On Spec

On Spec is a digest-sized quarterly packed with SF short fiction and poetry -you'll find science fiction, fantasy, horror, magic realism, and more in every issue. We publish a theme issue annually, and this year it's "Me & Mr. Jones: Addiction."

NB: I was surprised to see that cancellations and refunds are not allowed if you subscribe via amazon.com -we've always offered a full refund to anyone not happy with their subscription. Just goes to show that the best way to subscribe is directly:

Freeman Ideas on Liberty

Those who like politics and don't mind bias will like Freeman: Ideas on Liberty. This publication comes to you courtesy of the Foundation for Economic Education and it offers an intellectual take on some of the pressing issues of the day. These issues are usually economic in nature, like problems with regulations, the explosion of the national debt and its ramifications, and other like topics. But the articles can sometimes cross into the social and philosophical realms as well, with columns on subjects like homeschooling, morality of war, homelessness, and other social topics.

The Freeman is very different from your standard newsstand reading for countless reasons. First, it touches on subjects that are not often talked about in most magazines. Second, it often offers a perspective that is very different from mainstream magazines. In many ways, its articles are more like those found in a newspaper, since they tend to cover current events and economics/politics. However, unlike the typical American publication, the articles in The Freeman are more intelligent and require a higher level of understanding. Most of the articles in The Freeman would not be included in the average newspaper because they are a little too deep and require a little too much thinking and this is precisely why I like this magazine as much as I do. But most important and obvious among the differences between The Freeman and the average magazine or newspaper is the opinions presented. The Freeman and its many contributors do not hold back when it comes to opinions. They do not attempt to offer a balanced viewpoint or try to sound politically correct. The articles in this magazine are politically charged and they take a consistently libertarian position on all matters, both economic and social. Most every article is a persuasion piece, with the journalists stating in an intellectual and convincing way why their opinion is correct and everyone else is wrong.

One fact about The Freeman that I wish was different is its low number of pages. But there is one valid reason for this: Lack of advertisements. In a typical issue, there might be two small ads at the most, and these ads are usually for the Foundation for Economic Education or ads for books that share the magazine's economic philosophy. This is very nice for those who get tired of flipping through the pages of most magazines and seeing an advertisement on every other page. The Freeman is paid for by the members of the Foundation for Economic Education and through private subscriptions and while the price is higher per issue than most other magazines, the reader gets the enjoyment of having a magazine that is almost completely adfree and dedicated to economic and political talk.

The Freeman is, overall, a solidly intellectual magazine that I will continue to read each month. It offers stimulating reading material from a perspective not often found in magazine publications and it is not a magazine for those who like to read unbiased viewpoints. It would be nice if the issues were a little longer, but The Freeman is still a magazine I recommend to everyone who likes some thoughtprovoking reading material without all the advertisements.

Cuisine Et Vins De France

I have subscribed to this magazine for many years (via their own website (English version)) and I love this publication. Some of the ingredients may be hard to find outside France but having been lucky to work there for several years at least I know what they are! Many of the recipes are typically French and as such would be hard to find elsewhere. The articles are informative and highlight the differences in the culinary styles from region to region.

If you like France and love food, this magazine will be a joy from cover to cover.

i often get recipe ideas from this magazine and its website. haven't had a bad one yet.

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Unfortunately, I have never received my subscription that I paid for. I have always had good success with Amazon orders but not this time. I keep waiting for my subscription to start, but no luck. Maybe someone will figure this out and get it to me.

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Food & Wine (1-year auto-renewal)

"Food & Wine" is a classic doctor's office magazine, particularly if that doctor is a plastic surgeon. The target audience is clearly affluent, but the advice and articles work for most anyone.

The magazine offers a wide-ranging, monthly look at several topics: home; travel; restaurant overviews; general cooking info with recipes and tips on quick meal prep; healthy eating/lifestyle; and a few wine-related articles, including food pairings and an insights into wine types and varietals.

The layout of the magazine is easy on the eyes. The design (photography and text) is in keeping with other magazine of this genre; in short, it is high-quality, but not groundbreaking. For the visually-challenged, though, the font size selection is definitely on the small side. As for the writing, it is neither better or worse than the competition. At between 100 and 120 pages, "Food & Wine" is perhaps a bit skimpy page-wise, but still average for the cover price. And while there are many ads for upper crust products, the magazine wisely clusters them in such a way that articles are less broken up over scattered pages than some other magazines a nice touch.

The recipes reflect the current trends multi-ethnic, Puck-ish, and with a bent for unusual pairings of ingredients. But to their credit, a simple scan of the recipes shows few of the bizarre, impossible-to-find ingredients that are the bread and butter of some other gourmet magazines.

Good magazine for a decent price that makes it worthwhile for even us "commoners".

Food and Wine is a pretty good magazine for those who enjoy the finer things in life when it comes to unusual cuisine and expensive fermented beverages. This publication is usually very longover 250 pagesand its packed full of recipes, travel excursions to wine growing regions, and general facts about different varieties of wine and where to find them.

One thing about this magazine that surprised me at first is the emphasis on the food. I know the magazine is titled "Food and Wine", but my initial impression was that this would be a magazine devoted entirely to wine with occasional mention of the foods that go with wine. It isn't like that at all. The food sections and the recipes are just as important as the featured wines. Recipes are so frequent, in fact, that the magazine even has an index located near the front with all the recipes listed by food type, showing the page number to turn to for the recipe.

Besides the frequent talk about food and wine, this magazine is also dedicated to entertaining. I have heard it suggested that this magazine should change its name to "Food, Wine, and Entertainment". It would make sense, because conviviality and highclass partying are certainly an important component of this magazine.

There is one thing about Food and Wine that I wish was different. I appreciate the factual information and I like the personal touch that you find in some of the stories about winery owners, chefs, and the like. But I think Food and Wine gets a little too sidetracked from time to time in its reporting. For example, it is common to find stories that talk about subjects like home decorating. This would be fine in a magazine about home design, but I don't think it belongs in a magazine like this.

Overall, this is still a good publication. Lovers of great eats and fine drinks will enjoy it the most. It's worth taking a look, if nothing else, just for the recipes. Even if you're not a frequent imbiber of the fruit of the vine, there is still something of interest to be found in the pages of this magazine.

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I subscribed to Food & Wine for a while and was continuously disappointed. The articles are on the superficial side and more importantly a lot of the recipes and product reviews are not as well researched as they should have been. I experienced more than one flop trying their stuff. The magazine tries very hard to be trendy and pick up the latest and greatest in the cooking and restaurant scene without being careful enough in deciding what is actually an important or meaningful trend rather than a fad. This magazine can't hold a candle to "Bon Appetit" or "Gourmet".

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I subscribed to this magizine for a year and liked it. I typically don't get more than one year of a subscription to this kind of magizine because collecting many years worth of magizines is more trouble to keep, and look through for recipies than what is practical.

One years worth of this magizine has given me a wide range of recipies and ideas for dinners and wine selections. My complaint is that most of the recipies use a lot of hard to find and expensive ingredients. If you're on a grocery budget, you'll be quite limited. It has articles about putting together dinner parties, and pictures of the home and guests the dinner parties are held in. In this, I found it interresting to see how different people live....although I doubt I'd ever end up at a posh dinner party discussing my summer beach house, winter ski lodge, and that great set of $80 per peice china that I just had to have....I'm more likely to be at a potluck of mix n match dishes.

Although I don't have exotic ingredients at my disposal, I have been able to alter many of the ideas presented to better fit my needs and time constraints. I found the issue las Thanksgiving on how to do a big thanksgiving dinner very usefull, and incoperated many of the recipies into thanksgiving and christmas dinners with great success.

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There are more highly regarded cooking magazines out there, but this one works for me for one simple reason: The recipes are generally dishes that I enjoy cooking, and I have yet to get a dud out of here. For the somewhat ambitious amateur like myself, this magazine works well without being too obscure.

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Granta

Granta is a great periodical. I read quite a few issues from years back in addition to newer issues. The writers featured are not really as "hip" as they are talented and engaging. Well assembled, interesting, great format and timely.

Wonderful little publication to introduce unknown and talented authors to their new potential readers. I have a subscription and I also got one for my dad for Christmas. He loves it too.

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Clever, hip cutting edge magazine for anyone who cares about writing.

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Religious Life

I have no idea what the heck you are talking about. I haven't ordered anything from you in a year. Ok so you rejected this the first time I told you because I didn't do it in enough words. So this time I am putting more words in here to help you understand that I have no idea what you are talking about. If anyone ordered anything here then it wasn't me. So now, is this enough words to satisfy the dumb computer program you are using to count words and to reject reviews that don't have enough words? I mean I can go on here for an hour or so. Hey I am tired as it is late but I am not really tired enough to go to bed yet. So once I get enough words on here (oops, almost made a spelling error) then I will probably check to see if I have any other email and then watch some tv.

OK? Thanks now and you all have a good day :)

The magazine, Religious Life, is a timely and faithful Catholic publication that focuses on all aspects of the consecrated life, especially highlighting communities that are members of the Institue on Religious Life (IRL), which was founded in 1974 by the Servant of God, John A. Hardon, S.J.

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Tourist Attractions & Parks

This leading international trade publication focuses on the management of leisure facilities, attractions, entertainment and amusement centers as well as industry news, events and functions. TA&P is a full-color magazine containing cutting edge features that provide definitive coverage and analysis of various aspects of the exciting amusement business, including safety, thrill rides, arenas, stadiums, ampitheatres, caves, touring shows, theme parks, fairs, zoos, aquariums, live performances, coin-op vending, waterparks, and so much more. What you have here is a complete and thorough resource of accurate reliable information that regular readers can use now and also reference months later. You could go so far as to say that it's a whole world of fun about a totally "fun world"!

Baseball America

I didn't refer to Baseball America as such. It was Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty who said it. And who am I to contradict? The best columnists in the game, from Peter Gammons, Tracy Ringolsby and Jayson Stark, to detailed information in ALL of baseball, from the Major Leagues to Japan, stats, scores, and the best and most extensive resource on prospect information, there's not a single serious fan in all of baseball who deserves such a title if is not a Baseball America subscriber. You got to read it if you want to know the stars of tomorrow (being tomorrow 6 years or 2 months). Top 10 prospects from every team till its massive Top 100 list, Baseball America covers it all. I know, I have been subscribed for 2 years now, and I can't think of living without it!

I received "free" access to the BA web page (all links) with my subscription...however, about every 3rd time I logged on, my username was declared invalid. I had to contact them several times before the problem was fixed. (It was fixed three times, and then it would fail again). The customer service people were friendly and helpful, but it was a little painful to have to keep asking for help.

Outside of that this is a great publication for people that are into fantasy baseball leagues that allow you to draft minor leaguers or "long term keeper" leagues....or if you are just a fan of baseball and really like to learn a lot about the up and coming player.

I'd give it 5 stars if it wasn't for the internet problem.....

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In my opinion, this is the best baseball magazine there is out there. Every other week readers are privy to the same information that general managers and scouts receive on their desks. As the title reads, it's about "Baseball America" not just the major leagues but about the entire sport. A real dream for any true fan. Every year the top prospects from the minors to high school are covered. There is great team by team analysis and opinion. And of course, plenty of major league news. One little section that I forgot to mention is the obituaries. Yes; obituaries! Just to give even more of an indication as to how deeply this sport is covered, obituaries of past major and minor leaguers are provided for the true baseball historian. A great magazine that no true fan should be without. And if there isn't enough reason for you to get it, subscribers can now access the online edition!

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Baseball America offers the most comprehensive coverage in amateur baseball from high school to AAA. Additionally, they offer excellent international and major league reporting. From casual observers to diehard fans to execs within the game, Baseball America has been the #1 source for information and the best in the business for over 25 years.

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I have read Baseball America off and on over the years and finally took the plunge and got a subscription. This is the best place to get coverage of the minors, college, and high school baseball so you know about the top prospects before others do.

Fast Bikes

I have just purchased my first issue of Fast Bikes at a local book store and think it is one of the best out there. Unfortunately, the magazine is WAY too expensive. It is too bad that American publishers can't come up with a magazine like this to sell here at home at a cheaper price. I rate this magazine a full 5 stars but will give only 2 stars for the high cost. Therefore I will only continue to purchase 1 or 2 Fast Bikes magazines a year and not order a yearly subscription. It is not Amazon.com's fault, it's just that it has to come from the UK.

I agree with the first reveiw that since it comes for the UK it is real costly to buy ($12.99) or subscribe ($200+) to. But if your at a Borders store look for this magazine you won't be disappointed. Unlike all the other sport bike magazines that seem to only tell you about next years bikes, this magazine has sections on: buying the 3 best used bikes at $3000 and the 3 best for $4000, also all the people that write in this mag at the back each have a section on what bike there riding and the lastest mods they've done to there bike and the price. This mag does have all the lastest bikes tested all the news on next years bikes superbike and streetfighter.

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Handguns (1-year auto-renewal)

I bought my first gun, a Beretta 92, in May 1999 in response to the Columbine tragedy. It was a "silent protest" against the heartless anti-gun political opportunists who were exploiting the victims during the aftermath, which made me sick & disgusted. It wasn't long after that first purchase when I began a subscription to "Handguns" magazine. I was a subscriber for 10 years until a couple months ago when I decided not to renew my subscription for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that I live in California, home of the "certified safe by the state" approved roster of handguns for sale, which prohibits most new models from being sold in CA unless they're bastardized to meet state requirements.

Well, you don't subscribe to a magazine for 10 years if it's crappy, right? This is a great magazine, and all about handguns. It contains the usual articles you would expect about new models and such, plus firing line reports for several models in each issue, but it also contains ancillary topics such as tactics, gun rights, ammunition, new accessory items on the market, nostalgic reviews of classic handguns, etc. It's a bi-monthly publication from the publishers of "Guns & Ammo", which of course is the gold standard by which all other shooting publications are judged. I believe "Handguns" carries on the tradition of G&A nicely. This magazine isn't as thick as its main competitor (American Handgunner), but I prefer "Handguns" because they stick to business, while AH seems to be run by a bunch of narcisistic egomaniacs who use their magazine as a forum for patting themselves on the back. I think "Handguns" also has a better command of English grammar than AH and is easier to read, though they're still a far cry from perfect in that regard. However, AH has a handgun giveaway contest in each issue, which "Handguns" does not, so props to AH for that.

If I had to criticize anything in "Handguns", it would be the gun rights column. At times--not very often, but sometimes--the author (Don B. Kates) seems like he's out in left field, out of touch with reality. He actually stated, for example, that now that the Democrats are in control of Congress again after 12 years, the Obama administration would _not_ attack gun rights because they had more important issues on their agenda; yet Obama is underhandedly trying to ban guns through the back door, via proposed "anti gun trafficking" treaties with the UN and other unscrupulous means (including the threat of doing so through Executive Order!). Assinine statements like that from a bona fide gun rights expert and legal authority makes you wonder what goes through his head sometimes.

Another criticism of "Handguns" is that they don't seem to review very many "budget" guns in their magazine. Not surprising, I suppose, because they do have to appease their big-buck advertisers, right? Which is also why you'll seldom (if ever) find a bad review of a model from a big-name manufacturer. Regardless, I'd like to see this publication become monthly again (they tried for a time), but I suppose it's kind of difficult to fill the pages on a monthly basis. [So take note: your 1yr subscription is for 6 issues only, not 12.]

Nevertheless, as I said, this is a wonderful publication for the handgun enthusiast. I've only missed one issue since cancelling my subscription, and honestly I already miss it! I predict I'll break down and resubscribe before the year's end.

As a Certified Glock Armorer who travels the Gun Show circuit, I like this magazine because it keeps me up to date on the other brands of guns and what they are offering. I may not work on other brands, but I can at least carry on a somewhat informed conversation with customers when they ask me about features of a gun other than Glock. I also enjoy the section on new styles of ammunition for self defense/home defense. I'm always open to new ideas but will be hard pressed to change from my current carry ammo.

Overall, a good publication.

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I enjoy reading the reviews. The editors go into great detail on the +/of the products. The only negative I have is that since it is a Guns & Ammo magazine; the articles between their Handguns mag and their primary G&A mag often duplicate reviews of the same product. If you are just getting Handguns mag, you will not be disappointed.

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My husband loves this magazine! I love the look on his face when he gets one through the mail! So glad I ordered it! He's all the time bringing it to me showing me all the new stuff he reads about in the magazine!

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We are gun enthusiasts and we enjoy the gun reviews! We highly recommend this magazine to gun owners everywhere. Pricing is good!

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Andromeda Spaceways

This magazine has to have one of the most original and coolest titles I think I have ever seen: Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine. It might be reason enough to subscribe by itself.

As other reviewers have noted, the covers are usually colorful and original. The magazine focuses on the humorous, lighter and less serious type of science fiction and related genres. I say, good. There is already so much of the darker stuff out there. The world can use more magazines like this to balance us out.

If you like science fiction, give this magazine a try!

I've read many issues of this magazine. It offers a variety of stories but often tends to go for the lighter, funnier side of science fiction. It makes a good read if you like short stories written in a similar style to Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams or Robert Rankin. Highly recommended!

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JazzTimes Magazine

Entertaining enough magazine but upon missing delivery of an issue multiple emails to the 'Front Desk' and 'Subscription Department' simply go unanswered and the customer service phone support person never followed through. So, when my subscription expires I'll move on.

I've been a JazzTimes subscriber for many years and it is far and above the premier Jazz book on the market. Superior writers, better coverage, and a design that is much easier on the eyes than their imitators, all make JT a bargain. I even got a free DVD for subscribing. Customer service was polite and helpful when I needed to change my address, and I plan on staying a subscriber for years to come.

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Good magazine. Lousy customer service. When subscription ends I'll be looking at another magazine. Currently with Downbeat, no complaints there.

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I love Jazz. And I am overwhelmed with paper and magazines in the house. So I have attempted on multiple occasions to let my subscription run out. It never works. I always end up renewing. I just love the music reviews and the occasional articles about an artist.

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I recently subscribed to JazzTimes. I had visited their website regularly, and I decided to receive the hard copy magazine. I like their mix of coverage of the established stars and the up-and-comers. They have some great contributors (Nat Hentoff, Gary Giddins). I like their wide-ranging disc review section. There is so little Jazz on the radio now we need to find the new Jazz grooves through the Internet and magazines like JazzTimes.

Fitness (1-year)

I bought my very first copy of fitness, intrigued by the contraddicting viewpoints. Personally, I like it. It's rare for me to find a magazine that has it all, most women magazines are either too shallow (only fashion and makeup) or too "homey" (cooking, house decorating, Martha Stewart style). I am 25, so I like fashion news and makeup suggestions, but because I am also married and have a child, I am interested in recipes and health. Additionally, I like to keep in shape so I like to keep informed on the latest great fitness videos and workouts. And to keep in shape, you always need some motivation, and the success stories featured in the mag are of great help. This magazine has it all. And that's why "Fitness" is probably not the peftect title, but more like "Women's Best" or something, unless there is already a magazine with this title!

But afterall, who cares? The title doesn't really matter, what matters is the content, and this magazine's content is good.

I read Fitness for the first time about a year and a half ago... and I liked it. So I subscribed to it for two years. Well, a year into it, I've decided it's just not for me. See, if you're like me, wanting to gain something out of reading a fitness magazine involves knowledge of how the muscles work, when to work them, what nutrients are best for them, and basic health, because let's face it ladies, even if you DON'T have a degree in biology, you know losing weight and staying healthy involves a lot more than a fashionable pair of hot pants or just a few crunches. You have to understand your body each person requires different exercises and different diets (by which I mean different types of foods, not an actual act of dieting) in order to look their best. So, if you want to gain the education you REALLY need to lose weight or stay healthy, Fitness isn't what you need. They've got great ads for great fashions and great UNREALISTIC looking exercise models (who personally don't have "perfect abs" or "sexy arms" they look like size 4 girls that haven't lifted a weight since high school gym class). A magazine like Fitness Rx is LOADED with information and women who look like they really work for what they look like something we all have to do in order keep our figures.

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I subscribed to this magazine for a year and found it a waste of money. Every issue has a girl in a bikini on the front (can't a woman look sexy in anything but?) And every issue claims to have "the best ever exercise for...." ok..what about the last 10 issues that claimed to have the same thing..those exercises are no longer "best ever?" I didn't like the fashion sections, and I also don't like how there really aren't any articles. When I subscribe to a magazine I'd like to be able to read it, not just look at pictures. The only thing I liked about it were the success stories..and even those seemed repetitive...are we only allowed fruit and grilled chicken??

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FITNESS helps give good, solid workout and diet ideas that are realistic to my busy life. But unlike the rest of the health and diet mags out there, FITNESS does not motivate you through there articles and then bombard you with a ton of ads for Chocolate Cherry Pies and "recipes that can clog your arteries in 5 minutes". Instead, FITNESS really stays true to the reader. They provide instruction and motivation along side of advertisements that support a healthy lifestyle!

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I've gone through nearly every fitness genre magazine and found this one to really focus on it's namesake. With new exercise tips each issue and focus on both whole body conditioning and isolation techniques, there are great tips for people at just about every fitness level. there's also some nice fashion and style sections, but they don't bombard the mag. The cooking section is more than I can do, but the option is great. This mag covers just about everything to get you in shape and looking good-I highly recommend!!

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