I suggest the following programs:

a) ChessBase Light
b) SCID
c) Chess Assistant Light
d) Any version of ChessMaster from 7000 onwards.
e) Portable travel chess set with magnetic pieces - good for practicing on the plane or train.
f) Fritz - I think this engine comes for free with ChessBase Light.
g) FICS/ICC , using a new board window to set up positions and play them or analyse.

In terms of endgame books, 'Silman's Complete Endgame Course', 'Just the Facts' and 'Winning Chess Endings' are probably the best starting points.

Chessbase light is really good, and has many of the same features as Fritz! I second CB Light!

are there any chess programs that let me drag and drop pieces on the board and give me an option to choose who's turn is first. Then a big button that can tell me the best possible move that can be made?

I've tried chess base light which lets me put all the pieces where I want and choose who goes first. But I can't find a big button that will calculate the best possible move

Calculating the best move will require a chess engine, such as Fritz, Rybka, etc. I believe there are free engines out there, but I'm not sure. I have an older version of Fritz. If you hunt around, you should be able to find cheap older versions of Fritz or Chessmaster that are good enough for amateur use.

--Fromper

Chessmaster warning. Before purchasing CM make sure your computer can handle the software. Go to the CM page
PC Game Features | Chessmaster XI: The Art of Learning | Ubisoft
For current software with patches
System Requirements:
Supported OS:
Windows Vista®/Windows® XP (only)
RAM:
256 MB (512 MB recommended)
Video Card:
32 MB DirectX® 9.0c-compliant video card (128 MB recommended)
Sound Card:
DirectX 9.0c-compliant sound card optional
DirectX Version:
DirectX 9.0c (included on disc)
CD-ROM:
16x CD-ROM or faster
Hard Drive Space:
600 MB (2.3 GB recommended)
Multiplay:
56 Kbps or faster for Internet or LAN play (broadband recommended)
Peripherals Supported:
Mouse, keyboards, headsets, ultra 3D glasses (not included)
Supported Video Cards at Time OF Release:

NVIDIA® GeForce™ 3/4/FX/6/7/8 series (GeForce4 MX NOT supported)
ATI® Radeon® 7500/8000/9000/X series
Laptop versions of these cards may work but are NOT supported. These chipsets are the only ones that will run this game. For the most up-to-date minimum requirement listings, please visit the FAQ for this game on our support website at: Ubisoft Support.

I have chess base light which has Fritz 6 built into it but i don't know how to use it. All i can do is turn fritz on.