Vogue - Russian Edition

I am a student of Russian and I've been reading American Vogue since I was 13 (so eleven years). I find this magazine absolutely stunning. All of the 2010 editions featured models (not actresses) on their covers. They also feature more Slav/Russian models than American Vogue. This magazine is worth the extremely steep price tag! I recommend it! 5 STARS!

Fly Fishing in Salt Water (1-year auto-renewal)

I ordered on the 5 of the month and recieved my first copy less than a month later.

This is the quickest i have ever received a publication ever.

Also the quality of the rag is unbelievable. It is a must buy for anyone who is a serious Salty fly fisherman.

I sent in my subscription month's ago and have not received a single issue; so I'm not sure if the magazine is any good or not but the provider is horrible. Stay away from this provider!

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For those of us who enjoy fly fishing in salt water, it doesn't get much better than this magazine. The articles encompass a wide geography, particularly in the U.S., and a wide variety of species. I particularly appreciate the excellent and educational content concerning flats species like bonefish, tarpon, and permit.

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Houses : Ah

This magazine has some wonderful architecture and modern design. If you like modernism or are planning to build a modern style home, this is the magazine for you. It has floorplans and square footage of the featured homes. In many instances, it also tells what the homes cost to build.

I get these for $9.95 from my local bookstores. They don't cost anywhere near the price quoted here.

I bought this magazine at a local bookstore in California, and I found it very well edited and designed. The articles have the all the most important information about each project (which many house design magazines lack), and it displays a variety of contemporary modern designs and techniques that can inspire those looking for liveability with style. Highly recommended even if you do not live in Australia, where it is published.

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I'm not sure why I got this magazine but I really wish I hadn't. I've gotten three issues now and each one has been nothing but 1950's style modernism. I would hate to live in any of the houses they review. I find them all cold, miserable and most uncomfortable.

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National Geographic Little Kids

Having received 6 issues now, I am very impressed with NG Little Kids. Each issue is 24 pgs long, of which 19 of them containing high quality photos (as opposed to drawings). It is packed with activities: a page or two on questioning animal behavior, figuring out rhymes, finding differences and similarities, naming close-up shots, matching big and small items, counting, solving a maze, finding animals within a scene, and imagining what an animal in a photo is thinking. Not only is there a short article detailing one animal but usually there is also one on a society culture (i.e. Africa, China, India), which most kids' magazines lack. A few pages are dedicated to science exploration, craft, and cooking. Every issue also has six tear-out cards of animals with an animal fact on the back of each. Even though it is geared to toddlers and preschoolers, this magazine interests all of my kids, ages 6, 4 and 1 (but really the best for ages 3-4). Best of all, except for a tear-out subscription postcard, there are no ads (unlike NG Kids). This magazine is better than National Wildlife Federation's Wild Animal Baby. As mentioned in a previous review, buy it direct from National Geographic to save money. The only thing I can think of to improve the magazine is to have more issues per year and maybe sturdier/thicker pages.

This is a new magazine from National Geographic my 3 year old loves it! The photography and illustrations are a step above most magazines aimed at toddlers. Plus, there are tear-out cards in every issue.

My only major complaint is that Amazon is charging way too much for a subscription. On the National Geographic site, you can get it for $15 a year. Don't waste your money here.

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My daughter (3 1/2) really likes this magazine. As another reviewer said, the content is great. The only problem is, there's not enough of it. It's a small magazine, and it takes us about 20 minutes to go through it. It needs to either be meatier, or more frequent than every 2 months! Even with re-reading, it doesn't last very long before she's memorized the whole thing.

It is cheaper on the NG website, which is how I bought it, and I still question whether it will be worth $15 again this year. For $2.50 an issue, I'd like to see more of it! It offers something that Ladybug and Highlights High Five don't, with a focus on nature and science, but I expected more magazine for the money.

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This short magazine is really wonderful for the audience it's targeted to: LITTLE KIDS. Think 2-3-year-olds here. My 3-year-old son received a subscription for his birthday and absolutely loves it. He and his Dad read it together and it only takes about 20 minutes to read the whole thing at his pace. I do think that the age appropriateness will depend on your kid; I'd say there are 1and 4-year-olds out there who would also enjoy it. I suggest searching your public library or inter-library loan to see if you can borrow a copy first to see if it's something your kid will like (this is what we did).

I want to address some complaints other reviewers have made:

1)Uses stock photos. They may be stock photos but they are fantastic ones, up close, and suited to young children. I can only imagine this keeps publishing costs lower than they'd otherwise be.

2)Too simple/not enough content. I disagree. This is meant to be a first magazine, even before a kid is old enough for the classic Highlights mag. It's got LOTS of high-quality photos so a kid can enjoy looking at it on his own. The written content is meant to be interactive I like this for a small child. If you want articles that keep you interested as a parent, you should get National Geographic or if your kid is beginning to read himself then order NG Kids. Also, in addition to the content in the magazine there is a website with games, "science experiments", crafts and short articles on animals. The web content doesn't match what's in the paper mag each month, but it is a fun way to fill in the gap while you wait another week for the next issues and fun to introduce your kid to learning on the web.

3)Too few issues. I agree it would be nice if there were 10-12 issues especially when paying full price for a subscription. But when on sale for $15 per year ($2.50 per issue) I don't think it's too terribly expensive if your kids devours it over and over again like mine does. Just when he's starting to get bored with the last issue another comes in the mail. This is another reason to try borrowing a copy you'll be able to see if the interest lasts.

4)Cheap. I assume this is what the reviewer meant who wrote that this seems like a freebie that comes with a Happy Meal. At first glance, yes, perhaps it seems that way. But the freebies at McD's are truly cheap and when they try to be educational are often inaccurate. This is small and short because it's aimed at young children, but it's very well produced. The photos are stunning and the "games" aren't as stupid and inane as the ones that come as freebies. It's fairly durable too, printed on high quality paper. I still make my son be careful with it because he's a rough kid, but it holds up well even to him.

5)Small. While the magazine is small (6.5x7 inches) I see this as a plus. Have you ever seen a 2-year-old trying to hold up a large floppy magazine or piece of paper? Very frustrating for the kid. NG Little Kids is the perfect size for little hands.

All in all I'd highly recommend this magazine TO A SPECIFIC AUDIENCE: preschoolers who love animals and nature but can't yet read. If that's not your child, then check out some of the other quality nature magazines for older kids (i.e.National Geographic Kids, NG Young Explorers, Big Backyard, or Ranger Rick).

***I'd also like to point out for parents who are wary of the intent behind science-based kids' materials that I've never seen anything in the issues so far that I thought needed further explanation or correction. Whether you are a Creationist or believe in evolution, you probably won't find anything in here to give you pause.***

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As an educator and mom of a 3 year old, this magazine rocks! My 3 1/2 year old LOVES it! It is highly engaging. She loves to read it over and over and at this age, and as a developing reader, that is what she should be doing. The age range (3-6) is actually perfect. This product is not meant to send you kid to a corner and keep them quiet for an hour. There are fabulous activities that build reading readiness and help emerging reader. To get the full value out of the magazine make sure you are reading it with your child, and using the guides (such as the questions) to interact and educate your child! Also, there are NO ADS in this magazine....ther is a subscription card, but that is easily taken out and thrown away or passed on to a friend!

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Smithsonian (1-year)

If you enjoy reading the National Geographic, or enjoy going to museums, or like the Discovery Channel I would recommend subscribing to this magazine.

The feature articles in the Smithsonian are enlightening and well researched. The feature articles often take place internationally. Recent articles have whisked me away to Morocco, Egypt, London. I look forward to receiving the Smithsonian every month.

Pros

Feature articles are uninterrupted by ads.

International feature articles

Printed on quality paper

Smithsonian used to be informative and intriguing. Now it looks like any other pop culture mag. A whole issue on food?? I can go to Cuisine for that. Articles in this current issue (May) look depressingly like People and the new version of Time--slick, clever, shallow, "with it." That's not what Smithsonian was all about--it dealt with varied topics that surprised. I can get shallow by turning on the TV or watching the Huffington Post. Won't be renewing.

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Previous review from April 2012: Smithsonian Magazine used to be thick and full of intelligent articles. It's been stripped down and dumbed down. Disappointed. Will not renew.

Update Nov 2012: Glad to say that the latest issues have been very rewarding, things seemed to have turned around with the newish editor. Am pleased!

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This is a renewal to our current subscription and the first I have done through Amazon. This magazine is so very enjoyable but the price is generally high through Smithsonian. This price is very reasonable and we have received far quicker subscritpion verification than I expected.

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The new Smithsonian format is a disaster. I have cancelled my subscription after over 20 years of subscribing to the magazine and sending it to my relatives as Christmas presents. It used to be an eye catching, entertaining and informative read. I ranked it with National Geographic and now the history focus is lost on something that I cannot even identify. It ranks with People or our local city scape magazines. And they're free. That's it. I found no articles in the last three issues that appealed to my taste. Why would the editor remove the history emphasis particularly in a journal with the name Smithsonian?

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Zyzzyva

This magazine is for those that are serious about writing. These portable anthologies are chocked full of powerful short stories, poems and essays by the best critical thinkers and creators on the Western Seaboard. By reading this magazine, as a writer, it completely sets the standard for the variety of subjects that can actually get published and read by people all over the nation.

In consequence, because of all the great writing found in these collections,it makes the mag a fantastic read for the non-writer as well.

Definitely check this out. It oozes West Coast life, especially Californian in all of its diversity.

Auto Restorer (1-year auto-renewal)

If you restore cars as a hobby, this is the publication for you. The tech is great and many web sites for hard to find parts are mentioned.

Hands down, this is the best publication I've seen for those of us who get our hands dirty and do most of our own work. I can't count the number of times I've referred to my "archive" of back issues to get information I needed to bail me out of a fix. If you like doing your own work, then this is the publication you want to have in your shop. You should consider this publication as mandatory reading.

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If you are looking for a very well written, friendly car or truck restoration magazine, this is a very good choice. What I found was that the writers are down to earth, experienced and good communicators. This is a good choice for beginners and advanced restorers. The articles are useful and educational and no nonsense. With 30 years playing with cars I found this magazine only recently, after a 1 year renewal I decided to renew for 2 more years. You will have fun with this magazine.

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This "magazine" just came and what a disappointment. It is 32 pages, on some sort of newsprint? type paper with the look of some newsletter done on a home printer circa 1995, like individual pages printed out and hand stapled together, bad. Seriously, this is exactly like some church newsletter. I had never heard of this periodical and ordered based on the good reviews here. The content is a joke, you could glean. see, and read, more from five seconds googling.

All I can say is either the great reviews are all from the publisher or someone got this for a WHOLE lot less than I paid. I would say about .50 an issue would be too much.

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I purchased this magazine for my nephew whose first car was a Barracuda that he and his father restored. Dad is good at this sort of thing, and Nephew watched, helped, read, and now drives the car he found in a barnyard. Neither will do this work for a living (My nephew is a sophomore at Rolla Science and Technology), but he has enjoyed the articles and learned a little during these two years. I'll probably continue this subscription until his interests move on or one of us does.

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Guitarist

I've been purchasing this high-quality magazine for the past 3 1/2 years and have been mostly thrilled with the quality of its content for the entire duration.

The gear reviews are probably the best in its publication class: the gear they choose to review covers a wide range of user profiles, from boutique to beginner-oriented gear. The lessons and transcriptions cover a good balance of the musical landscape in guitar music and are very well produced. The columns on guitar and amp maintenance are so-so, and unfortunately don't go much beyond the very basics, but the occasional recording and songwriting columns are much more sophisticated.

The artist features are probably the weakest part of the magazine, and take up a solid chunk of the magazine, but it's probably a necessary evil of marketing the publication. Finally, the CD/DVD reviews are idiosyncratically British and overly indulge in glowing reviews for too many mediocre modern Britpop acts and the British version of alternative rock...but then, that's part of the charm of buying a UK publication isn't it?

I've enjoyed the editorial content of the magazine so much that I've been a subscriber for the past two years. Sadly, as good as the editorial content, the business side of the magazine appears to fall far short.

As a consumer, probably the main thing one would care about for a publication that costs $135 annually is consistent and timely delivery. Not only does the publisher seem incapable of delivering the magazine in synch with the time it hits newsstands in the UK, but it consistently arrives later than it hits the newsstands IN THE U.S. In fact, the routine delay is about 25 days after an issue's release.

Even worse, nearly half of all issues simply never arrive, which is a problem I've not encountered with the magazine's sister publications (Guitar Techniques and Total Guitar). After months of communicating with the publisher, I'm advised that this is a widespread problem that has required a change in the delivery method to attempt solving the problem. Kudos for that...however, the attempt to achieve delivery of 2 back issues that never arrived was similarly unsuccessful. Somehow, Guitarist UK issues seem to turn into vaporware when they are mailed...which would suggest that using a courier with tracking might be helpful once a problem has been clearly identified.

Although it has good editorial content, the lackluster business management and fulfillment functions make this an ambivalent recommendation. The Economist manages timely delivery and it costs less. Let's hope Guitarist can pull it together, because it's editorial team deserves a competent business team backing it: 6.5 on a 10-point scale.

Without the delivery problems, it would get a solid 8.0.

This magazine is perfect for people who think that knowing all the gear and buying most of it, helps you to make you a great guitar player.

It's just the opposite: all this gear crap is a filler, a distraction. Trust me, I have been there, and it was a mistake. Get rid of this magazine and learn to play by going to a quality tutor or online.

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Tattoo

Many people ...moan about the articles in this magazine, it is really unfortunate that no one is interested in the tattoo culture as much as the tattoos themselves. I am a collector of tattoos (12 and still going strong), but why get tattoos without knowing about advancements in tattooing, or the awesome people that do it. People who have tattoos should really enjoy the articles, and the people that keep tattooing alive. The culture is as entertaining as the pictures, and if you don't apreciate that than you shouldn't get tattoos. Respect those that make a living sharing their art with the world, don't be close minded and expect only pictures, that's not tattoing or the tattoo world. This is an excellent magazine and I would suggest it to any one!!

If I could have given this magazine a zero star rating. I got one issue from back last year and that was after i complained through amazon then after that i complained 3 more times and they gave me a response email at least but still did not get anymore issues of this magazine. this was the worst purchase i ever got and only time in my 2 years of using Amazon that i wrote a review, but now im bored and just killing time. now im just going to go complain about one more product because dinner hasnt come out yet.

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I am not alone, read the most current reviews, TATTOO is NOT mailing the subscriptions out and they are not refunding money. It smells like a engineered bankrupcy in progess in my opinion. They offer no explanations, hide behind Amazons policies. READ all the bad reviews. A clear picture of possible fraud and theft is starting to form again this is MY opinion, I am waiting for a refund that is two months over due.

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I give tattoos and have several (12). This Mag is great if your looking to read about artists and trends in differnt parts of the country or the world. If your looking for more pictures check out flash magazine.

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I have several tattoos and am always looking for new ideas and inspirations. I know many people probably want the exposure that this magazine provides to their tattoo shops, but I would really appreciate more pics and less words. I am happy for anyone who can make a successful career performing body artwork, but show MORE and TALK less!!!!

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