power tools cost almost as much as the tools themselves, I, like everyone else, tended to lock into one tool brand to make the most of shared batteries. But new inexpensive adapters allow me to use my existing set of batteries for any brand of tool. I can now get the best bargain tool no matter the brand of battery. This guy (Sixtyfiveford) on YouTube has compiled a fantastic list of cordless battery adapters for any of the 60 different possible tool/battery brand combinations. Check his shownotes for the purchase links. — KK

This free iOS app called Breathwrk makes it incredibly easy to start a consistent habit of daily breath exercises. I schedule to practice different methods of breathing for different times of the day. Like “Awake” to get energized at 7AM, and “Unwind” to reduce stress at 5PM. This is one of the few apps from which I enjoy receiving reminder notifications. What I appreciate the most about this app is that there are different sounds played for the duration of breathing in and exhaling, and this lets me just close my eyes and focus on breathing. — CD

Earlier this month I tweeted: “I have been trying to get better at touch typing since I switched over from hunt-and-peck two years ago. I am not improving — speed and accuracy are terrible. Does anyone know of an app or method that works?” Of the many useful suggestions offered, the best app for me was keybr.com and the best advice (which is obvious only in retrospect): “Focus on accuracy when practicing. Practice every day. When making too many mistakes, slow down. Without accuracy, speed will be tricky to increase.” — MF

On a recent episode of the Cool Tools podcast, our guest Jane Metcalfe recommended the BUBM Office Desk Pad, a 31-inch x 17-inch mouse mat ($12). I have a desk with a glass top and didn’t like how the cool glass sucked heat from my arms and wrists, so I bought the mat and it turned out to be a great purchase. It feels like textured leather and looks nice. Best of all, it provides excellent insulation between my wrists and the glass. — MF

My two favorite sources for what’s happening in China are these two blogs. Say I want to know, what are Chinese youth watching, reading or listening to? SupChina is a big sprawling website with axillary podcasts and newsletters, that comprehensively covers China’s culture and politics. Based in NYC, it’s slick and professional. Sixth Tone is a smaller publication based in Shanghai, a slower rate, often deeper pieces, more off-beat and less headline-driven. Both give me a good pulse of a rising China and can be subscribed to via RSS. — KK

When you rent or borrow a car and you pull up to a gas station to fill it up, what side is the gas tank on? Look down. In the gas gauge on your dashboard there’s a little arrow to the side of the fuel pump icon. Its direction — left or right — will accurately point to the gas tank side. — KK

Ideas always hit me right before I fall asleep. So I bought these Glovion LED Light Pens ($15/3pk) to write them down without waking up my husband. The light is bright enough to write under, but not bright enough that it pulls me out of my half-awake state. I love that I no longer have to fight that nagging urge to get up and write something down before I forget. – CD

Sometimes my obstacle is when I’ve taken something personally that shouldn’t be. Like when my husband asks me if I unloaded the dishwasher “yet” and I interpret it as an all-out attack on my productivity. My therapist has advised me to listen to the request, not the tone. But that’s easy to forget. Here is a good printout to keep nearby if you also struggle with the same thing. — CD

One of the most useful bits of advice I ever got, came from the writer Anne Herbert who said that whenever she got an invitation to do something months away or even a week away, she asked herself whether she would accept the gig/meeting/task if it was tomorrow. The answer was often no. I use that immediacy trick all the time, and it has served me very well. — KK

I have a height-adjustable chair and a sit/stand desk, but my work area was not complete until I bought this AmazonBasics Under Desk Foot Rest ($17). It helps me be mindful of my sitting posture, and I like that it swivels back and forth because I can stretch out my legs and calves. — CD

I’ve been wow’d by the Netflix series Messiah, and binged all 10 episodes in a few sittings. The initial premise is: What if a Jesus figure came to the Mid East today and started doing miracles? Would he be declared a fake? A Prophet? By what religions? A potential revolutionary terrorist? All of the above? It goes on from there in unexpected ways, including becoming a CIA thriller. The Messiah’s lines are really good. — KK