The Da Vinci Code
by Doubleday
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (18 March, 2003)
list price: $24.95 -- our price: $14.97
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Editorial Review

With The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoteria culled from 2,000 years of Western history.

A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his granddaughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle. The duo become both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu's grandfather's murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France, England, and history itself. Brown (Angels and Demons) has created a page-turning thriller that also provides an amazing interpretation of Western history. Brown's hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries--from the nature of the Mona Lisa's smile to the secret of the Holy Grail. Though some will quibble with the veracity of Brown's conjectures, therein lies the fun. The Da Vinci Code is an enthralling read that provides rich food for thought. --Jeremy Pugh ... Read more

Reviews (3048)

Nilly Vanilly
The characters are predictable one dimensional cartoons, the good guys are the atheist tree hugging narcissistic pagans, the bad guys include a very pale man who believes in God; the hedonistic oh-so-witty and sophisticated heroes manage to have the upper hand at every turn so there is zero suspense once you catch on to his technique. This book is just not very good fiction plain and simple. Pass on this [...]. Go waste your money on something [...] fattening, but please do not encourage the dumming down of the reading public.

Gread read
Even though it is a historical fiction, this is a very good book to read. True that some of the points he wrote about were true. But we should know that this is open to interpretation. What is also important is that as readers, we should be able to discern where historical truths end and where fiction begins. I have read a great deal of historical fictions, and know how misleading historical fictions can be. Nothing that is written in this novel is exact. The father of this theme that Dan Brown took in this book is Michael Baigent , the author of HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL. He said it succinctly that he did not believe about the grail story because he did not know. What he wrote was what people said, many of whom were hazy about it. So, he wrote using "it is said that". That is what makes writings glaringly historical fictions. Equally good historical fictions are HOLY BLOOD HOLY GRAIL,DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE, THE TRIUMPH OF THE SUN.

Great Story
This is a wonderful adventure that is often misunderstood as pure fact.It is a page turner and very difficult to put down.The illustrations are incredibly helpful if you aren't too sure what they are referring to like myself.They are also beautiful.The book itself is quite large so if you enjoy bringing books with you on your travels, this one is quite difficult to lug around.The chapters are very short which makes for an easy read for just about anyone.I love a book that can take one meaning and flip it around to have another meaning that comes out of nowhere.Some of these things may be from the research Dan Brown had done, but many are just from good writing.A thrill to read, highly recommended. ... Read more

Isbn: 0385504209
Subjects:  1. 1452-1519    2. Appreciation    3. Art museum curators    4. Crimes against    5. Cryptographers    6. Fiction    7. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    8. Leonardo,    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. Secret societies    11. Thrillers    12. da Vinci,    13. Fiction / Thrillers    14. Leonardo    15. Manuscripts    16. Reading Group Guide   

Angels & Demons
by Pocket Star
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (26 June, 2001)
list price: $7.99 -- our price: $7.19
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Editorial Review

It takes guts to write a novel that combines an ancient secret brotherhood, the Swiss Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, a papal conclave, mysterious ambigrams, a plot against the Vatican, a mad scientist in a wheelchair, particles of antimatter, jets that can travel 15,000 miles per hour, crafty assassins, a beautiful Italian physicist, and a Harvard professor of religious iconology. It takes talent to make that novel anything but ridiculous. Kudos to Dan Brown (Digital Fortress) for achieving the nearly impossible. Angels & Demons is a no-holds-barred, pull-out-all-the-stops, breathless tangle of a thriller--think Katherine Neville's The Eight (but cleverer) or Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum (but more accessible).

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is shocked to find proof that the legendary secret society, the Illuminati--dedicated since the time of Galileo to promoting the interests of science and condemning the blind faith of Catholicism--is alive, well, and murderously active. Brilliant physicist Leonardo Vetra has been murdered, his eyes plucked out, and the society's ancient symbol branded upon his chest. His final discovery, antimatter, the most powerful and dangerous energy source known to man, has disappeared--only to be hidden somewhere beneath Vatican City on the eve of the election of a new pope. Langdon and Vittoria, Vetra's daughter and colleague, embark on a frantic hunt through the streets, churches, and catacombs of Rome, following a 400-year-old trail to the lair of the Illuminati, to prevent the incineration of civilization.

Brown seems as much juggler as author--there are lots and lots of balls in the air in this novel, yet Brown manages to hurl the reader headlong into an almost surreal suspension of disbelief. While the reader might wish for a little more sardonic humor from Langdon, and a little less bombastic philosophizing on the eternal conflict between religion and science, these are less fatal flaws than niggling annoyances--readers should have no trouble skimming past them and immersing themselves in a heck of a good read. "Brain candy" it may be, but my! It's tasty. --Kelly Flynn ... Read more

Reviews (1492)

Like early Ludlum...will keep you up all night!

I started this prequel to THE DA VINCI CODE on a recent vacation.Big mistake.Huge.

Once the story began to unfold, I had flashbacks of long nights spent reading Robert Ludlum with my heart pounding out of my chest. I even snuck the book into my purse and read little snippets while riding in the car; waiting for my lunch; or when the others got ahead of me at the Albuquerque Aquarium.It's just that good.

Dan Brown weaves a great story about an ancient society's grudge against the Catholic Church; the dangers of modern science; and how one man can make a difference.I'm so ready to go to Rome and follow in art historian-turned hero-Robert Landgon's footsteps and see the symbolism clues for myself.

I didn't expect ANGELS AND DEMONS to be so good.Boy, what a pleasant surprise.

Enjoy!

Good Work
Very interesting book.Well paced and well researched.If you haven't read The Da Vinci Code yet read this one first.You will not be disappointed.

Angels & Demons - The Best Book Ever
The story starts with a mysterious murder of a famous Scientific Researcher at CERN. Brilliant physicist Leonardo Vetra has been murdered, his eyes plucked out, and an ancient anti-Christian cult's symbol branded upon his chest. Harvard symbiologist Robert Langdon is summoned to the scene of crime. He is shocked to find proof that the legendary secret society, the Illuminati which was dedicated since the time of Galileo to promoting the interests of science and deviating from the blind religious faith of the Vatican, is alive and dangerously active! Leonardo Vetra's final discovery- the antimatter, the most powerful and dangerous energy source known to man, has disappeared, only to be hidden somewhere beneath Vatican City on the eve of the election of a new Pope. Langdon and Leonardo's adopted daughter, Vittoria, start on an impossible journey and a frantic search throughout Rome's catacombs, secret archives, churches, to stop the dangerous game played by the illuminati. Read this amazing book by Dan Brown to find out more! ... Read more

Isbn: 0671027360
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    3. Mystery & Detective - General    4. Suspense    5. Thrillers    6. Fiction / General   

Cryptonomicon
by Avon Books
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (05 November, 2002)
list price: $7.99 -- our price: $7.99
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Editorial Review

Neal Stephenson enjoys cult status among science fiction fans and techie types thanks to Snow Crash, which so completely redefined conventional notions of the high-tech future that it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. But if his cyberpunk classic was big, Cryptonomicon is huge... gargantuan... massive, not just in size (a hefty 918 pages including appendices) but in scope and appeal. It's the hip, readable heir to Gravity's Rainbow and the Illuminatus trilogy. And it's only the first of a proposed series--for more information, read our interview with Stephenson.

Cryptonomicon zooms all over the world, careening conspiratorially back and forth between two time periods--World War II and the present. Our 1940s heroes are the brilliant mathematician Lawrence Waterhouse, cryptanalyst extraordinaire, and gung ho, morphine-addicted marine Bobby Shaftoe. They're part of Detachment 2702, an Allied group trying to break Axis communication codes while simultaneously preventing the enemy from figuring out that their codes have been broken. Their job boils down to layer upon layer of deception. Dr. Alan Turing is also a member of 2702, and he explains the unit's strange workings to Waterhouse. "When we want to sink a convoy, we send out an observation plane first.... Of course, to observe is not its real duty--we already know exactly where the convoy is. Its real duty is to be observed.... Then, when we come round and sink them, the Germans will not find it suspicious."

All of this secrecy resonates in the present-day story line, in which the grandchildren of the WWII heroes--inimitable programming geek Randy Waterhouse and the lovely and powerful Amy Shaftoe--team up to help create an offshore data haven in Southeast Asia and maybe uncover some gold once destined for Nazi coffers. To top off the paranoiac tone of the book, the mysterious Enoch Root, key member of Detachment 2702 and the Societas Eruditorum, pops up with an unbreakable encryption scheme left over from WWII to befuddle the 1990s protagonists with conspiratorial ties.

Cryptonomicon is vintage Stephenson from start to finish: short on plot, but long on detail so precise it's exhausting. Every page has a math problem, a quotable in-joke, an amazing idea, or a bit of sharp prose. Cryptonomicon is also packed with truly weird characters, funky tech, and crypto--all the crypto you'll ever need, in fact, not to mention all the computer jargon of the moment. A word to the wise: if you read this book in one sitting, you may die of information overload (and starvation). --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Reviews (726)

If you're gonna read this book,
Then you need to ask yourself a something. Do you I have a short attention span? If you do, please stick to watching sitcoms and leave the reading to us vertebrates. The Cryptonomicons time line is non-linear, with each successive chapter taking place at a different location and following a different character. So, if your gonna read this, know that there are many names, places and dates that are going to be crucial to you getting the most out of this book- If you can't be bothered to remember what happened last week on "Will & Grace" don't bother with this book. For god's sake, don't write a review if you read the first couple of pages and decide, "This sucks, it makes me look like a dork when I carry it around and it's heavy too".

With that said, I can honestly say that, apart from about 20 pages of mathematics that I could not fully understand, this was one of the most idea fill and interesting books I've laid my hands on in some time. Stephenson may be a genius of DaVinci proportion, if not that, then at least a teacher of Feynman's caliber.

An exhaustingly amazing novel
I read a lot, a whole lot. I first read this monster from the library the month it came out, decided (after I had recovered from the experience) that it was probably the best thing I'd read in the whole of the `90s, went out and bought a hardback for myself, and set it in a place of honor on my shelves. Nearly six years on, I find that aging has only improved it. I've been working my way slowly through his recent trilogy, but Cryptonomicon is still better. His characters exist in a t least five dimensions and will stick with you from a long, long time. There's Lawrence Waterhouse, math prodigy and buddy of Alan Turing, who becomes one of the key codebreakers of World War II. There's Marine raider Bobby Shaftoe, a survivor of everything the war can throw at him -- except heroism. There's Randy Waterhouse, Lawrence's equally nerdy grandson, master Unix hacker, and generally nice guy. There's America Shaftoe, partly-Filipino granddaughter of Bobby, master deep diver, and all-round tough cookie -- which doesn't keep Randy and Amy from falling in love. There's Avi, Randy's best friend and front-man in all their business ventures -- in this case, building the world's first politically independent data haven, much to the dismay of major governments. There's Lieut. Goto Dengo, engineer for the Nipponese army and builder of the primary hiding place of Japan's stolen billions in gold bullion. And, moving like mist between the two separate generations, there's the _eminence gris_ Enoch Root, Catholic priest, doctor, cryptographer, conspirator, and take-no-prisoners philosopher. Add to this list several dozen supporting players, all equally well realized, and the richness of the narrative texture is unbelievable. Besides the sheer enjoyment you get from Stephenson's Roman-candle style, his highly original metaphors and similes, and his ironic sense of humor, you're gonna learn a lot about cryptography (both the wartime vintage and the present-day digital variety), and about irregular warfare, and a score of other subjects. Yes, it's a huge book -- but it has to be. The heft also allows space for the author's sprawling digressions on topics as diverse as jungle survival, the similarities between computers and church organs, granny-grade furniture, U-boat life, several Holocausts, imprinting of sexual fetishes, Finnish psychology, the neuro-sociological origins of the ancient Greek pantheon, how to divide up an inheritance, the socioeconomic underpinnings of paper currency, and the proper way to eat Cap'n Crunch. It doesn't all advance the plot, but don't worry about it. Every single paragraph in this thing is worth reading, savoring, and storing away for later rethinking. I'll be reading it against in another decade.

Fun for everyone -- not just the hacker community....
Hey, I did my time working in the computing universe -- as a "DEC-10" operator, an "engineering aide" on work study, a UNIX documentation technical editor (for industry, NOT those semi-literate hackers who wrote the BSD manuals, thanks!) and a programmer in Pascal, C and FORTRAN -- but computers still remain glorified and troublesome _appliances_ in my view. So, a 918-page(!) book about hackers had better have more going on than elaborate self-aggrandizement to keep my interest.This story goes well beyond your usual cyberpunk novel, by fully engaging the larger context in which the techno-wizardry occurs.We get to learn lots of fascinating back story involving (real or imagined) events from World War II, bringing home the recognition that the Web and all of our taken-for-granted computer hardware did not come into existence from vacuum.All of this information is woven into stories about very interesting people, whose lives you either envy or recognize as not so very different from your own, after all.I understand that Bobby Shaftoe and friends are present some of Stephenson's other books, and I'll be looking for them.To echo a previous reviewer, I do hope, though, to see more fully-realized female characters in Stephenson's future work.Say, one with a Ph.D. and a sense of adventure, but not necessarily built like an Olympic athlete or with Heinlein-esque inflated breasts? ... Read more

Isbn: 0060512806
Subjects:  1. Espionage/Intrigue    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    4. Historical - General    5. Literary    6. Science Fiction    7. Science Fiction - High Tech    8. Thrillers   

Snow Crash (Bantam Spectra Book)
by Spectra
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (02 May, 2000)
list price: $14.00 -- our price: $11.20
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Editorial Review

From the opening line of his breakthrough cyberpunk novel Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson plunges the reader into a not-too-distant future. It is a world where the Mafia controls pizza delivery, the United States exists as a patchwork of corporate-franchise city-states, and the Internet--incarnate as the Metaverse--looks something like last year's hype would lead you to believe it should. Enter Hiro Protagonist--hacker, samurai swordsman, and pizza-delivery driver. When his best friend fries his brain on a new designer drug called Snow Crash and his beautiful, brainy ex-girlfriend asks for his help, what's a guy with a name like that to do? He rushes to the rescue. A breakneck-paced 21st-century novel, Snow Crash interweaves everything from Sumerian myth to visions of a postmodern civilization on the brink of collapse. Faster than the speed of television and a whole lot more fun, Snow Crash is the portrayal of a future that is bizarre enough to be plausible. ... Read more

Reviews (439)

Stephenson's unique
Snow Crash is one of those books that will either grab you in the first 30 pages, and hold you to the end, or you will hate.You'll worry about the comic book aspect at first, but quickly get past that.

As with much of Neal Stephenson's writing, Snow Crash is completely unique.It is hilarious through the first half of the book, and has a couple of Stephenson's amazing allegories sprinkled throughout.One in particular describing a Dilber-view of a future Federal bureaucracy is worth the price of the book on it's own.Snow Crash is not, however, at the level of Cryptonomicon.The world of Snow Crash seriously bogs down and becomes Hollywood-movie-clichéd at the end.But it's a great ride getting there.

Will It Ever End??!?!?!
My gosh, what a complete waste of time.I finally put the book down after 6 weeks and 273 pages.I just couldn't take it anymore.I would have stopped a long time before now, but I don't like leaving books unfinished.In this case, not finishing is better than the alternative...

Nothing every really happened in the book, at least not the part I read.There were a few scenes where something actually transpired besides dialog or author rambling, but the scenes were shallow and short.

I kept waiting for some big event to take place after all the description, but over half way through the book, it never did.I just feel like I wasted the last 5 weeks trying to get through this book, when normally it takes me only a week to get through one that can keep my attention.

I was not impressed.

something for a Jerry Bruckheimer film, but that's all...
From what I heard, this was meant to be up there with Neuromancer, but it didn't even come close in my opinion.

After [what seemed like] the first three or four times Stephenson explains to the reader that computers understand binary, and that binary is made up of 1's and 0's, I started to get a bit worried about this novel.

I continued though, thinking that he was just educating the computer illiterate in the early chapters, but it just went on and on...

The whole thing just seemed to be made up of a mish-mash of 'cool' images like hackers, samurai, the Mafia, skateboarding, etc, etc, etc... All just thrown into the mix for the sake of being cool.

The only interesting thread of an idea in the book just sort of trailed off into nothingness, just like the rest of the story.

I give it one star for the mythological storyline [which was the only thing that kept me reading], and for resisting the urge to write the protagonist from the first person. Everything else just annoyed me.

If you're after a cyber-novel with genuinely creative ideas (not just a Neuromancer wannabe), try Permutation City (Greg Egan). ... Read more

Isbn: 0553380958
Subjects:  1. American Science Fiction And Fantasy    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Science Fiction    4. Science Fiction    5. Science Fiction - General    6. Science Fiction - High Tech    7. Fiction / Science Fiction / General   

Rolling Stone
by Wenner Publishing
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Magazine
list price: $103.70 -- our price: $12.97
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Founder and publisher Jann S. Wenner's brainchild remains the standard by which rock & roll magazines are measured, though even its most fervent boosters would concede there've been some growing pains for RS as it's strived to remain relevant through the decades. The erstwhile baby-boomer bible mixes fleshy covers of today's alluring celebs with coverage of graying rockers from the magazine's heyday. In addition to celebrity interviews, stalwart features such as CD reviews and Random Notes (the mag's long-running gossip section) provide familiar reading for older readers, as does the publication's superior political and cultural coverage. But the bulk of Rolling Stone's features are aimed at the younger pop-culture set. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

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Reviews (142)

Corporate magazines still suck
Rolling Stone hasn't been a credible music journal for at least 15 years, and that's being extremely kind.Rather they are a marketing outlet for the corporate sponsors of whatever music is being pushed at the moment.That's of course when they deign to write about music at all.There are far too many politically oriented articles from an upper middle class armchair liberal point of view to catagorize Rolling Stone as strictly a music magazine.And let's not mention the extremely annoying fashion layouts.RS is more of a lifestyle journal that panders to white and mostly liberal middle class tastes and culture.I don't care about the political bent of the magazine so much as I care about the pop garbage that Rolling Stone writes about.They almost without exception shill for the flavor of the month rather than write any responsible criticism.Occasionally the articles are informative, but for the most part Rolling Stone is an irrelevant device to generate advertising dollars.

You get what you pay for
Isn't it amazing that the cost of a Rolling Stone subscription is barely enough to cover the cost of postage?The magazine is mostly advertisements, and the rest of it isn't worth reading.I grew up on Rolling Stone, but have realized that if I want a decent music review about music I care about, I'll go to pitchforkmedia.com.Even SPIN is better than this crap.

RS: "Music Experts" who don't know CRAP about music.
Anyone who would consider putting a list of the 100 Greatest Artists ever without Pink Floyd, Queen, or Metallica has no knowledge of music whatsoever.

Also who the hell would put Kurt Cobain and Jack White on a list of the 100 greatest guitarists ever above Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads? Also not to mention that they didn't even include Slash or Malmsteem on the list.

This magazine makes me sick to the stomach. Basically all they do is praise artists who have good lyrics but crappy music, like Bob Dylan. They also need to get over their constant worship of U2, because even when they put out those 2 awful albums 'Zooropa' and 'Pop', they did nothing but praise them for their over-produced experimental crap.

And what can we say about their devotion towards 'The White Stripes' and 'The Strokes' and hail them as the BEST NEW THING, while we've been waiting for years for these people to make albums worth their praise. Yet, Rolling Stone rather ignores great new artists like Muse, Franz Ferdinand, and Keane.

I know you guys are probably potheads, but perhaps you should consider putting the hash pipe to the side and think about what you write because it's hurting the REAL ARTISTS. ... Read more

Asin: B00005N7SJ
Subjects:  1. Entertainment    2. Music   

People
by The Time Inc. Magazine Company
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Magazine
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People is the most wildly, consistently successful magazine in history (not to mention the most stolen from lunchrooms) and it's avidly read by half the population of America each year. Why? The people at People know what you want to read: the absolute latest, impossible-to-get dish on celebrity scandals (a $3-million-a-year fact-checking department keeps it real); definitive tribute issues; snappy wrap-ups on the whereabouts of yesterday's stars and the current Most Beautiful People; riveting stories of real folks caught up in the day's biggest news, health, and crime stories; and quick picks and pans on what's up in entertainment. And after years of black-and-white drabness, the mag has fully mastered the art of flashy, full-color photography. --Bob Brandeis ... Read more

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Reviews (61)

True Crapper Reading
There are some magazines that are true crapper reading - light, mildly interesting or entertaining articles that engages you slightly, but don't require you to be engaged with, in order to read while doing some damage sitting on the can.Then there are pretenders - stuff you simply can't drop off or pick up at any point.YOU know what I'm talking about...

People is one of those in, what I like to call, the true crapper camp.The kind of read you need in the bathroom when you're taking a dump.The articles are so pointless and inane, it doesn't distract you from your real and first responsiblity.Taking a dump.

That's why I call People magazine, true crapper reading.

Inspirational
This magazine has had a huge impact on my life. A lot of people get this magazine because they are looking for lite entertainment or escapism, but if you are looking for inspiration, the pages of People Magazine are loaded with it.

For example, a while back I read a story about Julia Cameron in People which inspired me to investigate what she was all about. That led to my buying "The Artist's Way," then I did the 12 week program, and since then have become a professional house painter making twice the salary that I used to make! All because I read about Julia in PEOPLE!

Another great example is Robert Kyosaki -- I read a story about him which talked about his Rich Dad book, which I immediately went out and DEVOURED in one day. Then I got his tapes, I drove around listening to those tapes in my car for months. Just a few months later, I bought my first house! My own personal American Dream story, just because I was reading People Magazine.

Then I read a story about a new system for increasing passion for couples through sexual mastery. I got a copy of the "New Sex Now" dvd right here on amazon, and after watching it one time, suddenly my lovelife went from average to AMAZING! My girlfriend and I experienced intimacy that we had never known before, and passion that was profound. Now, we're married and living a life of unexpected closeness and fulfillment. I connected with the love of my life because of an article I read in People Magazine.

Now I'm not saying that there's not a lot of fun fluff and mental popcorn for people who want that from a magazine, but if you are looking to improve yourself and get more out of life, People Magazine has plenty of grist for the mill, and on every page provides opportunities for everyone to think and dream bigger. Now that is the mark of a truly awesome magazine!

Not enough people
To my mind, a magazine called "People" should have more people in it. Since I began my subscription in 1978, I've uncovered a detectable decline in the number of people appearing in the so called "People" magazine. For the most part, the decline has been pretty steady. 1986, however, was a notable year, as the number of pictures of people in People declined by 64%. This same year saw an increase in dog photos by roughly 3%. It was at this point that I wrote to the editors suggesting a name change for the magazine, or else keep the ratio of dogs to people reasonable. Or else feel my wrath. And by wrath I mean cancelled subscription. Much to my chagrin, they called my bluff and cancelled my subscription for me, so it's fortunate that I had another subscription coming to my house under a pseudonym. What is that pseudonym, you ask? Johnny Depp. And that pseudonym is what has gotten me into the annual People Magazine Christmas party every year since. And each year, as I stand on my hind legs next to the punchbowl, talking with a gorgeous starlet, I laugh and laugh, because while the editors of the magazine are all cornered by drunken John Lovitz, I am enjoying every dog and man's dream, and it feels as though the night will never end. ... Read more

Asin: B00005R8BC
Subjects:  1. Entertainment    2. Movies (Movie, Films, Film, Cinema)    3. Music    4. TV (Television)    5. Motion picture actors and actresses    6. Celebrities   

Teen People
by The Time Inc. Magazine Company
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MY SISTER HAS IT AND I'D LIKE TO.
MY SISTER (LAUREN) SUBSCRIBES AND I PAGED THROUGH (DON'T TELL HER) AND I LIKED IT! I'D LIKE TO GET IT!!!

Teeny Peeps
This is a great magazine, vice versa to all those other customer reviews. It's just a fun-filled, style/gossip magazine. Along with styles and what's 'in' for the season and what's 'out'. If you are the type of person who hates gossip, fashion-talk, boy-talk and such, I don't suggest it. But if you do, then heck with it! Grab one and start reading. They have full-color pictures or stars--Star Tracks, SCENE--where celebrities talk, what's happening, most embarrasing moments, quizzes, love-talk, sneek-peeks, what's new and what's old, new movies, awsome books and movies to watch, and advice for girls just like us.

terrible
i subscribed to this magazine thinking it was like its "parent" People , which i love to read.
however, this is just awful. its all about sex, guys, and expensive clothing. i flip through in 5-10 min. and im done. nothing real here at all. they publish bits about "I stole my best friends guy!". its stupid to read and glorifies being mean to others. STUPID.
unless your a preppy, shallow, rich girl, dont even think about this magazine. worst $12 i ever spent.
... Read more

Asin: B00005R8BM
Sales Rank: 86
Subjects:  1. Teens    2. Entertainment    3. Movies (Movie, Films, Film, Cinema)    4. TV (Television)    5. Celebrities    6. Actors and actresses   

Vanity Fair
by Conde Nast Publications Inc.
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Magazine
list price: $54.00 -- our price: $18.00
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Reviews (41)

I so look forward to each issue
I've had an ongoing subscription to Vanity Fair for about 10 years.It is the one magazine subscription that I won't let expire.I really love it,especially Dominick Dunne's articles and the rabid anti- Bush stance of the entire editorial staff. Well worth the price.

Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll... with a Better Vocabulary
I've been an avid reader of Vanity Fair since first subscribing at age 16. How else would I know the goings-on of people like Jocelyn Wildenstein and Princesses Marie-Chantal, Pia, and Alexandra (aka The Miller Sisters)?

Vanity Fair consistently provides a well-balanced volume of investigative reports, society gossip, movers-and-shakers features, and luscious photography. If you care to know the who's who of everything upper-crust -- philanthropy, fine dining, theater and the arts, film, fashion -- Vanity Fair is the magazine to treasure. The photography alone is reason enough to subscribe: they are so masterfully styled and intricately decorated, images from ten years ago still are emblazoned in my (nutty-professor-forgetful) mind.

Sophisticated!!!
This is one magazine in the so-called "general" category (non political and business oriented) magazine that I always find intriguing to read. This is New Yorker meets Vogue.

The articles are thought-provoking but written in a light-hearted manner. Some articles are worthy of the Pulitzer Prize. Yes, the magazine embraces 'superficiality'... but then you should know that by now.

A weekend treat!!!! ... Read more

Asin: B00005NIPX
Sales Rank: 25
Subjects:  1. Entertainment    2. Fashion & Style    3. Women's Fashion   

Entertainment Weekly
by The Time Inc. Magazine Company
Average Customer Review:
Magazine
list price: $196.00 -- our price: $38.95
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Reviews (86)

Subscribed for a year...very disappointed
I got a free subscription to ET by using my frequent flier miles.When I read through my first issue, I was more than a little disappointed.The cover stories often dealt with movies that wouldn't open for a year, and were mostly hype to begin with.A few of the cover stories I remember (The Village, Van Helsing) covered two of the worst movies of the year, certainly not worthy of a cover story.The weekly reviews of the movies were pretty good, but the music reviews were terrible.I have quite an extensive music collection and familiarity, however, the albums reviewed were often from artists I'd never heard of while larger, more established artists were completely ignored.This is simply unacceptable.ET should be focused on the mainstream.Let Rolling Stone and other "music" magazines focus on the obscure bands.The articles and interviews in ET are terrible at best.Often, a "feature" interview consists of a celebrity rambling on about something stupid.And the filler material in the first half of the magazine (The Hot List, etc.) isn't fit for tabloids.In the year that I subscribed to the magazine, I can only think of one or two good articles that I read in the magazine. The addition of Stephen King as a columnnist helped, but even his columns seemed off-base most of the time, like he didn't have the guidance of an editor, but was simply given an open forum instead.ET is very disappointing.They simply ride each fad or popular celebrity until it stops moving, and then hop on to the next one.The magazine is hardly journalism.It's more like a high school gossip forum of sorts, where people talk about people rather than ideas and artistic achievements.Sad.

The Best Entertainment Magazine Out There
If you're looking for a magazine that focuses on all aspects of the entertainment industry, look no further than this magazine.

I signed up for Entertainment Weekly as a charter subscriber back in 1990. I was looking for an alternative to Rolling Stone, something that focused exclusively on entertainment, and I found it with this magazine. I was hooked from the first issue and I've been a subscriber ever since.The funny thing is that I tend to keep my past issues. And as you can guess, on a weekly basis, they tend to take up space quickly!But I actually do find myself going back and referring to past issues.

Each issue is broken down into specific sections: Television, DVDs, Movies, Music, Books, etc., with fairly good commentary in each section. They rate the items reviewed on a grading scale of A to F, and often provide excellent, well thought out reviews. Yes, you're going to get latest fads (the Britney's and the Usher's) on the cover - but you'll also see established performers like Harrison Ford, Kenneth Branagh, Thomas Wolfe, and Tom Hanks on the cover as well. They cover the good, the bad, and everything else in between.If it's entertainment oriented, you'll find it here.

I especially like their annual movie and TV perview issues. ou get a great comprehensive overview of the upcoming TV season as well as almost every movie due to hit the screen, month by month.

While I really like the magazine overall, there are a few items I wish would change. The layout has gotten a little sloppy and hard to read over the past two years. Lots of colors mixed with different texts make it hard to focus. Another item is that they occassionally revise their reviews. For instance, Britney Spears's "Crossroads" movie received a B+. Once it came out on DVD, they revised their rating to a C. At least they come clean and state why they changed the rating in the DVD review. The last thing I've noticed is that they've gotten a little soft as far as their reviews go. I think they may have grown to the point where they don't want to offend any celebrities, so their interviews take a softer edge.

With Entertainment Weekly, you get what the magazine's name promises: a quality product covering all media outlets, delivered on a weekly basis.Subscribe to it and you'll be in the know as far as entertainment is concerned.

That's 'Entertainment'
Been a subscriber for well over ten years and this mag is still one of the best out there.There've been format changes and sometimes I wonder where the reviewers are coming from but, hey...it's still the only magazine I read from cover to cover.(Letter column included!)I would be considered by most to be a 'flyover' cuz, heck, I live in the middle of the country and don't have that LA LA chic or NY state of mind or whatever, but this mag keeps me up to date on new releases (Books, Music, Movies, DVD...and heck, once a month, I get a feel for what's what on Broadway--lucky me!!)EW has turned me onto many, many great things-Erik Larson, Buffy, Lemony Snicket, House, Gilmore Girls, Lost...I could go on and on and on.And, I don't always agree with the reviews/grades but they are competent and reasonably critical.(Owen and Lisa aren't afraid to call abad movie exactly that--especially Lisa!)I guess if you're looking for something serious, EW is not for you.If you're looking for some light reading with a bit of snark and humour and insight, this is the magazine for you.I know I look forward to it every week... ... Read more

Asin: B00005UQ61
Sales Rank: 45
Subjects:  1. Literary    2. Entertainment    3. Movies (Movie, Films, Film, Cinema)    4. Music    5. TV (Television)    6. Musicians    7. Actors and actresses   

ESPN the Magazine
by ESPN The Magazine
Average Customer Review:
Magazine
list price: $103.74 -- our price: $14.97
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Editorial Review

Like the industry leader in sports television that created it, ESPN the Magazine is big, bold, and brash, using its oversize format to show off striking full-page images and splashy sidebars.It's not all flash, though: the magazine also gets contributions from familiar on-air talent such as Dan Patrick, Chris Berman, Stuart Scott, Peter Gammons, and John Clayton as well as the athletes themselves.The biweekly format doesn't allow for the minutiae that The Sporting News handles, so you'll get broader features--playoff previews, personality profiles, photo spreads--with an emphasis on basketball, football, baseball, hockey, and some extreme sports, though off-season coverage tends to be limited to a page or two.--David Horiuchi ... Read more

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Reviews (30)

Not Impressed

Just waiting for my subscription to run out on this thing.
Each week I glance through all it's ads and "flashy" pictures
looking for some substance,but really never find much.Most
of the time it gets tossed in the trash the same day I receive it.
As soon as my subscription runs out,I will never bother
with looking at it again.If you want a true Sports magazine
with real substance get "The Sporting News".I prefer this over
"Sports Illustrated" and "Espn the magazine".I'd rate them
1.The Sporting News
2.Sports Illustrated
3.Espn the Magazine

ESPN: Stick with the Network, Ditch the Magazine
Sports publications seem like a dime a dozen, and in the case of ESPN magazine, this fact is true almost in the literal sense. This magazine is one of the least expensive on the market and this fact alone might make it seem tempting to purchase.

Before you act too quickly, however, you should know that ESPN magazine is not one of the better sports publications available. For starters, the magazine's dimensions are a little too large, making it seem more like a newspaper than a magazine. Second, the paper quality is poor. It is similar to a newspaper, but maybe one step above, which isn't saying much. The binding of this magazine is bad, too, with three staples holding each issue together.

These physical characteristics are annoying, but what's even worse with ESPN magazine is the articles themselves. There is little cohesiveness among the different sections of this magazine and the articles themselves are usually simplistic in nature and don't really offer any form of intellectual discussion. They point out a few facts about a popular sports personality, make a casual mention about his/her family and goals, along with a few other bits of fluff, and then end right there. There is nothing stimulating at all to the majority of the articles.

ESPN is a good network, and I watch its programming with a good degree of loyalty. But the people at ESPN really need to make some improvements to this magazine. It's the type of magazine that you toss aside after skimming through a few pages. There just isn't enough here to keep one's interest for very long.

Disappointed with this magazine
I subscribed to ESPN THE MAGAZINE for a year and did not renew.Subscription rates are low which makes the magazine attractive but I found a lack of substance.It is basically a couple of athlete interviews or profiles and then a lot of disjointed information thrown throughout the magazine.

It is flashy and colorful.Its not bad for the price but there are better.The writing is a little on the edgy side which doesnt appeal to me.It seems to be aimed at teens and young adults.I ended up not reading most issues I got or just glancing through them. ... Read more

Asin: B00005NIQ3
Subjects:  1. Entertainment    2. Sport & Leisure    3. TV (Television)