"Natural History" is the official popular journal published by the American Museum of Natural History, the oldest and largest museum of natural history in the Western Hemisphere and without question, one of the world's greatest museums. In its pages it has featured brilliant essays by the likes of Roy Chapman Andrews, Margaret Mead, and Stephen Jay Gould, to name but a few of the many eminent scientists both museum staff and outsiders who have contributed superb articles on natural history to this magazine. It has retained an emphasis on scientific discovery, publishing articles pertaining to ecology and other aspects of evolutionary biology (including paleobiology), geology, astrophysics, archaeology and anthropology. Recent issues have included brief articles on biomechanics of various living organisms, those pertaining to recent and current exhibitions such as the Petra exhibition on display at the museum from the Fall of 2003 to early Summer 2004, and current ecological and anthropological research. Current museum scientists, most notably Neil deGrasse Tyson, the director of the Hayden Planetarium, often report in these pages on their ongoing research as well as on issues of a more general nature that might interest a scientifically-literate public. And to its credit, it has not shied away from controversy, publishing for example, an issue on so-called "Intelligent Design", which is seen by its adherents as a competing scientific alternative to evolution via Natural Selection, but lacks any scientific credibility from professional scientists, science educators and like-minded members of the general public.
An earlier reviewer critized the journal for not using the metric system. Personally, I do not find this to be a problem with a journal which is primarly qualitative and not quantitative.I used to really like this magazine, but it seems to be going down hill very rapidly now. It is about half the size it used to be, and contains way too much advertising. I suspect that the reason is that Stephen J. Gould's column is what made the magazine so popular, until he quit writing it before he died. I will definitely be letting my subscription expire.
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I have enjoyed Natural History for a long time but I now prefer to buy individual copies. I am not a major science buff and the fund-raising tactics the Museum has used were very annoying. I really am mostly interested in evolution and DNA, which are not always featured. For many years, the magazine has done a good job of exploring current thought on diverse aspects of natural history. I agree, there has been a bit of "dumbing down" over time. This may be part of an effort (misguided and unfortunate in my view) to attract a broader readership. The articles are still authoritative, well-written and handsomely illustrated, however.I am extremely fond of the American Museum of Natural History and always go there when in New York. The problem that drove me away from the subscription was the tendency to send me things I did not ask for like a sizeable collection of greeting cards and then to demand in rather peremptory terms that I make a contribution to pay for them. I dislike being sent things I do not want (the greeting cards struck me as bland and unappealing, as well as surprisingly irrelevant to the magazine and its subject matter) and then being told I must pay for them or be regarded as some sort of abominable churl. So I just let my subscription expire. In fairness, this was a couple of years ago. I don't know if that practice continues. I hasten to add that I am not repelled by reasonable fundraising initiatives, particularly from institutions like this that I respect and admire. I am happy to contribute to such institutions as I am able. I just felt the methods employed here were vexing and unreasonable.
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This is a great magazine: I call it semi-popular because it is occasionally technical and often referenced in scientific works, but it is very accessible and readable to the inquisitive member of the general public. If you have any interest in life on earth, do yourself a favor and subscribe.Save 37% Off
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