Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Reader's Digest Magazine
Magazines cover a wide range of topics and interests. Some are informative, some are inspiring, some are complex, and others are simple. One magazine that combines elements from all of these categories is Reader’s Digest, one of America’s most popular magazines. Let’s take a look at what this publication offers:
Features of This Magazine:
Each copy of Reader’s Digest covers about 200 pages and includes the following departments:
You Said it- These are letters sent in from readers, and there are about ten of them in each issue.
Only in America- This department features trivia facts, statistics, and general facts about people, products, and trends.
Everyday Heroes- Acts of charity, chivalry, and courage are the highlight of this section, with ordinary people cast as the main stars.
Word Power- This department tests your vocabulary with multiple choice selections and an answer page about the meaning of different words.
My Planet- In this department, the subject can be most anything, from household equipment to a visit to the park, presented with a humorous twist.
Medical Update- This section deals with personal health and its short articles are usually accompanied by statistics and contact information.
All in a Day’s Work- Jokes and humorous short stories are the focus here, with some of the funniness supplied by Reader’s Digest readers.
Humor in Uniform- More humor is presented here, and this time it is targeted toward people in uniform, like military personnel, policemen, and others.
Unforgettable- Celebrities are usually the focus in this section, with fun and inspirational stories shared with the reader.
Quotable Quotes- This is one page of short, simple, and often amusing and inspirational quotes from famous people.
Laughter, the Best Medicine- This department includes several pages of short jokes.
Editor’s Choice- Found near the end of each issue, this section presents some good choices for reading, with book recommendations broken down among categories.
Life in These United States- It’s humor once again, with this department supplying approximately ten more funny jokes and short stories.
RD Challenge- Found at the end of each issue, this one- page closer to each magazine presents some sort of optical illusion or puzzle to challenge the reader.
Other features of Reader’s Digest include “RD Living”, which covers news and advice in the areas of health, food, money, and technology and sections with humorous stories and lists. And each issue can be counted on for between five and ten longer stories about ordinary people and celebrities, with facts, trivia, fun, and tragedy that afflicts people every day.
Costs to Subscribe:
Reader’s Digest carries a base subscription price of $27.98 for twelve monthly issues. This works out to $2.33 per issue, which is a savings of about 22 percent off the $2.99 cover price.
If you shop on- line, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding a better deal. I looked through some popular places on the web to make magazine purchases and I found Reader’s Digest selling for half the base rate, so there appears to be little difficulty finding a better price than the base subscription rate.
Customer Service:
Questions about Reader’s Digest can often be answered by consulting the web site, rd.com. Subscriptions can be obtained through the web site and letters to the editor can be sent via e-mail to letters@rd.com. If you prefer the old- fashioned way of contact, you can send a letter or call the toll- free line, 800-289-6457.
Final Thoughts:
Reader’s Digest is an American institution among magazines. I can remember the first time I found a copy of this magazine lying on a table and picked it up to take a look. The cover back then wasn’t quite as appealing to the eye because it contained mostly words, giving it the appearance of a more serious read. Nevertheless, I curiously opened the small magazine to see what it was all about.
Today, Reader’s Digest still ranks among the most popular publications in the United States. The reason for the popularity of this magazine lies in its humanistic focus. Not only can you find informative facts about health concerns, personal finance, and the like, you can also read inspirational columns about ordinary people like yourself- people who have faced a significant challenge and overcame the obstacles standing in the way of progress.
Celebrity stories are also a part of Reader’s Digest and they are personal and inspiring, too. They often present, just like with the other stories, a challenge or tragedy that a famous person was able to overcome. Celebrities also contribute to the humor section, with guest columnists adding their own personal styles of wit to the pages of each issue.
Speaking of humor, this is one element that seems to pop up with great frequency in Reader’s Digest. In the past, I do not recall reading so many jokes and humorous stories in this magazine as I do today. Some of the jokes are supplied by Reader’s Digest editors, while others are sent in from readers, once again contributing to the magazine’s personal style.
One area of this magazine that I wish was a little bit longer is the Editor’s Choice section. In most issues, this department covers only one or two pages, with about five to ten books mentioned on the pages. I would like to see more, and possibly an expansion of this section to include music and movies. I like the way the section is divided into sections based on the type of book (cooking, entertainment, spiritual, history, etc.), but more recommendations would be nice.
Reader’s Digest used to be sold strictly as a small- size publication, with measurements of about seven inches by five inches. This was once a major complaint of mine not because I had trouble reading the small print, but because I didn’t like the way the small book felt in my hands. I prefer normal size magazines- the 8.5 inch by 11 inch size that look and feel the way a magazine should. Today, this is no longer a concern because Reader’s Digest now publishes a large- print edition. The articles and the columns are the same as before, but the magazine is now offered in 8.5 by 11 format. The smaller size is still available too, giving readers a choice between a magazine with more typical dimensions and one that is small enough to fit in your pocket.
If you’re the type who doesn’t like to have your magazine reading interrupted by constant attempts at marketing persuasion, then you will love Reader’s Digest. There are some ads, just like with any magazine. But in this publication, advertisements cover only about 25 percent of the pages. This is about half the saturation rate of most magazines. The few ads that do pop up feature goods and services that the target audience is likely to buy, such as medicine, cars, candy, pet foods, cleaning agents, and miscellaneous household goods. The featured products, although they do tend to emphasize medical products and health services, cast a wider net than with most other magazines due to the diverse reading demographics of the Reader’s Digest subscription base.
Reader’s Digest is a popular magazine for a good reason. Its pages are filled with personal and often inspirational stories of tragedy, heartbreak, and triumph. Even when you already know how a specific story is going to end, you still feel compelled to read. The best stories are those about ordinary people like you and me but even the celebrity stories are often very good because they present challenges that, while on a larger scale than most people, are still commonplace and realistic enough that most people can relate to them.
With Reader’s Digest, you get a complete magazine that combines practical advice, humor, words of wisdom, educational material, and human- centered stories about life and all the ups and downs it has to offer. It does seem to be geared more toward the older crowd, but there is something here everyone. It makes for good reading for people of all ages and backgrounds and it’s one of the best overall magazines in publication today.
Recommended:
Yes
Primary Reason for Buying: Editorials/Social Commentary Accepts Freelance Submissions: Not Sure
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