2. 47 Easy-to-Do Classic Science Experiments, by Eugene and Asterie Provenzo (96pp, 1989, Dover).

3. The Mathpazo, Garamond, and Palatino fonts. Don't stick with Times New Roman.

4. The Faithful Departed: The Collapse of Boston’s Catholic Culture by Philip Lawler (352 pp., 2008). About more than just the moral and doctrinal rot in Roman Catholicism.

5. The Wii-Fit, fun for the entire family. If you get obsessed, you'll at least become very fit. Plus you can use it to watch NetFlix movies on your TV.

4. The Gator Grip Universal Socket, from http://www.endeavorproducts.com/. A ratcheting wrench that fits any shape of object.

5. Limburger cheese, even though it lives up to its reputation and must be stored sealed very tightly.

6. Harry Potter and the The Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (2007, 784pp.).

7. America's Half-Blood Prince: Barack Obama's "Story of Race and Inheritance" by Steven Sailer (320pp, 2009).

8. Kingmaker, the 1974 War of the Roses wargame by Avalon Hill.

9. Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming by Bjorn Lomborg (2007, 272 pp.).

10. Somonauk's St. John's Evangelical Lutheran and Bloomington, Indiana's Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, who so kindly helped us out with their large buildings, and the Caringbridge hospital stay news website.

11. Cape Canaveral, which has good quiet beaches, wildlife, and a view of the space shuttles being readied for launching.

12. The Wars of the Roses, by John Gillingham (1981, 274pp.). Anything written by Prof. Gillingham is worth reading.

Lists of good things from other years are at Rasmusen.org/_amazon/special/amazon.htm.