Audubon

You can buy a subscription to the bimonthly "Audubon" magazine, but the best way to get it is as a benefit derived from joining the National Audubon Society (currently $35/year). Conservation is a central theme of this magazine, but it also has lots of gorgeous photographs of sandhill cranes, snowflakes, caribou, and everything else that you might expect from a nature magazine, although the articles tend toward pessimism ('grim realism' some might say.)

There are also lots and lots of ads for people who would like to go eco-touring or birding in exotic locales. I learned to my dismay that I'm not even classified as a birder because I've never traveled somewhere to see a particular bird. I'm just a humble birdwatcher who tries to identify the avian species that show up at our feeders (everything from wild turkeys to ruby-throated humming birds.)

On the pessimistic side, the March-April 2005 issue of "Audubon" has warnings about global warming (which might affect the fertility of leopard geckos), Easter ducklings that parents buy for their children, then drop off in the local pond when they get too big (most breeds of domestic ducks and geese can't fly. Basically the unwanted ducks sit in the pond and starve), the over-harvesting of dead wood in European forests (Bechstein's bat nests in dead wood), and the American eel, which has to run the gauntlet of "bait hunters, turbines, and spillways...in a constant battle to hold its own."

There are some bright spots, too: the red-tailed hawk known as 'Pale Male' is holding its own in New York City, along with its mate, Lola. 'Freecycling' on the internet has "inspired more than half a million people to keep their junk out of landfills"--I thought this was going to be an article about E-Bay, but 'freecycling' is something different. It's more of an 'adoption agency' than an auction site. If you're interested in 'freecycling' your extra firewood or an outdated computer, check out the website at freecycling.org.

Anyone who is interested in birding, or the state of the world's ecology would do well to join the National Audubon Society. Your membership fee will help in the fight to protect endangered environments and species, and you'll get this interesting magazine as a side benefit.

This magazine is not only informative but also entertaining. I am so happy I decided to subscribe. The price is inexpensive and for all you nature lovers, you must have this.

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The articles are always well-written and very informative, but I love this magazine most of all because of the fabulous photographs that appear cover-to-cover. I frequently cut out the pics after finishing the issue and cover my office's cubicle walls with them -the wonderful colors of the scenery and the fascinating close-ups of birds and other wildlife just leave me breathless!!

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I'm excited to get the magazine, and Amazon usually has a deal on subscriptions, but in this case, it seems best to go to the source. They will reap the benefits of your support and today I joined for a year for only $20.

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When Saturday Comes

Wit, massive amounts of information and tremendous writing in a single package can be yours thanks to When Saturday Comes. You'll have trouble reading other soccer magazines after you pick up WSC.

Eye Spy

This product covers the Intelligence community as a whole. It covers the past and present, the reader gets a feel and quality understanding of covert operations as a whole and the reverence of past covert operations.

You also get great looks into spy pop culture such as books and movies. If you like spy stuff this is a must get magazine because you also see how Special Forces are helping the intelligence community, as well as get a wide view of other world wide operations not just MI-5, MI-6, Massoud. or the CIA.

A wonderful and excellent magazine....I look forward to every issue

Note US issues are air mail and issues are published every 6 to 8 weeks

Eye Spy writers come from the world's security and intelligence services and cover a wide range of topics that the big news agencies give short shrift or don't covera at all. Very good intel is provided on the world of espionage. Not a cheap subscription but the best never is!

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This was a renewal of an existing subscription to this magazine. As a Private Investigator I find this magazine to be very informative and useful. I highy recommend it.

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If James Bond really existed he would subscribe to this magazine. If your interested in international intrique this is the real deal. Great print quality and color photos. An very professionally done International Spy World of Intrique Magazine.

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Self (1-year auto-renewal)

I've subscribed to Self on-and-off for about 15 years, but have recently been feeling like I've outgrown the magazine. The articles seem to focus on issues facing single women who are just starting their careers. Fine, but not for me anymore! Also, their subscription department is terrible! My most recent subscription has been plagued with missed issues, double issues and late issues -and a customer service department that can't quite pull themselves together.

While I look to Glamour and Mademoiselle magazines for intelligent topics on women's interests and look to Cosmopolitan for sex and relationship advice and Vogue for the latest fashion trends, I look to Self for self-improvement. This glossy mag features articles on how to stay fit, eat healthy, look and feel great and delves into issues such as breast cancer and different types of painful menstruation as well as articles on what a difference it makes to eat strawberries instead of chocolate for snack and the importance of drinking water. (My skin is looking great for having started drinking more water.) It is the mag I look to to make me feel good! I have learned how to eat healthier snacks and different exercise routines by reading this gem. This is my first year as a subscriber to this magazine and I shall continue to subscribe to it every year!

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My Self subscription started when Women's Sports & Fitness was cancelled. While it's not quite as athletic as that magazine was, Self has an extra emphasis on participation rather than competition. They use "reader models" in a lot of their photo spreads, and really emphasize the idea of a healthy and strong body, over an idealized "fashion model" body. Articles discuss the latest gym class crazes, nutrition and supplement breakthroughs, and debunking of fad diets. They do include some fashion (focus on workout apparel) and makeup (emphasis on natural look and healthy skin) info, but this is not a foo-foo Cosmo magazine. There are healthy recipes, workout plans targeting a new body part monthly, and creative ways to workout outside the gym as well as inside. Overall, this magazine focuses on real women's lives and how to make them healthier, happier, and more fit. There's a lot of practical advice here that is very applicable to most people's lives.

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Self what? The entire magazine now pushes product on every inch of every page. Their product placements went from "convenient and subtle" to obviously pandering to their revenue sources. Plus the stories and tips are so far out of reality that anyone over 25 with half of a brain couldn't relate. I once enjoyed Self and their monthly self-help plans. Their core message has gotten lost in the sea of product pushing.

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I've been a Self subscriber for two years, and I just cancelled subscription. At first, I loved the magazine because it offers lots of nutritional advice, and the Self Challenge, which starts in March, is really helpful for starting an exercise routine.

However, after two years, I've noticed the following:

Content tends to repeat over and over. If you subscribe, you'll really only need one year to get the gist of what they'll say every month.

Too much emphasis on statistics. I tried to count the number of studies Self referenced in one issue, and lost count because ther were so many.

Too much editorializing on social issues. I don't like being preached at in the name of "women's health," but that's just my personal opinion.

Not enough discussion of exercises to do at the gym. If you don't have a gym membership, Self is great at providing exercises you can do at home. But there's almost no discussion of how to effectively use weight lifting machines, or even free and hand weights.

All in all, a pretty decent magazine. But not good enough for a renewal for a third year!

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C T Digital Photography

I've been hooked on this magazine since issue #1. Here's why:

No other photography magazine offers "how-to" articles in as much depth as those articles printed in C't Digital Photography. While other magazines touch on a topic with only enough information to whet the appetite, how-to articles in C't Digital Photography go into painstaking detail on a range of photography topics. Though I am new to DSLR photography (which makes the timing of this magazine's introduction to the states perfect), I really believe that C't Digital Photography offers an incredibly well thought-out variety of articles to satisfy beginner and pro alike. The cover price is a bit of a shocker at first, but when you consider the hours of learning to be had from a single issue (it's a little like National Geographic, in that it begs to be read from cover to cover), its amortized cost is cheap.

An example of the type of article I'm referring to comes from issue #4. The article, Manual Lens Adapters for DSLRs, explained in fascinating detail the ins-and-outs of adapting older SLR lenses to modern digital cameras, and offered countless images detailing an array of combinations of cameras/adapters/lenses.

C't Digital Photography is a wonderful photography magazine; when my new issue arrives I shove away all other reading material in favor of devouring the latest information uninterrupted.

For a great many years now i have been purchasing photographic magzines and books, to satiate my interest in this burgeoning new technology of digital photography. Although i subbed to a few Americal issue like Popular Photography and Shutterbug, i was always drawn to Photo mags from the UK. My favorites being Digital Photographer, and Amateur Photographer, and the more eclectic ones like B&W and Digital photo Pro. For the most part i was happy with those, and they helped me to develop my knowledge and skills as we went along on our ride together. And then came C't Digital Photography Magazine, published by Heise and renowned Photography book publisher Rocky Nook Inc, responsible for books like Alan Briot's "Marketing Fine art Photography" and Stephen Laskevitch's "Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3 A Photographer's Handbook" as well as many other indispensible photography guides.

To say i was imapacted by this magazine, is a tremendous understatement. I found it on the shelf of my local Barnes & Noble, and spent a hour reading issue 4 (the current issue at that time) in the Cafe'. $14.95 is a lot to pay for a magazine normally, but this one was such a breath of fresh air, that i didnt take long to convince my self it was worth it (keep in mind i am Scottish, and spending money is anathema to me). Not only did i decide to purchase the mag at the Store, I logged on to my laptop and ordered all the back issues available, which excluded issue 2 as they were out of stock on that. So to get the missing issue, i went to Ebay, and ordered it from a seller there...all before leaving the Store with my initial magazine.

So what makes this magazine worth all that effort? One, its a European magazine, and because of the differences in paper stock there, the magazine is physically bigger (and everyting bigger is better in the USA). So whats the content like? Well most of the other mags i had been used to covered that same ground, ie photographic techniques, Hardware reviews, etc but i was always left feeling unfulfilled, and had to go to the web to complete the knowledge i was being fed in these mags, It was a little like the soundbites you get on American News stations...just enough to hook your interest..then on to the next item..not so with C't Digital Photography. The articles are indepth, technically complete and entertaining. The use of charts, Tables and photographs help to illustrate the information being offered, but more to the point the articles are PAGES long. Issue one has a Manual Lens Article looking at manual V's Autofocus lenses and the practice of using Lens ring adapter on older, high quality manufacturers such as Leica, Ziess and even Canon..for use with modern digital cameras. The article is 22 pages long, and includes lens tests, detailed info on the hardware used and samples to illustrate the differences between focal lengths,aperture settings, image sharpness across the whole image...Incredible. This is a textbook quality article in a Magazine. Each magazine starts with a Portfolio, a snapshot of the work and philosophy of an innovator in the world of photography, and how he or she became an inspiration to others. Issue one is an interview with Enno Kapitza, renowned Japanese photographer, and abstract photographer Maak Roberts appears in issue 5.

There are Software tutorials, and guides..issue one covers Photoshop CS5 and Elements 8 while Issue 2 has a GIMP Master class, a series of workshops covering techniques useful to the beginner to advanced user, of this wonderful Free and incredibly powerful software package. There are articles that cover how to get great Bokeh (blur) on your images, to using DSLR Cameras for Video. Issue 5 has a huge article on 3D Photography, its development, and current techniques for taking your own 3D images. Theres an article that looks at the various photo Apps available for iPhone and Android, with tests and comparisons. Issue 4 covers Macro photography in detail and Issue 3 takes us into the world of GPS tagging and travel photography. Attached to each issue is a DVD full of useful software, plugins, video guides and tutorials..with links to downloads and discounts from many major software producers.

Perhaps the reason the articles and tests are so indepth and detailed is this magazine is a quarterly issue. Perhaps because they are not rushing to meet weekly or monthly deadlines, the editorial staff and contributors can take some pride in producing a magazine unlike any other availabile in quality and content, in todays over populated photographic media circus. I say Congratulations and THANK YOU for fulfilling my expectations every issue. If you never buy another photo magazine in your ilfe, SUBSCRIBE to this one...you will not regret it.

Clive W

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Elle Decoration - British Edition

Elle Decor (USA) doesn't appeal to me since I started reading the British version, Elle Decoration (UK). Elle Decor (USA) reads like a showroom catalog filled with spaces that the average American will never live in, nor could one ever reproduce on even a small scale in their own homes since most of the magazine is 50% design and 50% architecture to me meaning that often the design of the room would look silly and like complete rubbish, but it's the bones of the room the soaring ceilings, the towering columns, the sweeping staircase, that make the rooms appealing. Unfortunately, very few of us own homes like that, so when we try to apply the same 'look' to our own spaces, we fall flat.

Elle Decoration (UK), on the other hand, takes a much more creative approach to design, and although shot in beautiful rooms, they often do not feature all the architectural details and massive spaces that Elle Decor (USA) features, so you can apply the designs in your tiny NYC apartment and come up with a look that works for your space. Their designs are not so stiff and formal, they do not take design, nor themselves, too seriously.

Elle Decor (USA) seems to flaunt overindulgence and over-the-top, where everything must follow specific guidelines and there's no room to jump outside of the lines every now and then.

Elle Decoration (UK) jumps out of the lines constantly, showing us that good design isn't about taking things so seriously that the home lacks warmth and personalization.

It may seem as though I'm bashing Elle Decor (USA), I'm not, I read it as well. It offers informative articles and beautiful homes, the eye candy that we all dream about. But Elle Decoration (UK) blows the idea of perfect living in a dream home out of the water with approachable design that one could duplicate in their own home whether it's an urban apartment in the heart of Queens, or an a architectural masterpiece in the midwest.

This magazine appeals to all, making it one of my top 5 magazines out there.

Reading this magazine is like opening a fascinating jewel box. Full of incredible layouts of unique homes, accompanied by inspiring DIY pages. Much more unique and witty than the other decor mags out there. One could pore over the photos for hours, marveling at the tiny "why didn't I think of that?" details.

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less traditional, more imaginative. worth the extra $$$!

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I absolutely adore Elle Decoration as several other reviewers have noted, unfortunately, the American version can't compare. The spaces are gorgeous, and infinitely more imaginative and vivacious. All of my American magazines (with the exception of Interior Design) get ripped apart, with a few pages pulled out and the rest tossed Elle Decoration always gets saved in its entirety. I highly recommend these magazines are eye candy, and they are truly worth the extra cost of an import.

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Yes, I agree. My heartbeat accelerates when I get the new issue awaiting the creative fine details inside. It is the best decoration magazine of all. The Elle Decor published in the USA is too traditional and serious, unwilling to take risks and directed at the pretentious "McMansion" decoration mindset of the uncreative and uninformed average American citizen interested at showing off their money and football/golf mentality.

Company

I couldn't find this magazine at bookstores any longer, so I subscribed via amazon. Nothing wrong with the subscription itself, but the magazine has undergone a drastic change. It's not a glossy mag anymore, very rough newsprint bound paper. Also the content is all strange ads and nothing but fashion. Company used to be a magazine for the modern woman, with articles, advice columns, etc, but it's now for a very young woman without substance. I was quite disappointed, and I usually LOVE all things British, and previously loved Company magazine.

I could no longer find this magazine at any of the newstands so I ordered it through Amazon. I am enjoying it so much!!

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Take Out - Family Faith on Go

Take Out Magazine from Our Sunday Visitor consistently delivers inspiring and relevant family content aimed at helping families live out the seasons of the Catholic liturgical calendar. Each month, the issue contains activities, recipes, family project ideas, informative content, prayers and more. One of my favorite features is the day by day calendar on the back page which offers prompting suggestions for each day of the month, as well as reflections and discussion prompts for the Sunday gospels. I have enjoyed my subscription to this resource tremendously and would strongly recommend it for any Catholic family.

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