Samsung NC10

Screen Size: 10.2”
Battery Life: 5 Hours
Operating System: Windows XP
Weight: 2.8lbs

Samsungs entry to the market is the exact opposite of some of the niche systems we've already run through, sharing more in common with the EEE PC line - it's powerful, small and focuses on doing simple tasks as well as possible. Thanks to this focus on simplicity, the NC10 remains an excellent contender despite doing nothing 'special'.

The Samsungs design is piratical and uses a 10" screen. From the outside it looks like the epitome of a standard small laptop. It's not stylish but nor is it over-the-top, and it could easily be mistaken for just about every other non-descript small laptop on the market.

One of the ways the NC10 does differ from other models is that there are no options in terms of changing any of the specifications. There's no Linux version, no different CPU speeds, no option for a solid state drive. It offers a standard Intel Atom N270 configuration running at 1.6 GHz, 1GB of ram and a 160GB hard drive.

Control on the system is hit and miss. The 10" size has made the keyboard large and easy to use even if it's not the best on offer. However, the touchpad is awkwardly placed and oddly unresponsive. Worse still, Samsung have taken the rather odd design decision to make a 'widescreen' style touchpad which makes vertical scrolling a somewhat ardous task.

The systems Matte display runs at the 1024x600 and looks appealing and crisp, although it would be hard to differentiate between the NC10 and offerings from ASUS or Dell in terms of pure screen quality. Sound offers a similar 'adequate' quality without providing any real power. The integrated 1.3MP webcam however does stand out as one of the best in the world of small laptops and combined with a decent microphone it's a great system for talking to friends over the net.

Battery life is one of the few absolute standouts of the NC10, featuring a 6-cell standard battery that even beats out contenders like the EEE PC. Depending on the tasks and the brightness of the screen, the system can last for around 5 hours. The NC10 is also priced perfectly; at around $450-$500 - slightly cheaper than many of its direct competition.

Sony VAIO VGN-P588E Lifestyle PC

Screen Size: 8”
Battery Life: 2.5 Hours
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
Weight: 1.4lbs
Wow, that's a bit of a mouthful, isn't it? It's a rather pretentious name for what is essentially just another small laptop, but then the Vaio range has always been one for style and design following just behind apple in desirability ratings. It’s popular amongst people with the disposable income to afford to pay for the brand as well as the components.

And there's no denying that the P5's design is excellent. It's stylish without being loud. It’s thin and elegant. It looks like no other small laptop on the market, so if you're after some visual originality, the P5 has to be right up there with anything Apple can offer. It comes with a price tag to match the design however, weighing in it over a thousand dollars.

The Sony model opts for an 8 inch widescreen display, offering a resolution of 1,600 x 768, slightly different from the usual notebook standard. In fact, it's one of the best resolutions around for a system of its size and because the screen is so wide, there’s far less chance you'll have to worry about scrolling.
Sony's small laptop is also unusual in its decision to use a pointing stick rather than a touch pad to save space. Some people really dislike pointing sticks and find them slow and difficult to use, while others actually prefer them to a touchpad.. The keyboard is adequate and doesn't have any major faults, though as one of the smaller laptops in this list the lack of space does making typing quite a challenge for those with big hands.

One rather confusing design decision was the move to Windows Vista as opposed to more lightweight systems like Linux or XP. The P5 comes equipped with 2GB of ram, but where better operating systems would fly Vista feels slow and cumbersome. It's important to weigh in the resource load of the operating system when directly comparing system technical specifications. Of course, the eye catching design of Vista fits very well into the P5’s own visual attractiveness.

Extra features are what make the P5 stand out amongst cheaper competitors. It has .11n wireless which is faster than standard, GPS, Bluetooth and even integrated mobile broadband. This makes it highly connectable which is a massive bonus for a portable device. Combine this with its weight and fact it's less than inch thick and it's one of the best devices out there in terms of pure portability.

The battery life of the laptop is the only crutch on portability, offering just over 2 hours under heavy use. You could probably get more out of the system by swapping to a less battery draining operating system. Sony also offers a larger capacity battery that nearly doubles the life of the system, but it does stick out of the P5 and it costs another $100 on top of the already heavy price tag.

HP Mini 1000

Screen Size: 8.9” / 10.2”
Battery Life: 3 hours
Operating System: Windows XP / Linux (Ubuntu)
Weight: 2.5lbs

HP’s last small laptop offering was the 2133. It was an interesting attempt at the market with an excellent control interface and keyboard. Unfortunately, use of a budget processor and a high price range meant the system couldn’t quite cut it amongst its competitors at the time. The Mini 1000 is HP’s consumer answer to the 2133, lifting the excellent keyboard straight from the business model while upgrading the CPU to the much more powerful Intel Atom.

The Mini 1000 runs on Windows XP, uses a 1.6 Ghz Intel Atom processor and comes with 1Gb or 2Gb memory options as standard. Nine or ten inch screens are available depending on preference and price range, and everything is powered by a standard 3-cell battery. The 'Mini' version of the range runsWindows XP but the 'Mi' runs Ubuntu Linux complete with proprietary HP media software. Hard drive options include a spinning 60GB drive or an 8/16GB solid state solution.

Like most HP machines, the 1000 stands out in the small laptop market for both its stylish design and light weight form factor. HP thankfully swapped out the metal chassis from the 2133 with plastic - it looks cheaper, sure, but you also save money and in weight in the swap. The laptop remains attractive once opened with an excellent use of the limited space on offer.

The amazing thing about the Mini 1000 and the thing that many people considering purchasing a small notebook should consider is the size of the keyboard. HP claim the keyboard on the 1000 is 92% of the size of a regular laptop keyboard. That's quite an achievement, and in terms of typing if nothing else, the 1000 is the best in the market. This makes the HP product perfect for people who have had a bad experience with key mashing or pain when using other small laptop keyboards.

The 10 inch display model offers the standard 1024x600 resolution seen in many small laptops. As with much of HP's laptop range, the screen is covered in gloss which makes the display look fantastic - inside. Outside on a sunny day you'll be constantly trying to adjust the screen to avoid reflection, a shame considering it does limit the portability of the device somewhat.

The only thing that lets the 1000 down slightly is the rather confusing decisions HP has made with the systems ports. The 1000 has 2 USB ports and only one port for audio. There's actually plenty of room for the extra ports but HP has decided to use the space for a proprietary system called 'Mini mobile drive'. Mini mobile drive is nothing more than a high capacity memory stick that you can only buy from HP, and we can't see any reason why most small laptop users would ever find a use for one.

The Mini 1000 retails from $500 depending on your options with the 'designer' Vivienne Tam edition selling for a ridiculously high $700+. We recommend grabbing the Windows XP 'Mini' range over the 'Mi' as the extra money you have to spend on Windows gives you so much more software options. An extend battery might also be on the cards for some users as the 1000 uses a 3-cell system that will only last around 2.5 hours under heavy use.

Link: http://laptopadvisor.blogspot.com/2009/04/top-10-best-small-laptops.html

Fujitsu Siemens turned things around with the biggest laptop in the world presented at this year’s CeBIT show in Hannover, Germany. A laptop can only be called a laptop if it fits on my lap. If, instead, the whole of my body can fit on its keyboard, and the screen is big enough to kill me if it suddenly drops, it is not a laptop anymore- how about a cracktop?

First Generation (1941-1956)

World War gave rise to numerous developments and started off the computer age. Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) was produced by a partnershp between University of Pennsylvannia and the US government. It consisted of 18,000 vacuum tubes and 7000 resistors. It was developed by John Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly and was a general purpose computer. "Von Neumann designed the Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC) in 1945 with a memory to hold both a stored program as well as data." Von Neumann's computer allowed for all the computer functions to be controlled by a single source.

Then in 1951 came the Universal Automatic Computer(UNIVAC I), designed by Remington rand and collectively owned by US census bureau and General Electric. UNIVAC amazingly predicted the winner of 1952, presidential elections, Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In first generation computers, the operating instructions or programs were specifically built for the task for which computer was manufactured. The Machine language was the only way to tell these machines to perform the operations. There was great difficulty to program these computers ,and more when there were some malfunctions. First Generation computers used Vacuum tubes and magnetic drums(for data storage).

Link: http://library.thinkquest.org/C0125787/firgen.htm

OptiVec for Delphi 2009 is a high-performance library containing more than 3500 hand-optimized functions for all floating-point and integer data types from the following fields: Vectorized form of arithmetic operators and math functions. Matrix operations, e.g.: multiplication, inversion, LU decomposition, SVD, eigenvalues. Fast Fourier Transform techniques for efficient convolutions, correlation analyses, spectral filtering, both one- and two-dimensional. Curve fitting for a wide range of model functions from simple linear regression to non-linear models with multiple data sets. Statistics. Analysis (derivatives, integrals, interpolation). Graphical representation of data. Complex number math (Cartesian and polar). The vectorized implementation in assembler makes OptiVec functions 2-3 times faster than compiled source code of the same functionality. The numerical accuracy is improved as well.

Link: http://download.cnet.com/OptiVec-for-Delphi-2009/3000-10254_4-75104126.html

CMATH is a comprehensive library for complex-number arithmetics and mathematics, both in cartesian and in polar coordinates. This Delphi version includes the same functionality as CMATH for C++ or the complex class libraries of C++ compilers, plus many additions. All functions may be called either with overloaded function names (e.g., exp, sin ), or with type-specific function names (like cf_exp, cd_sin). Superior speed, accuracy and safety are achieved through the implementation in Assembly language. All CMATH functions are optimized for current processors, but will run on computers down to 486DX.

link: http://download.cnet.com/CMATH-for-Delphi-2009/3000-10254_4-75104125.html

VirusBuster SPAM Database will update your security suite with the latest spam signatures to keep it in top notch shape.

Link: http://download.cnet.com/VirusBuster-SPAM-Database-Updates/3000-2239_4-75279432.html

BackUp Maker is an easy to use and complex backup system. The application offers several wizards and assistents to support you on defining backup jobs for your personal needs. BackUp Maker creates backup archives in PkZip standard, optionally directly onto CD or DVD and FTP servers - you can restore all your saved data using well-known Zip tools.

Accessibility in Windows 7

Windows 7 includes accessibility options and programs that make it easier to see, hear, and use your computer including ways to personalize your PC. Windows 7 includes significant accessibility improvements. Magnifier now includes a lens mode and full-screen mode. On-Screen Keyboard can be resized to make it easier to see and includes text prediction. Windows 7 also gives you more ways to interact with your PC by taking advantage of new strides in speech recognition and touch technology.

Make things on screen appear bigger with Magnifier

Magnifier enlarges portions of the screen making it easier to view text and images and see the whole screen more easily. Magnifier in Windows 7 now includes full-screen mode, lens mode, and docked mode.

The magnification quality is improved and you can set the magnification level up to 16 times the original size and choose to track what you magnify by movement of your mouse, the keyboard, or text editing.

Type without using the keyboard (On-Screen Keyboard)

On-Screen Keyboard displays a visual keyboard with all the standard keys. Instead of relying on the physical keyboard to type and enter data, you can use On-Screen Keyboard to select keys using the mouse or another pointing device.

On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 7 can be resized and customized to make it easier to see and use. On-Screen Keyboard now also includes text prediction in eight languages. When text prediction is enabled, as you type, On-Screen Keyboard displays a list of words that you might be typing.

Link: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windows7/

Always know what's new

I don't know about you, but I find it tough to stay up-to-date on all the people I know. With e-mail, IM, text messages, and social networking sites, it feels like there are just too many places to check to see what my friends and family are up to. I could call them, but by the time I think about calling it's often either too late in their time zone, I'm out of cell phone minutes (whoops), or something else comes up.

But now all I have to do to see what people are up to is sign in to Windows Live. There, on my Windows Live home page, is a summary of what all my friends and family have been up to lately online, under "What's new with your network."

I can see everything new—blog posts, comments, photos, and other things that the people in my network have decided to share with me, and I can click the links to see more or comment about what they're doing. It's all the new stuff, at a glance. If you’ve used Messenger or Spaces before, then you probably already have people in your network on Windows Live. Your network is made up of your Messenger contacts and what used to be called your Spaces friends.

If you've never used Messenger or Spaces, it's easy to grow your network. You can find people already on Windows Live, and you can also invite your friends from other social networking sites, like Facebook. When you add people, you decide if you want to invite them to Messenger (so you can chat online), to appear on your profile (so other people can see who you know), or both. If someone accepts your invitation, they're in your network and you'll start seeing their updates in your “What's new” list. That's all you have to do!

The cool thing about the “What's new” list is that once you add people to your network, they'll see updates about you too. When I add new photos to Windows Live and share them, the people I've shared them with see my photos in the “What's new” list on their own Windows Live home page. So much easier than sending photos to lots of different people!

The other thing I like about the “What's new” list is you can add the things you do on other sites too. So if you already have an account with Flickr, Twitter, or Pandora, you can just add those activities to Windows Live. That way, the people in your network can see all the different things you're doing online.

When people in my network want to see everything I’ve been doing lately in one place, they can just go to my Windows Live profile page. There’s a list of what’s new on my profile page too, but this list is all about me. Any time I do something on Windows Live, it's automatically updated with the new things I've done. I can decide what activities to share, and who to share them with. If I want my best friend to see everything, when she visits my profile she sees everything. If I want my mom to only see certain photos I've added (like the cute ones of the cat), then that's all she can see.

Link: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/What-is-Windows-Live-All-you-need-to-stay-in-touch-and-keep-your-life-in-sync

Contact list view
When you signed into 9.0 for the first time, you probably noticed the changes in your contact list right away. This is the new “detailed” view of the contact list which shows a larger display image, status message and latest update from each contacts. If you prefer the older look of the contact list, just click the menu to the right of the contact search box and select “Compact List”. Similarly, you can click on the Contacts menu at the top of your main Messenger window to find these options.

Conversation / message formatting
In the IM conversation window, we switched to a format where the first message is on the same line as the name, and then subsequent messages are shown without names alongside. If you prefer to have your friend’s name next to every message they send in the conversation, there is a keyboard shortcut you can use to change it back to the old style. Click here for instructions on how to change your message format

Status menu makeover
We made a few changes to let you more easily share what you’re up to, what you’re into or what you’re thinking with your friends. One of the problems we wanted to address was being able to show you’re available or busy but still be able to share something with your friends like a website, video or funny thought. With this new status menu, you can indicate whether you’re busy or available and separately, provide a status message and even link to something interesting. Yes, the “canned” status messages are gone, but the last nine status messages you used will be listed in the dropdown menu.

New skins
We added eleven new skins to 9.0. To switch skin designs, click the gold dot to the left of the minimize/maximize/close buttons in the upper right corner of the main Messenger window.

Updates from your friends
Yahoo! Messenger 9.0 now displays updates from your contacts alongside their status messages when they make updates on the Yahoo! network at places like Yahoo! Movies, Sports, Shopping, Travel, or on other social websites like Twitter, YouTube, Last.fm, and more. The same goes for you – you can instantly share your own updates with your friends on Yahoo! Messenger.

(10) Rain Man (1988)

Talk about learning and appreciating the love of family! This story is about a self centered man who eventually realized that his father left his $3 million inheritance to an older brother he did not even know existed.
Link: http://hubpages.com/hub/inspirational-movies

Top Inspirational Movies Based on Real Stories

Men of Honor: It is an inspirational movie starring Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding Jr. released in 2000. The movie was based on the true story of Master Chief Petty Officer Carl Brashear (Gooding Jr.) and Master Chief Leslie William 'Billy' Sunday (De Niro). The movie is about Carl Brashear, a man with only a 7th grade education trying to become the first African American Navy diver and the various obstacles faced by him on this way to success.

The Pursuit of Happyness: The movie was inspired by the real life story of Chris Gardner and was released in 2006. It is the story of a single father (Will Smith) raising his young son (Jaden Smith) and their struggle for survival, right from sleeping in bus station bathrooms to selling overpriced medical equipment to doctors and finally landing to the one available employment position with the brokerage firm Dean Witter Reynolds.

Schindler’s List: It was another inspiring movie based on the true story of Oscar Schindler, a German businessman who owns a factory. The movie was released in 1993 and the story revolved around Oscar Schindler who uses Jews to start a factory in Poland during the war and eventually saves over 1100 Jews from death.

Gandhi: This inspirational movie starring Ben Kingsley, released in 1982, was based on the true story of Mahatma Gandhi, who revolted against the British through his philosophy of non-violent protest.

Ali: It was an inspiring movie released in 2001, starring Will Smith as Muhammad Ali, the boxing icon. The movie revolves around Muhammad Ali's life from 1964 to 1974, featuring his winning of the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston (Michael Bentt), his conversion to Islam, criticism of the Vietnam War, banishment from boxing, his comeback to fight Joe Frazier in 1971, and finally, his reclaiming the title from George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle fight of 1974.

Redemption: The movie was released in 2004 and was based on the true story of The Stan Tookie Williams Story, the co founder of a street gang the crepes who finds redemption on the death row.

Seabiscuit: It is an inspirational movie based on the true story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose unexpected successes lifted not only the spirits of the team behind it but also those of their nation. The movie was released in 2003 and starred Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper, Royce D. Applegate, William H. Macy and Elizabeth Banks.

Ray: Another great inspirational movie, Ray was a biographical film based on the life of musician Ray Charles. The movie was released in 2004 and featured Jamie Foxx in the lead role.

Hotel Rwanda: The movie was released in 2004 and featured Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo in the lead roles. The movie was based on the true story of Paul Rusesabagina who sheltered thousands of Rwandans during the Rwandan racial extermination.

Glory Road: It is an inspirational movie released in 2006 and based on the true story dealing with the events leading to the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. The story revolved around the late Don Haskins, head coach of the Texas Western college, acted by Josh Lucas.

A groundbreaking manifesto on the meaning of life.

The most basic question everyone faces in life is Why am I here? What is my purpose? Self-help books suggest that people should look within, at their own desires and dreams, but Rick Warren says the starting place must be with God and his eternal purposes for each life. Real meaning and significance comes from understanding and fulfilling God’s purposes for putting us on earth.

The Purpose-Driven Life takes the groundbreaking message of the award-winning Purpose-Driven Church and goes deeper, applying it to the lifestyle of individual Christians. This book helps readers understand God’s incredible plan for their lives. Warren enables them to see the big picture of what life is all about and begin to live the life God created them to live.

The Purpose-Driven Life is a manifesto for Christian living in the 21st century...a lifestyle based on eternal purposes, not cultural values. Using biblical stories and letting the Bible speak for itself, Warren clearly explains God’s five purposes for each of us:

• We were planned for God’s pleasure, so your first purpose is to offer real worship.
• We were formed for God’s family, so your second purpose is to enjoy real fellowship.
• We were created to become like Christ, so your third purpose is to learn real discipleship.
• We were shaped for serving God, so your fourth purpose is to practice real ministry.
• We were made for a mission, so your fifth purpose is to live out real evangelism.

This long-anticipated book is the life-message of Rick Warren, founding pastor of Saddleback Church. Written in a captivating devotional style, the book is divided into 40 short chapters that can be read as a daily devotional, studied by small groups, and used by churches participating in the nationwide 40 Days of Purpose campaigns.

Link: http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/en-US/AboutUs/AboutTheBook/AboutTheBook.htm

For all of us who, like Job, have suffered through tragedy and then dared to aim our questions at God, chapter 38 of Job’s book should give us plenty to think about. Imagine what it must have felt like for the great man of the East when “out of the whirlwind” he heard God say, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me” (vv.1-3). Gulp!

Job must have felt as puny as an ant. As God unveiled His questions in the verses that follow, what He said was as unexpected as it was powerful. He didn’t really answer Job’s “why” questions. Instead, God seemed to be telling him to notice the power and might with which He created this world and to observe His ability to control every element of it. Isn’t that reason enough to trust God? Job should have been asking himself.

As one example of His awesome power, God pointed to the sky and told Job to observe two of His awe-inspiring creations: Pleiades and Orion (v.31). Highlighting His grandeur and man’s relative insignificance, God mentioned two constellations that demonstrate power beyond our understanding.

This is Someone we can trust. If He has the stars in His hands, surely He can take care of us as well.

Creator of the universe
Who reigns in awesome majesty:
How can it be You love and care
For such a one as me? —Sper

Link: http://odb.org/

Welcome to Chicken Soup for the Soul, a world leader in life improvement. We have been helping real people share real stories for fifteen years, bringing hope, courage, inspiration and love to hundreds of millions of people around the world. We hope our books and products touch your life in a similar way.

Give the gift of one of our books or products to a family member, a friend, or yourself. Always a great value, they are a reminder of your love that will be opened and used over and over.

Link: http://www.chickensoup.com/

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Paperback:	496 pages
Publisher:	Random House; 1st edition (November 16, 2010)
Description:

Starred Review. From the 1936 Olympics to WWII Japan’s most brutal POW camps, Hillenbrand’s heart-wrenching new book is thousands of miles and a world away from the racing circuit of her bestselling Seabiscuit. But it’s just as much a page-turner, and its hero, Louie Zamperini, is just as loveable: a disciplined champion racer who ran in the Berlin Olympics, he’s a wit, a prankster, and a reformed juvenile delinquent who put his thieving skills to good use in the POW camps, In other words, Louie is a total charmer, a lover of life–whose will to live is cruelly tested when he becomes an Army Air Corps bombardier in 1941. The young Italian-American from Torrance, Calif., was expected to be the first to run a four-minute mile. After an astonishing but losing race at the 1936 Olympics, Louie was hoping for gold in the 1940 games. But war ended those dreams forever. In May 1943 his B-24 crashed into the Pacific. After a record-breaking 47 days adrift on a shark-encircled life raft with his pal and pilot, Russell Allen “Phil” Phillips, they were captured by the Japanese. In the “theater of cruelty” that was the Japanese POW camp network, Louie landed in the cruelest theaters of all: Omori and Naoetsu, under the control of Corp. Mutsuhiro Watanabe, a pathologically brutal sadist (called the Bird by camp inmates) who never killed his victims outright–his pleasure came from their slow, unending torment. After one beating, as Watanabe left Louie’s cell, Louie saw on his face a “soft languor…. It was an expression of sexual rapture.” And Louie, with his defiant and unbreakable spirit, was Watanabe’s victim of choice. By war’s end, Louie was near death. When Naoetsu was liberated in mid-August 1945, a depleted Louie’s only thought was “I’m free! I’m free! I’m free!” But as Hillenbrand shows, Louie was not yet free. Even as, returning stateside, he impulsively married the beautiful Cynthia Applewhite and tried to build a life, Louie remained in the Bird’s clutches, haunted in his dreams, drinking to forget, and obsessed with vengeance. In one of several sections where Hillenbrand steps back for a larger view, she writes movingly of the thousands of postwar Pacific PTSD sufferers. With no help for their as yet unrecognized illness, Hillenbrand says, “there was no one right way to peace; each man had to find his own path….” The book’s final section is the story of how, with Cynthia’s help, Louie found his path. It is impossible to condense the rich, granular detail of Hillenbrand’s narrative of the atrocities committed (one man was exhibited naked in a Tokyo zoo for the Japanese to “gawk at his filthy, sore-encrusted body”) against American POWs in Japan, and the courage of Louie and his fellow POWs, who made attempts on Watanabe’s life, committed sabotage, and risked their own lives to save others. Hillenbrand’s triumph is that in telling Louie’s story (he’s now in his 90s), she tells the stories of thousands whose suffering has been mostly forgotten. The restores to our collective memory this tale of heroism, cruelty, life, death, joy, suffering, remorselessness, and redemption. (Nov.) -Reviewed by Sarah F. Gold (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Link: http://top-10-list.org/top-10-bestsellers-books/

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Paperback:	496 pages
Publisher:	Random House; 1st edition (November 16, 2010)
Description:

Starred Review. From the 1936 Olympics to WWII Japan’s most brutal POW camps, Hillenbrand’s heart-wrenching new book is thousands of miles and a world away from the racing circuit of her bestselling Seabiscuit. But it’s just as much a page-turner, and its hero, Louie Zamperini, is just as loveable: a disciplined champion racer who ran in the Berlin Olympics, he’s a wit, a prankster, and a reformed juvenile delinquent who put his thieving skills to good use in the POW camps, In other words, Louie is a total charmer, a lover of life–whose will to live is cruelly tested when he becomes an Army Air Corps bombardier in 1941. The young Italian-American from Torrance, Calif., was expected to be the first to run a four-minute mile. After an astonishing but losing race at the 1936 Olympics, Louie was hoping for gold in the 1940 games. But war ended those dreams forever. In May 1943 his B-24 crashed into the Pacific. After a record-breaking 47 days adrift on a shark-encircled life raft with his pal and pilot, Russell Allen “Phil” Phillips, they were captured by the Japanese. In the “theater of cruelty” that was the Japanese POW camp network, Louie landed in the cruelest theaters of all: Omori and Naoetsu, under the control of Corp. Mutsuhiro Watanabe, a pathologically brutal sadist (called the Bird by camp inmates) who never killed his victims outright–his pleasure came from their slow, unending torment. After one beating, as Watanabe left Louie’s cell, Louie saw on his face a “soft languor…. It was an expression of sexual rapture.” And Louie, with his defiant and unbreakable spirit, was Watanabe’s victim of choice. By war’s end, Louie was near death. When Naoetsu was liberated in mid-August 1945, a depleted Louie’s only thought was “I’m free! I’m free! I’m free!” But as Hillenbrand shows, Louie was not yet free. Even as, returning stateside, he impulsively married the beautiful Cynthia Applewhite and tried to build a life, Louie remained in the Bird’s clutches, haunted in his dreams, drinking to forget, and obsessed with vengeance. In one of several sections where Hillenbrand steps back for a larger view, she writes movingly of the thousands of postwar Pacific PTSD sufferers. With no help for their as yet unrecognized illness, Hillenbrand says, “there was no one right way to peace; each man had to find his own path….” The book’s final section is the story of how, with Cynthia’s help, Louie found his path. It is impossible to condense the rich, granular detail of Hillenbrand’s narrative of the atrocities committed (one man was exhibited naked in a Tokyo zoo for the Japanese to “gawk at his filthy, sore-encrusted body”) against American POWs in Japan, and the courage of Louie and his fellow POWs, who made attempts on Watanabe’s life, committed sabotage, and risked their own lives to save others. Hillenbrand’s triumph is that in telling Louie’s story (he’s now in his 90s), she tells the stories of thousands whose suffering has been mostly forgotten. She restores to our collective memory this tale of heroism, cruelty, life, death, joy, suffering, remorselessness, and redemption. (Nov.) -Reviewed by Sarah F. Gold (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Paperback:	496 pages
Publisher:	Random House; 1st edition (November 16, 2010)
Description:

Starred Review. From the 1936 Olympics to WWII Japan’s most brutal POW camps, Hillenbrand’s heart-wrenching new book is thousands of miles and a world away from the racing circuit of her bestselling Seabiscuit. But it’s just as much a page-turner, and its hero, Louie Zamperini, is just as loveable: a disciplined champion racer who ran in the Berlin Olympics, he’s a wit, a prankster, and a reformed juvenile delinquent who put his thieving skills to good use in the POW camps, In other words, Louie is a total charmer, a lover of life–whose will to live is cruelly tested when he becomes an Army Air Corps bombardier in 1941. The young Italian-American from Torrance, Calif., was expected to be the first to run a four-minute mile. After an astonishing but losing race at the 1936 Olympics, Louie was hoping for gold in the 1940 games. But war ended those dreams forever. In May 1943 his B-24 crashed into the Pacific. After a record-breaking 47 days adrift on a shark-encircled life raft with his pal and pilot, Russell Allen “Phil” Phillips, they were captured by the Japanese. In the “theater of cruelty” that was the Japanese POW camp network, Louie landed in the cruelest theaters of all: Omori and Naoetsu, under the control of Corp. Mutsuhiro Watanabe, a pathologically brutal sadist (called the Bird by camp inmates) who never killed his victims outright–his pleasure came from their slow, unending torment. After one beating, as Watanabe left Louie’s cell, Louie saw on his face a “soft languor…. It was an expression of sexual rapture.” And Louie, with his defiant and unbreakable spirit, was Watanabe’s victim of choice. By war’s end, Louie was near death. When Naoetsu was liberated in mid-August 1945, a depleted Louie’s only thought was “I’m free! I’m free! I’m free!” But as Hillenbrand shows, Louie was not yet free. Even as, returning stateside, he impulsively married the beautiful Cynthia Applewhite and tried to build a life, Louie remained in the Bird’s clutches, haunted in his dreams, drinking to forget, and obsessed with vengeance. In one of several sections where Hillenbrand steps back for a larger view, she writes movingly of the thousands of postwar Pacific PTSD sufferers. With no help for their as yet unrecognized illness, Hillenbrand says, “there was no one right way to peace; each man had to find his own path….” The book’s final section is the story of how, with Cynthia’s help, Louie found his path. It is impossible to condense the rich, granular detail of Hillenbrand’s narrative of the atrocities committed (one man was exhibited naked in a Tokyo zoo for the Japanese to “gawk at his filthy, sore-encrusted body”) against American POWs in Japan, and the courage of Louie and his fellow POWs, who made attempts on Watanabe’s life, committed sabotage, and risked their own lives to save others. Hillenbrand’s triumph is that in telling Louie’s story (he’s now in his 90s), she tells the stories of thousands whose suffering has been mostly forgotten. She restores to our collective memory this tale of heroism, cruelty, life, death, joy, suffering, remorselessness, and redemption. (Nov.) -Reviewed by Sarah F. Gold (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

KaBOOM!: How One Man Built a Movement to Save Play

Paperback:	320 pages
Publisher:	Rodale Books (April 26, 2011)
Description:

KaBOOM! is the powerful, uplifting journey of a man who grew up in a group home with his seven brothers and sisters and went on to build a world-class nonprofit that harnesses the power of community to improve the lives of children.In 1995, Darell Hammond read an article in the Washington Post about an unthinkable tragedy: Two young children suffocated in a car on a hot summer day in southeast Washington, DC. The story indicated that the children had nowhere to play; in the absence of a playground, they had climbed into an abandoned car. Reading the article fueled Hammond’s sense of injustice, and his life’s mission came into focus. Hammond founded KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit that provides communities with tools, resources, and guidance to build and renovate playgrounds and playspaces. In some of the toughest and poorest neighborhoods in North America, 2,000 barren spaces have been transformed by KaBOOM! and more than a million volunteers and community members into kid-designed, fun, and imaginative places to play. This is the story of a man with a vision, a man who believes that play is the best natural resource in a creative economy and that kids need more of it. Play is not a luxury but a necessity for their lives. Through hard work, commitment, and the conviction that access to a safe play environment is the fundamental right of all children, Hammond built an organization that has touched the lives of countless children and families.Hammond’s story demonstrates how one idealist can change the world and how small, civic-minded steps create a ripple effect that can transform communities and eventually the world at large.

The Dukan Diet: 2 Steps to Lose the Weight, 2 Steps to Keep It Off Forever

Paperback:	304 pages
Publisher:	Crown Archetype; 1 edition (April 19, 2011)
Description:

# 1 international bestselling diet book coming to North America Devised by Dr. Pierre Dukan, a French medical doctor who has spent his career helping people to lose weight, the Dukan Diet rejects counting calories and promises permanent weight loss while allowing adherents to eat as much as they like. Originally published in 2000, the Dukan Diet swept across France, championed by people who successfully lost weight following its unique four phase regime. The Dukan Diet has helped millions in France, where it has been number one for more than ten years and adopted in twenty countries, including the United Kingdom, Poland, Korea and Brazil. All together, The Dukan Diet has sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. The Diet: 4 Easy Steps to Permanent Weight Loss Phase one: AttackUsing Dr. Dukan’s True Weight calculator, dieters determine a reasonable and healthy weight loss goal. Then they begin the Dukan Attack phase a two-to-seven-day period during which only unlimited lean protein and a daily Oat bran galette (or pancake) are consumed and dramatic weight loss is achieved. Phase Two: CruiseDieters alternate days of unlimited lean protein with days of protein combined with healthful vegetables until they reach their True Weight. Phase Three: ConsolidationDieters stay on this phase for 5 days for every pound lost. At this point the diet allows unlimited protein and vegetables, and other foods (such as cheese and bread) are reintroduced. Dieters are also allowed two weekly celebration meals to stave off boredom. Phase Four: StabilizationThis is the maintenance portion of the plan, in which followers are allowed to eat whatever they like without regaining weight – provided that they follow 3 unbreakable rules including eating only unlimited lean protein one set day per week. For each phase, The Dukan Diet offers clear simple guidelines for long term success. The Dukan Diet is the perfect diet for people who want fast weight loss, that can be maintained without counting calories or weighing portions.

1st Place:Kent: Walks (Pathfinder Guide)
	To see Kent you really need to get out on foot and Kent: Walks (Pathfinder Guide)'s round up of some of the best walks around the county is hard to beat. Detailed OS maps, easy to follow directions and walks graded by difficulty make this a great companion for any walker local or tourist alike and the reason it's so popular.
2nd Place:Kent Railways: The Age of Steam (Memories)
	Steam railways have played a key role across Kent and this book provides a wonderful history on the golden age of Kent railways and the legacy of steam on the county. A great companion if you're planning a trip on the RH&D Railway or the Kent and East Sussex railway steam trains.
3rd Place:Bygone Kent
	A nostalgic trip down memory lane for anyone who has lived in Kent or holiday makers loooking to retrace past visits, Bygone Kentfollows the well tried format of other books in this series with high quality photos from past decades and companion articles on the popular destinations across the county including Folkestone and an absolute must for train and bus junkies.
4th Place:Front Line Harbour: A History of the Port of Dover
	Front Line Harbour: A History of the Port of Doverreveals the development of Dover harbour over the last half millenium including its key role in the first and second world wars. Lavish pictures add to a well written and well researched book that deserves a home in any Kent history buff's library.
5th Place:Haunted Kent (Images of England)
	Kent is the most haunted county in England with hundreds, possibly, thousands of pubs, churches, roads and old buildings competing with one another for the attention ghost hunters and for anyone looking for a scary night outHaunted Kent (Images of England) makes great reading. Stories and information on some of the more scary and memorable spectral goings-on are recounted to send a chill down your spine.

Best Selling Books of 2010