Tennis Magazine

This is a very informative magazine, but probably more advanced the average player needs or would be able to put into action.

I love Tennis Magazine, but I seem to be having trouble with missed issues. I know they only put out 8 issues per year, but I renewed my subscription on Aug. 29th. It is now Sept. 30, and I still have not received the next issue. Surely one got skipped. That should mean an extra issue, since I paid for a year... we'll see.

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tells me all i need to know about pro tennis

great source to purchase tennis clothes, racquets, etc

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Horse Illustrated (1-year auto-renewal)

I have been a subscriber to Horse Illustrated for many years, and have always praised it. The magazine was originally published with well written and thoughtful articles that covered both Western and English ridding, general horse care, and gave very helpful tips. But within the past couple of years the quality of the publication has gone downhill.

Not only has the magazine thinned out but the articles have become biased and poorly written. Adds and articles promoting a single product occupy more of the magazine than ever before and the shift from a well rounded equine magazine to 'snob mag' is quite clear. The majority of the magazine is now aimed towards the English rider with an eye for fashion. What where once helpful tips have now become one sided suggestions.

This magazine would be a welcome addition for a horse-crazy teen who is more likely to have a new car than a horse. But if you are looking for something with a bit more substance, advice, and general tips, this is not the magazine for you.

I started reading Horse Illustrated (HI) when I was a horse-crazy kid and I loved it. But now that I'm an adult and have gotten more serious with my riding, HI doesn't cut it anymore. It caters to both western and English riders and provides general horse care information. That means if you're looking for in-depth riding articles, you'll want to try discipline specific magazines like Practical Horseman, Dressage Today, or Horse & Rider instead.

My biggest gripe with HI is that none of the articles stick with you. Nearly every topic the magazine covers can be found in any horse care book. Also, the magazine is rather thin with LOTS of ads and breeder listings in the back.

The bottom line: If you love horses and just want a general horsey mag, you'll like HI. If you want to read something that goes more in-depth, you might want to look elsewhere.

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HI is the industry's fashion magazine. There isn't really any depth, you just look at it for the pictures. Sometimes there's nothing wrong with that though.

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This magazine really scratches an itch when it comes to beautiful horse photos and individual breed studies, not to mention the excellent horse training articles and very important horse care information contained in each monthly edition. The attractive layout and precious letters from horsey readers (I was especially touched by the letters from owners of older horses) makes this magazine a great pick for horse-lovers of all kinds -owners and non-owners, and very enlightening for wanna-be-owners. The advertising section in the back of the magazine is a great resource for locating breeders, tack and supplies, where to go for a weekend getaway on horse-back, and even schools that offer education in Vet/Farrier fields. I give Horse Illustrated a BLUE RIBBON!

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This magazine is another must have for anyone who loves horses and wants to learn more about their care. As with Equus it is highly educational and enjoyable. As an Equine Science student, this magazine augments my studies.

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Harper's Magazine

Under the supreme tutelage of Editor Lewis Lapham, Harper's Magazine consistently churns out intense, dramatic, sincere, frightening, uplifting, and challenging commentary. If others in the media censor their opinions in the face of big brother, Harper's makes up for it with brutally honest assessments of culture, politics, and world affairs.

At first look, Harper's seems a leftist publication, but if you read it a little more carefully, it's a lot more Mark Twain than Karl Marx. I'd call it centrist, but even that implies straddling the center between two extremes. Like Twain, Harper's is more of a somewhat irascible, yet always caring voice on the outside, not on one end of the spectrum or another, but rather on a different spectrum altogether.

The attitude is egalitarian, never pompous. The voices are reasonable, if sometimes angry or alarmed. Harper's is definitely not a liberal magazine in the sense of Marxist socialism. Harper's is liberal in the sense of Jeffersonian liberalism. It's opinions seem more focused on improving local cultures and economies and challenging the demagogues and central planners who seek to control the masses, be they Democrat or Republican. Perhaps Harper's is the Jim Jeffords of the magazine world.

Harper's is an eloquent and impassioned magazine that delivers carefully constructed and inventive views of the world each month. There is an overriding sense of seriousness and genuine compassion found in every issue. In a world where so many media sources are merely parrots for a larger corporate or political agendas, Harper's stands out as an autonomous voice of indignant opposition to censorship and blind nationalism. If you care about the world we all inhabit and genuinely want to discover how we might all get to a better place, give Harper's a read. It may not provide the answers, but it certainly raises all the right questions.

Here's a quick breakdown:

1. Harpers will feed your need for the trivial. The Index is a fascinating collection of facts and figures, and the front-of-book section is probably one of the most quirky, laugh-out-loud funny and stimulating in the business.

2. Great fiction. Some up-and-comers submit, along with some old pros (a recent story by Joyce Carol Oates was outstanding)

3. Great features. Some great topics, albeit a lot of environmental stuff, it's still well-rounded and well-informed. Great ones I've read recently include a look at maids, SUVs, education reform and more.

I can see why people might not like this magazine because it appears to be "uppity." In fact, the only thing that annoys me about this magazine is the letters to the editor, where all of the Ivy-league intellectuals write in and try to prove how smart they are. But I think the appeal is more widespread than that. And you'll be paying less than a dollar an issue -you'll definitely get your money's worth.

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I finally received a subscription to this amazing magazine as a gift, and I've read my first issue cover-to-cover over the span of two days. This month's (February 2003) issue includes, among other things, an essay on the inevitable doom that humans will eventually face when our planet experiences its next major cosmic collision.. Unless, of course, we manage to annihilate ourselves via environmental, militaristic, pathological, or technological means, pre-empting the arbitrary extinction caused by an asteroid or comet.

Every issue of Harper's contains excellent essays, fiction, political discussion, and of course the Harper's staples, such as the Index. Many of the stories and essays win major literary prizes such as the O'Henry award, and get included in high-profile anthologies such as the *Best American* series. Certainly, for a writer, if you are chosen to appear in Harper's, you are at the pinnacle of your craft.

Although the New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, and many other smaller literary magazines consistantly offer excellent content and visually pleasing formats, Harper's seems to lead the pack -maybe because of it's no-nonsense approach, limited advertising, regionally non-specific content, and diversity of topics. The fact that Harper's is aided by a non-profit organization must contribute to its quality; certainly any independence from advertisers can only improve the open-endedness and creativity that Harper's excels in.

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In the several years since my retirement, I have come to wait by my trusty old rusted metal mailbox around the third or fourth of every month, waiting for my monthly issue of two magazines, the Atlantic Monthly and Harpers. Each in iuts own way is likely the best amalgams of intellectual articles on a variety of subjects one can find in contemporary America, and each features a stable of highly regarded writers and authors. For good reason; from subjects as arcane as the supposed imminent fall of the Soviet union based on demographic and economic analysis in the mid-1980s to the recent synopsis of former spy Robert Baer regarding the evils of dealing with the highly corrupted Saudi regime, the magazine consistently offers an erudite, informative, and provocative look at aspects of contemporary reality one cannot find elsewhere.

Needless to say, I really enjoy reading Harpers, especially under the guidance of editor Lewis lapham, and its articles often lead me on Amazon searches for tomes by the talented authors, which in the case of said author Robert Baer, or perpetually sagacious satirist P.J. O'Rourke, or a whole raft of noteable others. All of them lead to some worthwhile reading experiences indeed. It avoids the trendy, so we are spared the suffering through the latest and greatest mass experiences in favor of intellectual roads less traveled, being grassy and rather wont of wear, makes for better and more satisfying traveling, whether trudging through the snow with my Wintertime Dunham Tyroleans or padding down grassy fields in my summertime Birkenstocks. Just keep on trucking! Enjoy!

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Harper's, like the Atlantic and The New Yorker is written for those looking for more in-depth analysis and coverage on political and cultural affairs with a sampling of serious literary prose. Personally I prefer the Atlantic, which I read regularly, only picking up Harper's when I have time and something in it interests me, which is usually two or three times a year.

Just looking at the cover and pages inside convey Harper's as a serious tome, perhaps too serious for the casual reader, especially compared to the more colorful pages of the Atlantic and playful New Yorker cartoons. Nevertheless, Harper's is an American icon in it's genre having published many articles from great names since it's inception in 1850.

A number of reviewers complain about it being left leaning and that stance clearly sprouts from the now recently departed editor Lewis Lapham, who has been an outspoken critic of the current administration. Mr. Lapham shares his views in a two page opinion piece and in the full page listing of various "fun facts" known as the Harper's Index. Serious readers will be able to get beyond this as simply a "viewpoint" and see the entire magazine for the serious writing that it is. I would contend this represents the best in "critical analysis" rather than bias. I would also simply suggest you view the other reviews made by people espousing this periodical as overly biased. For instance, at least one of those claiming liberal bias here is also praising an Ann Coulter book.

So if you feel underwhelmed by the typical content you get even in a 60 minute broadcast or a political round table free-for-all and you're interested enough in this magazine to read it's reviews, you should probably pick up a copy of it for two or three months and give it a try. I recommend you also check out The New Yorker and the Atlantic to compare.

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Qi : Journal of Traditional Eastern Health & Fitness

Excellent journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taijiquan, Qigong, Asian health & longevity promotion, and all things Qi. Good reference for Internal stylists, whether Taijiquan, Baguazhang, or Hsing-I.

I can't say it is the best magazine on the subject as i haven't found others that i can compare it to.

Never the less i would recommend it to others as a top rate magazine.

Red Crow

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Fly Tyer (1-year auto-renewal)

I have been subscribing to this mag. for years. There is always at least one article that will teach you something you didn't know before. Photos are alway crisp and clear. Keeps you primed for Spring fishing during the cold winter.

I've been a subscriber for 5 years and the magazine has been a great assistance to my growth as a fly tier.

The magazine has published a long series by John Betts on the history and methodology behind the sport. It has covered the "ultra realistic" school and (for me) every issue has at least 3-5 new flies or techniques (out of an average of 12-15 flies featured in each edition).

It is a quarterly and each of the four issues are much enjoyed by this reviewer.

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If you are looking for a magazine on fly tying Fly Tyer is the one. Filled with information and illustrations on all the new and classic fly tying paterns. Plus stories of intrest about history and people involved in fly tying and fly fishing. Well worth the cost!.

+

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This magazine is excellent if you are serious fly tier. If you are just looking for some cool patterns to tie and catch a couple of fish, y o u t u b e and g o o g l e should offer you everything you are looking for. But for the serious tier, this magazine is great. Lots of great advanced patterns and techniques. I only wish it were at least bimonthly rather than quarterly.

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I have subscribed to Fly Tyer for many years. Every issue is packed with high quality articles. Subjects range from historical flies to using the newest materials. There are illustrated instructions for tying all types of flies. You will find fly patterns for all locations, fresh water, and salt water. Start your library today! I would recommend Fly Tyer to all Fly Fishers.

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Bicycling (1-year auto-renewal)

Having regularly read "Bicycling" for many years (even when it was called "Bicycling!" in a tasteless 1970s way), I find it surprising to see how much the quality of the magazine has declined. In spite of all those people spending huge amounts of money on fancy equipment, "Bicycling" has become thinner and thinner. It has recently improved somewhat, after most of the editorial staff was fired, and a sign is the dropping of the truly horrible marginal comments (Bike Love and so forth) but it is only suitable for real neophytes. Unfortunately, there is no other single magazine that covers racing, bike touring, test reviews, technique and fitness in North America, no matter how poorly. The articles are very short and sometimes, well, just stupid. There is very little on cycling destinations or serious equipment tests. The photography remains decent, but compared to the German magazine "Tour," for example, "Bicycling" is a pretty sad effort. If you can read this, you have access to the Internet, which means you have far better sources of information to draw on. I am letting my subscription lapse and advise you to save your money. A big disappointment, "Bicycling" has not advanced with its readers.

During the 1970s, Bicycling was a great magazine with lots of in-depth articles about bike tours, bike racing, and bicycle technology. The magazine zoomed downhill through the 1990s into the worthless rag that it is now. The articles in the current version of the magazine are very superficial and lifeless. Many are thinly veiled press releases from various advertisers. If you really want to learn about road bicycles and bicycling, a much better magazineis *CyclingPlus*. For mountain biking, try *Bike* or *Dirt Rag*.

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Ok, I admit it, I still drool over hot bikes. But the essence of the bike reviews in this magazine are, "Whatever you are riding is junk, buy this hot cool bike made from unubtainium" And then next month....repeat. They used to really do some critical evaluations, like what makes a bike great, the physics of riding, the materials, the tires, the flex of the frame for various body shapes and weights. I suppose that got boring, and then manufactures stopped advertising in this journal because they panned their products.

You can still sort of tell what bikes they like, but its much much harder. The rest of the stuff is puff pieces that read like manufacturer's promotion literature. TI seatposts add 10% to your speed rating! TI sprocket bolts lighten your wallet 20% for faster rides to the ATM!

Come On! Most of us could get by with lightening "the frame" by 10 lbs by eating sensibly and riding more, (Reading about it less!) On the other hand if you stuff the magazine inside your shirt it's a good wind break.

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On the whole, Bicycling is a huge disappointment. I agree with some writers that the occassional tidbits of information are good, but I don't pay for a subscription for a sidebar or two -I read those in the newstand. Further, as I will mention below, once and a while there is a real gem of an article.

In the meantime, almost everything else they do is poor. The entire magazine is pitched at the readership as though we were all budding pros, training obsessively and fighting with that last 1% of body fat. The reality is, what Bicycling's readership principally is is rich -in their own pages, they recently listed average household income of a subscription at $115,000. So it's not people with the ability tor ride like the pros ride, it's people with the ability to buy what the pros ride.

The result is a majority of articles and reviews that focus on just this -$3000+ bikes (and, as one reviewer said, the occassional review of more reasonably priced choices around $1500. Wait, $1500 is *not* chump change?!?!), advanced training and eating techniques, etc., as opposed to real world riding -centuries and club rides, touring, commuting (gasp!), etc. Even it's racing coverage is terrible -its recent spread on the San Fran GP, one of the three most important races in the US, was 6 pages of photos, 4 of which were of people watching the race, not the racing itself.

For me, though, the worst part is its hypocrisy. In a recent issue, there was a truly excellent article on what the author called "Invisible Riders" -low income laborers who depended on their cheap bicycles to get them to and from work sites everyday. Yet: the author mentioned several times (albeit with embarrassment) that he was riding a Seven while doing research on people whose lives depended on $100 bikes; the author commented on the significance of these riders commuting everyday, a movement which riders like Bicycling readers had never been able to mobilize (maybe because they all drive to work and the magazine does little or nothing to encourage bicycle commuting); and the five bikes reviewed in that issue ranged from $3500-$7000.

Really, really sad. One star for "Invisible Riders" and the like, and that's it.

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I found this magazine to be pretty disappointing:

-Lots of uninformitive articles: like "15 secrets you can really use," "18 things only insiders know," "Ride like a pro," it sounds more like a fashion or diet magazine. All the articles have titles that imply good information but when you read them they lack substance.

Bike tips that are impracticle or obvious.

-Lots of product reviews that give no good information: instead they tell you how good the bike looks, what material it's made from, if it's high/low priced, what quality line the drive train is, how your friends will like it... they state the obvious and point out things you can figure out for yourself.

-There is a "style man" section in the back that tells you what biking clothes look good, and what is out of fasion?

-Lots of advertisements.

-Anti-triathlete comments in some articles

I only read about 3 of these before I stopped, sometimes I wondered if the editors were even bikers themselves.

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