Most Circulated Magazine in America - Reader's Digest
Written: Jul 30 '01
Product Rating:
Pros: compact size, variety of well-written articles, quick-read, entertaining, educational, inspirational, humor, photography, family reading
Cons: articles from other sources may have been previously read,
The Bottom Line: Reader's Digest is a well-written entertaining magazine to read for keeping up with current thinking in many areas. There is something in every issue that everyone would enjoy reading. .
glomarrone's Full Review: Reader's Digest Magazine
Over 25 million copies of this compact-sized magazine are read all over the world. It is filled with the best current articles from highly respected sources. Some features are excerpts from current popular nonfiction books like SURVIIVING GALERAS, BLIND EYE, and SPECIAL AGENT. Others are articles reprinted from well-known newspapers or magazines like Forbes, Money, U.S. News & World Report, Time, The Chicago Tribune Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Smithsonian and Kiplinger's Personal Finance. Reader's Digest is printed in 19 language. It is also published in Braille, large print and is available on cassette. I have been a reader of this magazine since my college days when I used issues for tutoring students.
The magazine is a family magazine. There is nothing in here that would be objectionable for families to read. Several articles each month are specifically aimed at families. Reader's Digest has a conservative bent to it. It also seems to appeal greatly to people over 40. I have been reading it since my 20's and have always found something of interest between the covers. My parents were subscribers for many years. They always enjoyed the humorous stories and jokes. When my mother's eyesight deteriorated, we bought her a subscription to the large print editions. She enjoyed being able to read these editions.
Many of the ads seem targeted at older readers. The over 40 crowd is mostly represented in ads with people. Ads are mostly for cars, cosmetics, food, home product and pharmaceuticals. I feel there are too many ads -about 30% of the magazine are ads. Our subscription issues arrive encased in plastic bags, which protect them in transit. Often special offers come with the magazine for other publications the company owns. Subscribing to the magazine also seems to invite sweepstakes offers and mail about other books and magazines that the company publishes. This month we received an offer for a one-year's subscription to New Choices for $5.95.
The August 2001 issue is representative of the magazine's usual content. The cover features, as usual, a picture of a celebrity (the deceased Diana.) Cover photos and their inside stories are meant to help sell the issues. Other recent issues have pictured Reba McEntire, Sally Field and David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs' center.) I am not especially enamored with their covers. Lead article are printed in a large-sized, two-colored font, placed off-centered in the middle of the cover. Other cover stories are listed in smaller-sized, two-colored fonts. Reader's Digest includes page numbers for all cover articles, so readers can find them quickly without needing to refer to the table of Contents. The magazine places the Table of Content on page 2 or 3. Most magazines make you wade through several pages of ads before the Table of Contents page appears. Letters in the magazine's name also changes its color in some issues but it is usually printed in red lettering.
The magazine has about 10 regular departments that appear monthly. You Said It contains letters from readers with usually favorable comments about past issues. Only in America contains interesting reports of unique American ideas, facts, products and thinking. One interesting Fast Fact mentioned here is that 58% of Americans admit having been stopped for speeding this year. That's up 19% from 1957. Did you know that the fastest immigration population growth is not in LA, NYC or Miami but CO, (190%,) NC (189%,) NA (180%,) GA (99%) and VA (69%?) Some uniquely American products are also featured here. One is from Sharper Image that I have been using seasonally for 3 years now; the new updated version of A Personal Cooling System, $49.95, worn about the neck that cools you 20 degrees. Also featured is a CamelBak Cloud Walker backpack with a two qt. reservoir built into it that you can sip from, $70 and a Think Bike from Ford, motorized to go 20 m.p.h. and travel 22 miles on each recharge, $995. They sound great but a little expensive. (I saved $10 off the Personal Cooling System with an American Express coupon.)
Quotable Quotes is one page of memorable sayings from notable personalities. Many of them give me food for thought after I've put down the magazine. Jimmy Buffett in Tales from Margaritaville says," It takes no more time to see the good side of life than to see the bad." Richard Carlson, author of the book, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff says, "When we criticize another person, it says nothing about that person; it merely says something about our own need to be critical." Something to think about for all of us.
Personal Glimpses are short bits about celebrities' lives. This month they are about Catherine Zeta-Jones who is married to Michael Douglas; Russell Watson, the English Tenor (new album, The Voice) and Freddie Prinze, Jr., one of Hollywood's most sought after actors. Last month featured Helena Bonham, Ari, in Plant of the Apes, Dominic Chianese, from The Sopranos and Actor Ben Stiller. Interesting reads if you are into the Hollywood scene.
Laughter, the Best Medicine, Life's Like That and All in a Day's Work each contain 2 pages of funny stories and jokes. Humor in Uniform, Campus Comedy and Virtual Hilarity (computer humor) are also included in many issues but not this one. I often don't get to read them all but they are very funny. Other humor is scattered throughout the magazine. If you would like to share some of your humorous moments, Reader's Digest will pay you $400 if they use your material. If you find a funny story already in print, the magazine will reward you with $50 if you are the first contributor to submit it and they reprint it. They also accept full length stories from local and regional publications. If you submit one and they use it, the magazine will reward you with $400.
That's Outrageous is a blood pressure-raising sampling of what's wrong with our society. I always read, News of Medicine, which contain the latest exciting advances in medicine. This month reports on the use of Palms in the operating room to saves lives. There is also a report on a new Cancer Drug for leukemia and news that the blood thinner, clopidogrel, has been found to reduce the risk of death, strokes and new heart attacks. Lastly, there is a report of easier back surgery through a new spinal-fusion procedure. The system is reducing blood loss, hospital stays and recovery time. Long term effectiveness of the new procedure is still being studied. I always make copies of any medical news described here that may help someone I know. I send it on and suggest discussing it with doctors.
The department I enjoy the most is Word Power. This is the first thing I read when I open my magazine. Every month there is a list of ten words that are all connected in some way. This month they are about outdoor recreation. I love to test my skills and often get them all right. This month I did not. Does any one know the meaning of the adjective, peripatetic?
The Upfront Section is also a regular monthly feature. It contains three or four articles each under the headings, Turning Point, Close Up, Well-Being and Attitude. Under Well Being there was a wonderful article for women on Mammograms entitled, "Mammogram Magic." At the end of the article it refers readers to their Website for a test and self-exam video. Under Attitudes, parents of teens would especially enjoy the, "My Kids Are Smarter Than Yours" article reprinted from Newsweek. Last month, "Designer Babies" was the interesting topic. Up Close is about a curator at the National Zoo in Washington but the article focuses on the two pandas from China that she cares for. I love pandas so this story interested me. There is a cute photo of the pandas.
Six other features in the magazine are regulars, as well. Most of them contain 2 to 4 articles. One of the best is the monthly nonfiction except from a popular book. This month, "Jaws: The Prequil," from the book "CLOSE TO SHORE," by Michael Capuzzo is featured. I didn't read this 22-page story because I didn't want nightmares. If you don't mind scary stories, this is an exciting read.
Under Currents is an informative financial story, "Your Money: Staying Ahead in Tough Times." It describes how we can save 20-30% of our expenses by making small adjustments. Substitute regular coffee for the $3.00+ café latte, stop buying lottery tickets, give up gambling, buy only clothes that don't need dry cleaning and brown bag lunch. Most of all keep investing. Pretty good advice if you can follow it. Inventors would enjoy, "Crazy Ideas" that made money and golfers would find "Planet Golf" an excerpt from the book, "FORE! PLAY" really amusing. I know my husband enjoyed it. All drivers should really pay attention to, "Just How Safe Is Your Car? re-printed from Money Magazine. It contains lots of valuable information on how to check your car for safety. It also lists the safest cars and gives information about recalls. I read the original article in Money. Last month's issue also had an excellent special report for motorists," How Good Drivers Get Killed." Reader's Digest and the National Safety Council join forces to bring this informative six page article that discuses the greatest dangers on the road.
The People Feature really didn't interest me at all. Many of you might enjoy the story about Diana and her relationship with the Queen from Ingrid Seward's new book, "The Queen and Diane." I breezed through it but I did enjoy the excellent photographs. Nothing new was in the except that I hadn't already heard but if you were a fan of Diana you would enjoy reading it more thoroughly. Other articles here are about teen heroes (photograph is on the back cover) and a rancher in Texas facing a real problem with illegal immigration. Visit the Website, www.readersdigest.com for a discussion on the last story.
For those of you who like Drama and Adventure read the exciting story of a fire fighter and a true-life story about a grandparent who befriends a hobo. I wasn't really interested in either story but I read them for this review. They are human-interest inspirational stories that are fine if you have the time to enjoy reading them. Some readers love to read just these types of stories. Last month there was an exciting story about a killer storm at sea, one about about a man who raises a lion and the third about an airplane crash with deadly cargo on board.
Marriage in America 2001 is a wonderful feature that married couple should read together. One article talks about the secrets couples keep from one another. There also is a test for couple to take. It is very interesting. I took the short quiz and my results were good. Whew! Sometimes there is a special report. Last month it was of great interest to parents of college bound children, "How Safe Is Your Kid?" It concerned campus crime. Another fun article for families that I remember from a recent past issue is, "How to Get Your Teen To Do Almost Anything."
Wish I had read that hilarious article when my kids were teens. The May issue discusses, "Good Kids and Brats"
It is about turning your kids into adults you'd like to know.
I always enjoy reading In Your Health. This month the articles are on Mad Cow disease and a wonderful piece on arrhythmia. This one was of great interest to me since my husband suffers form arrhythmia. The procedure mentioned wouldn't help him but there are procedures are the horizon that hold out promise for his type. Last month's health articles discussed why cigarettes are deadlier for women and the five foods men and women need most. Insomnia and how faith heals were covered in another recent past issue
Reader's Digest is a monthly magazine that costs $2.49 on the newsstand. The regular subscription rate is $24.96. The Preferred Reader's rate or discount rate is $13.96. We now receive a free subscription to Reader's Digest for our reception room. I always read it before I put the issue out in the reception room. Somehow this small sized magazine has a way of disappearing before I get to read it.
The editors and staff of the magazine publish tons of other publications on a wide variety of subjects. Their staff writes books including such topics as memorable quotes and vocabulary lists. There are books on pain relief, gardening tips, the pyramids, money saving hints and crime among others. The editors publish books on medicine from plants, foods that heal, cook books, do-it-yourself manuals, crafts, medical dictionaries, needlework and American History. Several music recordings have also been produced by Reader's Digest in addition to videos on countries, national parks and Christmas. Reader's Digest also owns other magazines such as Walking and New Choices. They even have a Reader's Digest MasterCard Credit Card.
Reader's Digest is a great little magazine to take along on trips or to the beach because of its short articles and small size. It's a great magazine for reception rooms. The nonfiction story excepts make great summer reading or quick reads on the subway, bus or train trips home from work. The magazine has a little bit of everything. Some of it interests me greatly, others I read if I have time. A lot of the articles are uplifting-so are the jokes and funny stories. Reader's Digest chooses the best of current literature to bring to readers each month. There are many excellent articles included in each issue. It condenses information from many sources into one handy sized magazine. If you don't subscribe to many magazines, I think this is a great magazine to read. Unfortunately, I find that I have already read many of the articles from their original sources. If you are not already a subscriber, pick up a copy for yourself. I think this magazine would make a great gift idea for the holidays. Oh, and by the way, in case you didn't know the answer to my word question, peripatetic means walking about or moving from place to place.
Recommended:
Yes
Primary Reason for Buying: Articles Accepts Freelance Submissions: No
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