The Economist
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No other weekly like it
This is, plainly put, the best news periodical out there.Sure, others can "report" what's happening in the world, but The Economist includes analysis and puts events in proper perspective to provide the much sought after "why?".Upon hearing of the magazine, the title seemed to suggest a dry, tough read about finance and economics.Not so at all.It's sort of like an international, intelligent version of Time or Newsweek, with a more objective and rational feel.It's a surprisingly easy read as well, with a great informal British style, infused with wit throughout yet always smart and informative.Well worth the price.

If you're going to read only one news periodical . . .
The Economist should be it.It is the most thorough single news periodical out there, period.Enjoy.

It Really Is That Good
Read one Economist article, and you'll know why it's considered in a league of its own, and why everyone from business leaders to Prime Ministers to regular people like you and me love it so much.

One of the best attributes the Economist possesses is its ability to present news and analysis on an unsurpassed intellectual level, while at the same time being very much down to earth, at times even getting comical commentary in. I have never once read an article where I sensed bias. I'm very good at detecting bias, and even when it perhaps is bias I'm inclined with, it ruins the legitimacy for me. You'll notice they do not attribute articles to specific authors. This is because the magazine wants each article to represent the Economist as a whole, and not a particular person. It's a refreshing formula, in an age where some writers feel the need to be long winded and rush to grab individual attention at every turn.

The Economist has been around for 150+ years for good reason. It holds incredible integrity, and it doesn't cater to anyone.

For international news and perspective in particular, I have yet to find a weekly publication on the Economist's level for the mere reason there are none. I'm a student in International Affairs, and the insight and rationality found in the pages devoted to the world, 1/3 of each issue in fact, is the crowning jewel of the magazine. That's in addition to its coverage on business, finance, technology, arts and books. It's truly a complete package.

You probably couldn't do anything better to improve your mind and worldview with a little over $100 than to buy an Economist subscription. ... Read more

Asin: B00005NIP1
Sales Rank: 39
Subjects:  1. News & Politics    2. Business    3. International    4. Business News   

The Wall Street Journal
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Few newspapers enjoy the prestige and authority of The Wall Street Journal. Its distinctive six-column format delivers news from around the world along with comprehensive business and market coverage that make it a must-read for corporate America. But the Journal covers more than just business--column four on the front page features intelligent and eclectic stories that are among the most widely read in America; Friday's "Weekend Section" takes on film, leisure, wine, music, and sports; and its probusiness editorial page will make any capitalist's heart glow. The Wall Street Journal is an ideal gift for students, corporate types, and anyone wanting to listen in on the national dialogue. --Harry Edwards ... Read more

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Simply The Best Daily Newspaper In The USA
This newspaper is far superior to TV news. It does articles in depth and has nuggets of amazing news stories that you will not find anywhere else. It is a window on the world of news, business, finance, medicine, science, travel and politics. In addition to the print version, WSJ also offers an internet version.

THE daily printed media; only competition is the Internet
Of the printed daily newspapers, WSJ is easily the superior in just about every aspect that really matters. NYT has a lot more and better photographs, but they are best viewed on a computer screen. There's not much to argue (regarding the relatively conservative editorial page) in this review that hasn't already been written; and one more center-right Midwesterner's recommendation is not going to be of much incremental value. However, as an investor and consumer I can state that WSJ and its website have been the primary source of credible information about businesses, law, finance and consumer products. Anybody that works for a living, has a mortgage or has a long-term savings plan would benefit from reading the WSJ as often as possible. There's simply no substitute.

Good reporting, childish editorials.Get the FT instead
When you subscribe to the Wall Street Journal it's like getting two newspapers:a good news reporting paper and an what at times seems like an editorial page written by sophmomores in the local Young Americans for Freedom college rag.It's not that I mind right-wing editorials, I'm somewhat of a libertarian myself, it's just that its editorial page puts ideology ahead of reason far too often for my taste.For a much better deal-- business news, all the financial quotes, much better international coverage, and excellent and concise reporting -- choose the Financial Times.At the moment an annual subscription is selling for $50.It's a much better publication and on Saturday's has a very fine weekend section with good book reviews and arts and culture coverage.Also because the FT is based out of London the editors are much more balanced and less cowed or ideologically obedient.Even if they were similarly priced the FT would be the better deal.As it is the FT costs a fraction of the price of the WSJ. ... Read more

Asin: B00005R8BI
Subjects:  1. News & Politics    2. Business   

Fmr - English Ed
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Of Excellent Quality
I have kept editions from 1985; they are still in excellent condition.Having not revisited them for many years, I am blown away by the quality of the paper, the photography, the color, and the articles inside.I was so happy when I found out that FMR is still being made and available in the U.S.

Art work unto itself
I was introduced to this magazine by a friend who had purchased old copies at a flea market. The paper and printing is of the highest quality and stood the test of time. Copies from 1990 were magnificent.The interior photographs of the art works were amazing and showed incredible detail. And the articles were very well written. Yes, you are introduced to artists and works lesser known to us in America, which is only our loss. I was so happy to find it available at Amazon. It is truly a work of art unto itself.

Don't call yourself an art enthusiast until you subscribe
This is a stunning art publication for mainstream readers and art afficianados alike.Its quality and the detail are unmatched. It will be wildly fascinating to those that find pleasure in beauty ---- not just in the famous classics ---- but those artists that never quite made it into the spotlight.Not avilable on newsstands.(I can't believe I lived this long without discovering it.)Kudos to this publisher with such fine, signature work in an age of media consolidation. ... Read more

Asin: B00006KELM
Sales Rank: 1744
Subjects:  1. Art Architecture Photography    2. Art    3. Visual Arts    4. Art (Arts)    5. Fine Arts   

Art In America
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The Leader in Art Periodicals
ART IN AMERICA seems to have won the vote for most popular periodical on the arts. The quality of reporting of world events, the informed writers who critique and investigate, and the style of referencing used in the articles makes this magazine immensely readable. This is not the most sophisticated journal of art (MODERN PAINTERS and some of the other European magazines win there), but the balance between coverage of reviews in America as well as the international scene is very fine. Ads are well designed and reproduced - even if there are a few too many for 'vanity spaces'. The constant for all of the available art magazines that can stand as a complaint is the overemphasis on New York gallery reviews: New York is not the hub it once was and the importance of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, etc is not recognized by the writers/editors.The exhibitions reviewed are solid in reportage, if unduly weighted to the edgy installation and quirky art. But for the August Issues of the Gallery Guide this magazine has them all topped!

Beautiful and glossy, but...
Art in America is of limited use for practicing professional artists.The magazine lives in the world of Big Art Shows, pompous curators, name brand artists and writers trying to determine the Next Big Thing.

It's beautiful, no doubt about it.The August guide of galleries (cover price $$$) is a great resource for national gallery mailing addresses and contact info.If you are an artist trying to find outlets for your work, practical suggestions and solutions for finding gallery contacts, try the magazine Art Calendar.

I went to a name brand art school, am still a practicing artist, and a self-supporting one.I have spent many years purging the "art speak" from my language.Magazines such as Art in America usually alienate the novices and those not steeped in art culture.I find it more often obscures rather than illuminates.Cryptic articles full of artistic navel contemplation (the writer's embellishments, not usually the artist) doesn't say much about the art or the artist, but it says a lot about the aspirations of the art reviewer, the curator and the board of directors at a particular museum.

Do I sound bitter?I'm not.I'm just tired of people who are interested in art feeling like they don't belong, feeling intimidated by the thought of going to an openingor asking an artist a question about their work because they have been made to feel "ignorant".What purpose does that serve?The curious should ask questions about art and the artists, how else are they going to learn? Making it an exclusive club does not serve a purpose.

informative & interesting
A subscription to Art in America is a good way to keep up with what's going on in the "art scene", mostly in the USA, but there are quite a few articles and reports that deal with art worldwide. As an example, the February 2002 issue has "Journey to China", showing the extraordinary work of Ah Xian, a Beijing-born artist who has lived in Australia since 1990. His porcelain portrait busts are inspired and unique, and this one article alone is worth buying the issue for.

The 2/2002 issue also has "Wayne's World", about California's wonderful Wayne Thiebaud, "Transition Yoko", on Ono's N.Y. exhibit (I like that "Half-A-Room" piece !), "Who is Cleopatra ?", with some fascinating sculpture from 50-30 B.C. on exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago, and 2 other articles, rounding out a diverse mix covering many interests.

Other sections are "Review of Books", "Issues and Commentary", the newsy "Artworld", reviews of exhibits, etc., and of course, there are the color ads for the latest art shows, mostly from the New York galleries, which are always interesting.
The paper and color reproduction are of good quality, and one of the issues is an annual guide to museums, galleries, and artists, which is always useful for artist and collector alike.
When compared to ARTnews, it's closest competitor, perhaps one could say it has a little less gloss, and a bit more substance. ... Read more

Asin: B00005N7OO
Sales Rank: 143
Subjects:  1. Art Architecture Photography    2. Art    3. Visual Arts    4. Art (Arts)    5. Fine Arts   

Harvard Business Review
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"Process is God" might well be the motto of this management resource. The Harvard Business Review is all about best practices and better practices and being front and center with the latest and greatest ideas about how to run anything from a railroad to a recovering dotcom. Although the magazine's eagerness to adopt buzzwords makes it a target for jargon watchers, it is at heart conservative and cautious. What is the key to success, according to the Harvard Business Review? Lead, motivate, innovate! And then use the performance measurement tool of the month to make sure that the leading, motivating, and innovating worked, you know, just to be on the safe side. --Edith Sorenson ... Read more

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Not Cutting Edge
This is my third year as a subscriber - sometimes I wonder what I have missed before that. HBR is not about being the first to print the latest management trends or techniques. The majority of the articles involve a ton load of research spanning years and in some cases decades. The research covers numerous companies so that there is a justifiable amount of truth to what is being written. It would be tomfoolery to adopt these techniques and assume that they will automatically apply to your company or department without some sort of additional or complimentary technique. However HBR covers many of the different management styles with practical examples. Then occasionally they revisit an article that they printed eons ago, giving you a fresh insight on how accurate or even inaccurate they were in their research. Each month there is a fictional Case Study that tries to mimic the real world. At the end of each Case Study authorities in the case study field give their professional views on what should be done. Occasionally these fictional studies do reflect your own corporate trials and tribulations. There is the `HBR at Large' section and `Best Practice' covers real world practices and their thoughts on them. HBR will teach you a lot. You should know that you probably wouldn't read every article every month. You're looking at 125-175 pages per month and about 100+ pages of content per month - fine print!. Why Buy: Quite possibly the most impressive magazine to have on your desk when anyone steps into your office. It's inevitable, almost everything involves money and business - HBR greatly improves your odds with the business part. As a gift for the business minded person (corporate or entrepreneur) in your life - male, female, romantic, non-romantic.

The HBR Equity - Coffee Table or Boardroom?
HBR is a good read there is no question.It has a history of ground breaking articles published, granted.I thoroughly enjoy it, when I can get it in Poland. Every graduate from a reputable management school should receive a free year's subscription.Most of these readers would renew at the regular price, IMHO.

That acknowledged, I am a public relations practitioner and I have a gripe with HBR.There is not a whole lot representing my profession besides culture change and some interesting HR cases, which I could audit at any university if I so wanted. This makes HBR a soft read for my needs.

I teach public relations to 5th year students at the state university, link MBO and financial results with PR management same as any department would be required.In my capacity as an instructor, I encourage my students to offer counsel and read through P&L's.I encourage them to look at problems with detailed financials and prepare their proposed programs with an understanding of the corporate audience.I encourage research, not only polling publics outside the company but also to take a pulse of the company itself: much like a professional doctor would do with a patient when diagnosing a problem before beginning a procedure.

Granted, there are very few case studies I can use to promote sound PR management thinking rather than the over-predominant "technical" thinking of PR as an extension of a creative communications artform.(O, how I wish for a case with figures like something in Marketing Logistics or Financial Management!) For my money, in PR, there is nothing but artistry and the name of the HBR.I concur with another reviewer, mnetzley, who suggests that the level of presentation between the covers has fallen to the level of a Harlequin romance for business managers: dumbed-down anecdotes, and stories masquerading as case studies, IMO.

For illustration, there was a communications case a couple of years ago dealing with Crisis and the corporate need for good communication.One of the reviewers assessed it right in the post mortem: trouble began before the problem arrived.But this begs two questions: Why wasn't the problem identified before the crisis appeared; and why wasn't THAT tool presented for learning rather than the case itself?It was a nice case as far as it went but it was for the coffee table and not the boardroom.

And that seems to be the level of the HBR these days. Of course, I expect more from the HBR so your mileage may vary.But isn't the cachet of HBR the avant-garde?For me to rate it higher than a three at this stage, I feel I would be doing a disservice to the old magazine that published ground-breaking articles while humouring a brand equity that has lost its vision to its own magnificence.

Great Gift Idea
I'm buying this for my son for Christmas, but I should have been a better businessman.The Harvard Review web site is selling subscriptions for [...], so I paid [...] more than I should have.
[...] ... Read more

Asin: B00005U5EB
Subjects:  1. Business   

Opera News
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Opera for the Masses, Polished and Informative
I have only recently become an opera enthusiast partially because I realized I needed to be old enough to appreciate it and also because of my intimidation of those who are quite knowledgeable about it. That's why I heartily endorse a subscription to "Opera News", which I find to be by far, the most reader-friendly of magazines dedicated to opera and classical music. It is probably not as comprehensive as others are, but it makes for educational and entertaining reading at a level that would make sense to anyone interested in learning more about opera. Published monthly by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, it naturally places primary focus on the Met's performances, but it also does an excellent job in covering performances at venues around the world. The layout and graphic quality are as polished as any popular entertainment publication.

The feature articles are consistently informative and well-written, especially in their efforts to broaden perspectives on opera relative to other performing arts (e.g., Broadway, early movie musicals) and spotlighting historic performances. Generally showcased as the cover stories, there are in-depth profiles of the leading performers - rising, established and legendary. There is also a comprehensive section devoted to reviews of recordings and performances available on CD and DVD, which I find very helpful in prioritizing my own purchase decisions. In fact, I was lucky enough to travel to New York last month to see the wondrous Stephen Wadsworth production of Handel's "Rodelinda" at the Met, and the December 2004 issue (with star countertenor David Daniels on the cover) gave me all the information I could use to heighten my anticipation of that superb performance. If you are a long-time opera aficionado or a neophyte like myself, it would be difficult to find a more worthwhile publication on the newsstands. Also worth noting is the accompanying Web site (www.operanews.com) that includes online exclusives of particular reviews, easy access to archived issues and daily news updates in the opera world.

A Superb, Quality Magazine on Every Level!
OPERA NEWS had been around for a long time.It used to be the vehicle to reference for casts of upcoming Saturday radio Live from Texaco! performances of operas at the Met and in those days the paper quality was a bit cheap and the articles spare. Readers were still given the operas with casts and dates throughout the US.Now the magazine has a rich luster to add to its visual appeal.The production qualities have improved considerably, but more important, the writing has become world class.There are biographies of both past and present Opera Stars along with informed articles on historical aspects of opera - composers, opera houses, and musical styles.The reviews of new recordings both on CD and on DVD of full operas and recitals are highly recommended to those in a quandary as to which recording of which opera they should purchase.The color photography of sets, opera in performance not only at the Metropolitan Opera (the featured house, of course) but also at the innovative houses here and abroad, is first rate.Well worth the relatively low price for a subscription and a 'must read' for operaphiles around the globe.

really good read&Detail
I enjoy finding out&Hearing about New Opera talent through out the World&this Magazine gives me the 411.I've discovered&Heard quite a few talents Throughout the World.also read on CD's&things,this is a Very Helpful Magazine. ... Read more

Asin: B00005N7XO
Sales Rank: 344
Subjects:  1. Entertainment    2. Music   

New Criterion
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I wonder if I can be a life member like w/ the NRA ?
If you enjoy politics, TV, museums, art & all the gifts of
the enlightenment, the open society, and the liberty we all
enjoy --- spare no expense & get this product.10 issues
per year (off jul/aug). The -oh so sophisticated- people
who run the universities/networks/opinion mags do not get it
right all the time.Want to know why & how ?I really can't
wait for the first week of the month when a new issue shows up.
I love this gem & have for 3 years + now.

The Greatest Journal Ever!
Actually, I'm not kidding or overstating my assessment.This is a journal where Western Civilization is defended and glorified ten times a year.So often we hear the phrase "the best and the brightest" but there can be no denying that this absolutely applies to the crew of The New Criterion.
There is no finer mind in America than Roger Kimball's, and, for those of you who are unfamiliar with his books, I'm sure you'll find yourself agreeing with my observation half way through his treatise on the sixties called "The Long March."I like to consider TNC as covering every area of the artistic continuum as it allows novices like myself to become familiar with domains that we would never explore otherwise.Poetry, dance, painting, and opera are all areas that TNC analyzes in depth.It's writers are among the strongest in the Anglosphere.James Panero, Anthony Daniels, Jay Nordlinger, and the incredibly humorous Mark Steyn will provide you with both education and delight.I've been a subscriber since 2001 and plan to keep on the rolls right until death takes me. ... Read more

Asin: B00006KPMX
Sales Rank: 2164
Subjects:  1. Art Architecture Photography    2. Art    3. Arts In General   

Guardian - Weekly Ed
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An English language weekly international news analysis
The Guardian Weekly is a joint project between French Le Monde, US Washington Post, and British The Guardian/The Observer. These newspapers are directed towards the educated middle-class. There is a strong tendency towards analysis, sometimes quite opinionated. That said, I do like The Guardian - when I lived in the UK it was about the only newspaper that was readable. The other main newspapers either belonged to Rupert Murdoch (Times, Sun) or were dry as tinder (Independent, Telegraph). The Guardian write in an educated readable way, and depsite it is a bit left-leaning it is well balanced and concerned with real news, not gossip and sensationalism. It has a strong stance on global issues, and therefore it was obvious that it should be involved in a project like this.

Interesting Worldview and High Quality of Writing
The GUARDIAN WEEKLY contains a compilation of some of the best coverage taken from the previous week's daily editions of The GUARDIAN, The OBSERVER, LE MONDE and the WASHINGTON POST. The publication's format remains basically the same as when I first read it as The MANCHESTER GUARDIAN WEEKLY in 1956.

A recent issue contained news articles on a variety of topics from Syria's possible troop withdrawal from Lebanon to an account of a football game between Manchester United and Crystal Palace. The edition also included many news capsules from around the world as well as much comment and analysis on diverse subjects. Two pages were devoted to book reviews.

The quality of writing in the GUARDIAN WEEKLY is consistently high. The bias seems to be slightly to the left. I recommend it mostly because of its interesting worldview and the excellence of its reporting.

The Champion of The Left
For anyone who is insecure, right-wing, and only concerned with themselves and the tiny neighbourhoods that surround them, you will have a hard time swallowing the social responisibility, international justice, and political awareness that The Guardian promotes with every issue. Elaborate exposes of human rights atrocities such as Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay decorate the paper weekly, while profound journalists such as Julian Borger, Gary Younge, and Simon Tisdall bombard the reader with intricate accounts and opinions of current world affairs. One of the most beautiful aspects of the Guardian Weekly is that it condenses only the most important information on urgent issues into articles, editorials, letters, and reports that allow for a variety of views while omitting unecessary details (Evidenced no better than in the paper's coverage of the recent Tsnuami tragedy, the U.S. Presidential election, and Abu Ghraib). The Guardian is ideal for students in search of a credible international news source and provides the American (Washington Post), French (Le Monde), and British (Observer, Guardian) point of view on most issues. While I disagree with the paper's blatantly pro-Palestinian stance, there is such an abundance of information and enlightening articles in every issue that this minor flaw becomes irrelevant. Simply put, only the American periodical Foreign Affairs and the French investigative journal Le Monde Diplomatique come CLOSE to the depth of The Guardian Weekly, and it truly is one of the best newspapers in the world. Subscribe immediately. ... Read more

Asin: B00008NF8I
Sales Rank: 1190
Subjects:  1. Professional & Technical    2. Journalism    3. Newspapers    4. News & Politics    5. Regional   

Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists
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Excellent Magazine
If "fair and balanced" was a dictionary entry it would say: "see Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists".I am not an Atomic Scientist but the magazine is much more then discussions of nuclear physics - instead it is a magazine of international security and global/international politics.A great read and a must for serious international political science students and PhD's in political science.

Excellent Work
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists is consistantly very interesting and useful in developing world views.I would recommend this publication to anyone critcal of the Bush administation's lies.The Bulletin gives readers the real story of National Security and logistics of war. ... Read more

Asin: B00006K6RA
Sales Rank: 2670
Subjects:  1. Science & Nature    2. General    3. Electrical Engineering. Electronics. Nuclear Engineering   

Science
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AAAS flagship publication
The flagship publication of the AAAS, and probably the best American equivalent to Britain's Nature. The articles are research reports, with the quality very high due to the AAAS's careful review process.

Typically, an article is sent here instead of going to a more specialised journal in the author's field because she thinks it might have broader interest than just strictly in her field. Outreach. Sometimes perhaps to improve her chances of getting future research grants, since this journal is very well known. ... Read more

Asin: B00006KWCT
Sales Rank: 2543
Subjects:  1. Science & Nature    2. General    3. Science   

Antiques, The Magazine
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Great Magazine
Keep in mind that this is info for the serious collector. I found the articles to be thorough and accurate. This magazine is targeted at the collector of museum quality antiques. They include a great deal of information on construction, how to identify styles, as well as individual makers. Many of the topics covered here are rare and expensive, but the info provided gives one great insight on how to evaluate what's readily available. ... Read more

Asin: B00005N7OJ
Sales Rank: 1557
Subjects:  1. Antiques    2. Furniture   

Foreign Affairs
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For all those interested in world politics
I will give this publication five stars because it is one of the few magazines that has maintained its professional integrity without begging for a commercial outlook or seeking partisan funding.
Foreign Affairs has so far offered the most relevant articles by the world's top experts and decision makers. For instance, Foreign Affairs was the first magazine to publish Samuel Huntington's article The Clash of Civilizations in the early 1990s. The article, which Huntington later developed and published in a book, proved to be one of the most controversial ones and provoked a debate that has been going on until the day these lines were written.
The articles are more often than not comprehensive, simple and written by experts. This is not to say that all the published pieces are flawless. Yet, the articles are overall enlightening and a must-read for all those interested in world politics.
Finally, the book review section is particularly interesting, even though most of the articles there are brief. Publishers should consider giving more attention to the book market and offer more reviews on the politics books best sellers.

International affairs just a step away from the players
Over the last year, every issue of Foreign Affairs has been punctuated with significant essays from political and academic notables. The magazine also includes occasionally heated responses to previous essays and candid reviews of current books on international affairs. The publication frequently serves as a means for those aspiring to be in or recently pushed out of power in American government to express their views. Political figures such as Condeleeza Rice writing during the Clinton administration, former middle east envoy Dennis Ross (most recent issue), or Clinton National Security aid Strobe Talbot might fit into this category. Current executive or legislative eminences are much less frequent contributers - although Senator Chuck Hagel did provide a recent, but not especially enlightening, offering.

There were a number of informative articles in the last two publications of the magazine. Each issue had one particularly worthwhile essay. For November/December Gal Luft and Anne Korin wrote aboutunarmed oil tankers, narrow, crowded and poorly guarded sea lanes and what steps terrorists may have already taken to position themselves to exploit these vulnerabilities. In the January/February issue Edward Luttwak presents the first persuasive argument I've seen for immediate disengagement from Iraq. He explains convincingly how a withdrawal coupled with extremely deft diplomacy might shift the burden of establishing a stable Iraqi government from the US to Iraq's neighbors and provide the added bonus of an improved US image in the Muslim world and continental Europe.

Foreign Affairs is well worth the time of anyone who has an interest in becoming conversant with current political issues.

Only Magazine I Read From Cover to Cover
The only magazine I read from cover to cover is Foreign Affairs, published by the distinguished bi-partisan Council on Foreign Relations. Ideas and issues presented in each issue are discussed six months later in the news. A recent example of this phenomenon is the publication of Daniel Yergin and Michael Stoppard's The Next Prize, about strategic issues surrounding the future of natural gas as an energy source. The article appeared in late 2003, and since then the concerns raised in the article have reverberated in business publications, energy conferences and Sunday talk shows.

Since my childhood I have thought of Foreign Affairs as an influential publication in leadership circles. Over a quarter century ago, I remember reading that Henry Kissinger promoted Daniel Patrick Moynihan as US Ambassador to the United Nations on the basis of an article he wrote in Foreign Affairs. As the founder of a company dedicated to cultural and business travel to Russia, I need to stay ahead of the knowledge curve with regards to the world, rather than just be informed of events. I find Foreign Affairs to be the single most valuable tool to stay informed about foreign policy, trends in world affairs, and current political thought. ... Read more

Asin: B00007LN7R
Sales Rank: 329
Subjects:  1. Government & Politics    2. General    3. History   

The Atlantic Monthly
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Become much more Conservative lately
We had a subscription from 2001-2004.In the last year of that subscription, the magazine came to focus more and more on politics, and most of the political articles were written from a conservative perspective or assuming a neoconservative world view as background.Letters disagreeing with anything Robert Kaplan wrote were rarely, if ever, printed.(Though I know for a fact they received them!)We dropped our subscription and picked up the New Yorker instead.Conservatives however may want to take a new look at this magazine.The reviews suggesting it is liberal must be based on pre-2003 reading.Occasional issues we have bought since dropping our subscription confirm that the conservative slant is persisting.The quality of the writing is still reasonable however, and it explores issues in depth (albeit from one side).

WISHY-WASHY, WISHFUL & ASHAMED: AMERICAN LIBERALISM...
From reading some of my recent reviews, you would think I am becoming a political guy. I'm not. At least, I am only as far as I feel my relationship with Jesus Christ dictates.

A case in point: The Atlantic Monthly. I used to subscribe to this magazine when I was in late High School-early College. I think my brother got me a gift subscription.

I am a follower of some more "high brow" cultural things (keep in mind that the threshold for for being "high brow" in America is always being lowered, and in fact can be lowered physically by simply driving south), and my brother thought I would enjoy the magazine. I was usually underwhelmed by the depth of articles (or snippets) relating to the arts, music, and theater in The Atlantic. I was also disappointed by the magazine's political slant.

The Atlantic is kind of like the New York Times and CBS in that it tries (tries) to play the "wink-wink, no, of course we're not liberal" game.

A related aside before I move on: As you will see if you read the rest of this review, I line up with neither "the left" or "the right" (the Blue or the Red) in American politics, but when it comes to the press--if you're not going to try to be balanced, I would much prefer you to be blatant about your bias. To use a non-sequitur paraphrase of Lincoln in his abolitionist days: "I would rather move to Russia and take my despotism pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy." At least the misguided right has that going for its press apparatus.

Anyway, The Atlantic is probably the paragon of the inefficient, unfocused, in some senses, self-loathing liberal movement in America. So many of its articles take a half-ass, speculative look at issues NO ONE in main street America cares about.

I am not a great fan of George W. Bush's Right, but the alternative is almost just as sad.

The only redeeming aspect of what this magazine has become (I read a few issues this past election year) is the writing of Robert Kaplan. I don't buy his take on geo-politics, but he is one of the few people on the left who is doing any original thinking in this area at all.

As for my own politics (if you or anyone else cares), I feel both sides have woefully fallen short of the demands of The Kingdom. In some ways I am more Liberal than the Democrats and more Conservative than the Republicans. People come first in God's economy. Only by changing the hearts of individuals can we ever change the world.

It saddens me deeply that here, in the richest, most powerful nation in the history of the world, people on both sides (if a person even cares enough to be on a side) allow themselves to be duped into hating each other rather than living up to our great potential.

This magazine is just one example of where we as a country are going so very, very wrong.

Glaringly and Inappropriately Biased
The A-Monthly iis by far the most obviously biased and unfairly written magazine I have seen that does not claim to be communist.But beyond its completely intolerably inaccurate reporting, there is a malicious bent that seems intent on politically bashing everything that comes its way which is not socialist in nature. There are many examples of the ill-informed and not-so-thought-out liberally biased opinion which is (and will continue to be)subject to change depending on who is currently in office.As a matter of fact, I would venture to say that the editors of A-Monthly probably harbor anti-American sentiments, judging by their magazine.

If you want to get good coverage of world events, with real analysis and hard facts, read the Economist.As an intelligence analyst, I would probably get fired for showing a fraction of the personal, unbased and unreasonable bias which the Atlantic Monthly shows.At least the Economist tastefully bashes conservatives.The Atlantic Monthly makes a mockery of analytical reporting. ... Read more

Asin: B00007987Y
Sales Rank: 102
Subjects:  1. Literary    2. Lifestyle & Cultures (Guidance)    3. Cultural   

Cook's Illustrated
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A great magazine even for the culinarily-challenged
"Cook's Illustrated" serves as a mentor to me and others who refused to learn the art and science of cookery in the kitchens of their loved ones.I did take a home economics class in high school, but my main memory of it is my teacher's repeated iteration of "Oh mercy, Elaine.Mercy."It took a long diet of college jello and Spanish Rice, and then a marriage in which neither of us fathomed the mysteries of the kitchen to get me interested in the art of cooking for myself and others.

Most of the other magazines in the culinary market don't seem to cater to the cooking-challenged.For instance, the seemingly simple instruction "beat enough sugar into the meringue to stiffen it" caused me to set the oven on fire.I added cups and cups of sugar to my three egg whites and the darn meringue finally got grainy, which I figured was the equivalent of 'stiff.'Not so.Once enough heat was applied, the meringue flooded over the sides of the pie plate and set the oven ablaze.It was not easy explaining my culinary mishap to a sceptical fireman.

My inadvertent attempt at incendiarism wouldn't have happened if I had been following a recipe in "Cook's Illustrated."Here the recipes are lovingly detailed, and there diagrams on 'simple' techniques such as How to Slice an Onion.Most of you probably learned about such matters at your mother's knee, but I was more interested in Astronomy than Onions back in the good old days when someone cooked for me.As a consequence, I've been slicing onions incorrectly until the December 2004 "Cook's Illustrated" hit the newstand.

The contributors to this magazine test their recipes multiple times, varying the ingredients, using different cooking utensils, until they get what they consider to be the perfect outcome.For instance, in the article on "Balsamic Braised Chicken," John Olson writes:"At that point, I stopped my tests with the high-end vinegar.Simmering such a vinegar might well be considered high crime in Italy.All the time and effort expended to create its subtle flavor balance would be wasted, as boiling destroys it. (This is not a problem with the cheap stuff.)"

"Cook's Illustrated" recipes are adventures into a mysterious art, as well as producers of wonderful dishes.The editors don't accept advertisements, so you can trust their ingredient and product recommendations.If you are a fan of the show, "America's Test Kitchen" on public television, then you'll definitely love the magazine that details this program's favorite recipes.Also check out their website at cooksillustrated.com for eleven years worth of recipes.

The Best Cooking Magazine out there
Some people don't care why the food came out great or why it came out horrible.I do, and that's why I love this magazine.I enjoy reading what the author/cook went through to arrive at the printed recipe. I also enjoy the colorful covers and the back page with beautiful drawings of a "topic" food, such as a variety of tomotoes, hams, etc.Great magazine.However, I'm not crazy about their website.

Great down-home cooking mag
Any magazine that doesn't except advertisements seems to be a step ahead of those that do. This is the case for Cooks Illustrated. Some of the recipes this family loves are: Best Beef Chili, Ground Beef Tacos, Glazed Carrots (although I prefer the recipe in the Northern Exposure cookbook), Maple-Glazed Pork Roast, and many of the pastas. The drawbacks I've found for this magazine are that sometimes the spices are a bit powerful. This is usually true for the chicken sauces. They have one in which they recommend 40 garlic cloves to be cooked with the chicken breasts. This is just too many cloves and leaves one feeling like they just bit into a head of garlic. I suppose that being these people work in a test kitchen all day it takes a lot of spice to activate their taste buds. Being one has to alter some of the ingredients for any recipe this is not a huge burden, it just takes awhile to get used to. I also don't like the fact that they always use no-boil noodles for their lasagna. I hate these noodles. They never turn out as good as boil noodles and it only takes 10 minutes to boil them. When you're taking two hours out of your day to make Lasagna Bolognese an extra 10 minutes for good noodles shouldn't be too much extra work. I've also found that the baking recipes aren't the greatest. I've tried the chocolate chip cookies and they are too thick. My three year old didn't even like them. The New York cheesecake was ok, but that's it...just ok. However, aside from these minor quibbles a lot of the recipes are fantastic for making dinner. It's one of the few mags where you can grab a recipe out of it and know it's going to be edible... and possibly exceptionally good. The quick tips section is also a joy to read. I also enjoy their equipment reviews (although The Cooks Catalogue is a must have for this). They used to have cookbook reviews where they tested recipes in different cookbooks and printed the results. They seem to have withdrawn this section, which is too bad because I really enjoyed it. It gave one an idea of what cookbooks to stay away from and which ones were really good. I especially liked how they would mention if it was for an average cook or an advanced cook based on whether or not the cook listed exact recipes or just gave a general idea of what to use and let the reader come up with their own measurements. Overall, if I could have only one cooking magazine this would be it. It has many great things going for it. I also subscribe to Intermezzo for the "fancier" recipes. ... Read more

Asin: B000069YW9
Sales Rank: 81
Subjects:  1. Food & Gourmet   

Legal Affairs
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Writing Samples from Leading Legal Thinkers
If you're looking to emulate excellent legal analysis and writing skills while still composing for the common reader, this magazine is a great guide.It does a fantastic job relating developing domestic and international law to current events, and the latest issue links fine art to legal concepts - something right out of the Journal for the American Medical Association which I hope they continue.Even though many of the articles are available on Legal Affairs' website, I highly recommend the print version; it's the best way to support continuing issues of a well-executed publication.

Legal Discussion For Non-Jurists
An interesting, diverse, well-written magazine about legal matters (US & abroad, big & small)...targeted at the lay person with some interest in the law or judicial system...approaches the law more from a political science angle...thoroughly enjoyable

A surprisingly great read!
This new magazine started with a bang and seems to get better with each issue. I never thought I'd say that about a magazine about the law, but the editors have done a fantastic job of finding surprising events that highlight areas where legal issues affect life -- everything from the first issue's cover story on Israel's supreme court to the the role of body-snatching in 1800s American medicine, to the theatrical elements of the British courts as seen in Billy Wilder's movies.The magazine uses wit and a wide-rangingintelligence to make the law connect with its readers. I'm looking forward to the next issue. ... Read more

Asin: B00006LIR6
Sales Rank: 1885
Subjects:  1. Law    2. General   

New York Review Of Books
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If all book reviews aspire to the condition of magazines, the New York Review would represent the best realization of this aspiration to date. It retains the character of a book review, published 20 times a year. But since its inception over 30 years ago, the reviews have been long, dense (recent years have brought the practice of footnotes), and learned. Significant fiction is pondered, along with bits of poetry, slices of science, and gobs of political science, history, economics, biography, art, and music. The reader of the New York Review easily feels relieved of the cultural burden of having to read a book once having completed the sufficient burden of having read a thorough review of it. Although the impeccably left-leaning editors would be loathe to agree, only major figures or discourses in the European intellectual tradition need apply to their pages for consideration. Hence, for example, although occasional "pieces" on certain worthy movies now appear, popular culture is not a serious concern. Lately, the Review has given over more of its pages (from 60 to 80 each issue) to journalistic reports--the latest political currents in China or Russia, the state of affairs in Kurdistan or at Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay. Its core identity remains, however, that of a magazine unequaled for addressing intellectual "issues"--Darwin under attack again, pedophilia continuing in the Church, whither globalization--through reviewing them as these issues appear in book form. --Terry Caesar ... Read more

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Among the very best...
NYRB and the Atlantic Monthly are among my favorite subscriptions; In terms of sheer intellectual depth and range, it is very tough to beat the NYRB.While I do not read the NYRB cover to cover, I end up spending at least 5 hrs on each issue.

The main strength of this magazine is the fact that a typical article is written by an expert with deep knowledge of the subject (some times opinionated; but always intelligent and engaging).While the article typically draws on more than a single book, I like the fact that the article is typically written as a commentary around a theme and is more than a summary of the books under review.

Highly Readable
THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS is published 20 times a year, biweekly except in January, July, August and September. It is a respected publication which is devoted mostly to reviews of current books and an occasional movie. It also contains articles of social or political interest. The Letters section is usually brief with little waste.

Contributors to a recent edition included Mark Danner, Sister Helen Prejean and Daniel Mendelsohn. Reviews covered such diverse items as a collection of short stories by Graham Greene and two books about the actress Anna May Wong in addition to ALEXANDER, a film directed by Oliver Stone.

THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS consistently offers provocative writing in a highly readable style. It definitely deserves its reputation for excellence.

Read NYRB and be the best-informed it is possible to be
NYRB features long, in-depth articles about recent books and events.The "reviews" frequently take the book under discussion as a starting point for a wide-ranging essay which then becomes a work in its own right.Indeed, I've seen articles in NYRB referred to in academic papers.Don't fear that NYRB will bore you, however.I've often found a NYRB article to be a great introduction to an area of thought or literature previously unknown to me.

The only negative is a rather tedious Michael-Mooreish political stance.I have no objection to seeing Bush bashed, but wish that NYRB could do so in a more creative and less repetitive manner. Maybe once in a while we could hear from someone who actually likes the man?

Nevertheless I find NYRB an indispensable periodical.I find it a great complement to The Economist, which features a more pro-business and pro-free trade economic stance and wider, but less deep, coverage of the world. ... Read more

Asin: B00007G2SO
Subjects:  1. Literature    2. General    3. Periodicals    4. Literary