Photojournalist Gerd Ludwig offers a free public lecture, "Soul and Meaning," 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the University of Hawai'i-Manoa's Architecture Auditorium. Ludwig's work, primarily for National Geographic magazine, relating to the ecology and the social and economic changes in Russia and East Germany, resulted in the publication of his book, "Broken Empire: After the Fall of the USSR," a 10-year retrospective published by National Geographic. See a gallery of his work: www.gerdludwig.com; 956-8244 or www.outreach.hawaii.edu/pnm.

— Paula Rath

'SECRETS' REVEALED

Losing weight, and dress sizes, is one thing. Keeping it off for more than a decade is quite another. Lisa Delaney, who was formerly 5-feet-4 and 185 pounds and is now a svelte size 2, reveals all her tips from the front lines of weight loss in "Secrets of a Former Fat Girl" (Plume Books). Among her secrets: forget dieting, keep it a secret, adopt INO (it's not an option), protect yourself from the food pusher, and happiness lives in the "uncomfort zone."