Appleseeds

Appleseeds is a bright, colorful magazine that does more than just entertain. It goes topic by topic to teach young kids (ages seven to nine) about various aspects of life, history, and culture. It has folk tales and fun activities that go with each activity as well.

APPLESEEDS is not only a great educational tool, but a great source of entertainment. I wish that I had the chance to read APPLESEEDS during school when I was young. Even as an adult I enjoy the nformation that APPLESEEDS has to offer. Because this magazine is rich with great material, I will defiantly get a subscription for my children.

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Outside (1-year auto-renewal)

(I sent the following letter to their customer service last week)

After about 15 years of getting your magazine, I have decided not to renew my subscription. It is a shame that your once great publication has become such a joke.

After receiving your November issue, and spending 10 minutes removing all the inserts and gimmick ads so I could actually read it, I found no substance. Instead there is a fashion section (yikes), a `hot list' with young barely dressed men and women (hey I'm not against a little sex and skin, but I'll subscribe to Vogue or Maxim for that), an article about Larry David's wife that might as well have come from People magazine, an Aussie travelogue that I am convinced their tourist board paid for, all sandwiched in between so many ads for monster SUVs and other crap that you need a compass and a map just to keep up with where the articles worth reading continue from one page to the next.

What happened to the great writers like Krakauer? What happened to having any environmental conscience? Where are the stories of adventure that are real and make you want to go there? Maybe I am just getting older than your current demographic. I haven't lost my sense of adventure, which is why I live in Durango CO and spend a lot of time outdoors. I used to look to your magazine for inspiration. Now I half expect the cover to tout stories on `killer abs'. You've become the Clear Channel of the outdoor magazine world.

Get real again and I may come back.

Outside Magazine and I have had an up and down relationship for many years. At times, Outside grabs me with great journalism, awesome photos, and fun facts. I've lliked its fearless tackling of environmental issues and its ability to transport me to truly exotic places. At other times, i question its journalistic integrity, emphasis on the latest and greatest gear, and shameless trumpeting of past successes. At times the advice it gives also seems more aimed at insecurities (you need this gear to be successful, you need to live HERE to live a fulfilling life) than I think a magazine focusing on fun in the outdoors should.

Cases in point:

I'm not sure what criteria it uses for recommending gear but at times I question whether the recommendations come because a certain company is an advertiser or because the editors truly believe that a certain bike, watch, pair of sunglasses are really all that. I don't get the sense that recommendations come as the result of rigorous field testing a la Backpacker Magazine, etc. Also the gear tends to be super expensive. Whatever happened to just enjoying the outdoors via the John Muir approach: just taking off with the clothes on your back and the nearest snack at hand? Because I live in a mountain town I see this ridiculous emphasis on having Just The Right Gear/Clothing for every occasion all the time. It's a little silly.

Recycling or contradictory fitness advice. Outside did an outstanding series back in 1999 about achieving total fitness but then in subsequent issues redirected its fitness programs under the same type of heading (Achieve your best fitness now!) that made me wonder if they're just running with current fads. I know a magazine has to really work at staying fresh but I think consistency is the best approach here.

Dudes---John Krakauer wrote a great series and subsequent book about the tragedy on Everest in 1996. But that ship has sailed. If that's the only hook you can hang your hat on the magazine's got problems. We get that your magazine took the lead on that story. Stop reminding us of it.

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"Outside" is...a horrible magazine. There's not a nicer way to put it. This is no longer the magazine of Jon Krakauer, it's something you get a year's subscription for free by buying at certain retailers. The articles are scarce between endless mentions of expensive gear and tips and tricks that are blindingly obvious. The magazine isn't even about being outside. For Olympic coverage the magazine did not cover the Jamacian sprinters, implosion of US track and field, or even the effect of Title IX on American amateur sports. No, "Outside" put Michael Phelps on the cover, several months late. Phelps equipment and environment are engineered to 3 decimal places and his sport doesn't even take place outside. Slight oversight there guys. This magazine is for people that want to look like they might go outside. So if you really want $100 t-shirts or bicycle wheels made of the latest version of Unobtainum to show off you might enjoy "Outside". Everyone else should just stick with the latest REI catalog.

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There is a strange mixture of articles in this magazine. Some are about outdoor activitiesthough not really about *you* doing them, but stories about someone else. Other articles seem completely general interest that would not be of any more interest to an outdoorsy person than anyone else. There are entertaining travel articles about writers' trips without too much practical information if you were to plan a trip. However, in the back there is a large section of advertisements from all kinds of outdoor adventure places. The photography section is lovely; there are a couple of pages of just artistic photos. For an active outdoor magazine, it seems a little too passive.

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I'm not sure who's at the helm of this operation but I'd be willing to bet they don't get Outside too often. Not to be too cynical about it, but I just don't find this mag to be as USEFUL as it was before. If you like LOTS of articles on who the coolest extreme sports stars are, how they got their abs, and what gear they're wearing, subscribe NOW. The magazine looks amazing, the photography is top notch and they still manage to come up with a thorny article on the environment periodically. But for my money, it just feels like the editorial staff has been plucked from New York image mags that do one thing really well SELL. I read National Geographic Adventure, and unlike Outside, I USE IT for information because it has CONTENT.

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Daedalus - Journal of the American Academy of Arts & Science

I'm surprised there are no other reviews of this important journal. As the main journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, it can be said that no other periodical quite fills its niche. Bringing together articles on a vast array of topics by the best minds in their fields it has been a journal that has not only been a forum for discussing current trends and issues in the arts and sciences but also forecasting and predicting them too. I refer to one of my favorite issues, which was devoted to The Report of the Committee on the Year 2000, which came out in the late 60s, and brought together a panel of distinguished scholars and scientists who attempted to extrapolate current trends forty years into the future. It was a great issue and may have been the genesis of Daniel Bell's The Coming of Post Industrial Society (Bell was chosen as the sociologist of the group), published many years later in 1976. Bell correctly predicted the information age, the service economy, a de-emphasizing of industrialism, the expansion of knowledge workers (especially in biology and the hard sciences), the increasing role of women in the work force, and other trends in this seminal work. But it may have all started in an issue of Daedalus. Overall, a journal that showcases the best and brightest minds of our civilization, often particularly with regard to those developments in the arts and sciences that are currently of interest to both the layman and the academic alike.

Boston Review

BOSTON REVIEW has slowly built a respected reputation among academics and the general reading public during the past twenty-nine years. Articles and essays in a recent edition covered topics such as the Constitution, an immigration crisis in the European Union and the Patriot Act. The contents also included poetry, fiction, nonfiction reviews, letters and a film review. Among the contributors were Elaine Scarry, Larry Kramer, Michael Standaert, Corey Robin and Barbara Clark Smith.

The journal sees itself as a national forum for political debate and boasts about the fact that it is required reading in a course on cultural criticism and critical argument given by the Brown University English department. It appears to be a moderately left-leaning publication but of course that kind of assessment depends on one's vantage point (I am a registered independent). The periodical is highly readable and you don't have to be an academic to enjoy it.

Readers will change as this new format continues with a more commercial slant than it used to be. Sorry to see this once-exceptional publication slack off and turn more mundane to reach more readers. Dull cliched poems now when once more daring verse was presented. Dissapointing to me especially because I think poetry should be engaged with political and social issues instead of bathtubs or blue eyes, etc. There is so much going on in the world that needs coverage and introspection, and, sadly, Boston Review does not deliver it any more.

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Cooking Pleasures

Cooking Pleasures magazine is the magazine produced by the Cooking Club of America. I very happily joined Cooking Club of America, and began receiving this magazine quite a while ago. The Club offers so much to its subscribers, but as time wore on, I could see that the Marketing Department was a tad too aggressive for my taste.

The Cooking Club of America offers their potential members numerous items to entice them to join. Members can take part in member-only contests where kitchen products and gift baskets are some of the prizes. They can be sent food items or kitchen products to review. They can also receive a cheese grater for joining!

There are some nice photographs in this publication. The recipes are not complicated either, although they do require some unusual ingredients and some that are very expensive that many people would find hard to locate. I, personally, had to forego some recipes, and others; I had to order a couple of ingredients online, because of the reasons given.

The cheese grater sent to you is a nice idea, but being it is a rotary grater, you have to squeeze very hard to get the cheese to grate. Also, the grater is made of plastic and eventually snaps in half after using it only a handful of times.

The Club also offers you a Culinary Resource Directory. The information contained in this directory is not difficult to find in a basic Internet search. You can also receive standard sized blank recipe cards. Unfortunately, due to the size of recipe cards, I do not believe anyone can even write the ingredients onto them without running out of space.

Also, part of the member benefits is to sample products for review. Potential members can see photographs of blenders, ice cream makers and much more. While a member there for three years, I did have the opportunity to review quick rise yeast and a chipotle spice. Both were nice products. They were not the glamorous photos of kitchen appliances, but it was something!

Currently, they are offering a VISA credit card with their logo. With this card, not only can you use the card like any other credit card, but also you can receive club discounts. If this is something that appeals to you, see the Club for details.

Approximately 3 months after you renew your own subscription, they start mailing you about how you should renew your membership for the following year now, so that you can help them keep club costs down. After just paying for the current year, I was not interested in paying for another year already. An idea may be to NOT contact members so soon after they just paid their subscriptions. That may save the club some money.

I have Caller ID, and I utilize it all the time, screening my calls to specifically avoid telemarketing calls. Imagine my surprise when I pick up a call and it was a representative for Cooking Club of America. I was, actually, pleasantly surprised, thinking I was about to embark on another benefit of being a member. I was most disappointed to hear the mono-toned voice on the other end of the line, reading the script, suggesting I become a Lifetime Member now. When I tell them I am not interested, they have a "new" deal for me. When I still tell them I am not interested, they have yet another deal. The calls continued after this conversation for another couple of months.

At this point, my subscription has expired. I was relieved as the telemarketing phone call really turned me off. You should have been there to see me receive my credit card statement. Cooking Club of America automatically charged my credit card with my next subscription without my permission. It was three months after my original subscription expired! As you can imagine, this was extremely upsetting.

Upon doing my research for this article, I have come to find that others have had similar experiences with this magazine. It's a shame too, as this magazine has plenty of potential. Unfortunately, their marketing department could utilize different tactics in maintaining their current membership.

Despite this magazine being very affordable, I recommend that you save your money on this one and try Fine Cooking, Cuisine at Home or Cook's Illustrated. Not only do these magazines provide better recipes, more professional tips, they also do not call you daily to get your money.

I let this one go it reminded me to much of Cuisine Magazine and I already had that one so there was no need for the two. The recipes are real simple and not very complicated at all that was a PLUS and a break from all those other Magazines I subscribed to.

It's format is very good for the person that doesn't want to get bogged down in the ads or the product information in the back of the Magazine. The Magazine is thin so it doesn't take up much space and features step-by-step pictures.

Happy Reading

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I have had the subscription for 2.5 years now and I enjoy getting it bimonthly. The recipes often do call for hard to find ingrediants (since I don't live in a real big city) and most of them take alot of prep time and cooking but that's why the magazine is COOKING PLEASURES. It's not Quick 'N Easy.

I gave the magazine 4 stars instead of 5 because I find that most of the recipes are "pleasurable" in comfort and not calories or fat. I love the desserts and main dishes they usually have, its just that most of the dishes are not good for the waist line. But, I guess that's why its PLEASURES and not LIGHT.

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Yes, this magazine does provide some different recipes from other magazines. Yes, you gain access to an "exclusive club" when you subscribe.

Yes, you'll get harassed constantly by The Club (I get mail from them on a nearly weekly basis, always claiming to be my "last chance!", but apparently they'll also harass you by phone).

Yes, you'll get to test some cool products, but they're not usually all that great.

I've been a member for a few years now, and I'm letting my subscription run out this time. It's just not worth it and I'm tired of all the junk mail from them. I'm glad I wrote them checks instead of giving them my credit card info so there should be no surprise billing.

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The magazine itself is nice, has some pictures and the recipes can be good. Sadly the cooking club is such a nightmare. They harass you and send you things you don't want, that you have to pay to return like books. They want you to sign up as a life-time member, and will ask you to do so all of the time. The things in those letters, such as a magnet and a sponge, you have to send back if you don't want to become a life-time member.

Icao Journal

The ICAO Journal is a publication written for stakeholders of the aviation industry particularly the International Civil Aviation Organisation contracting States. It provides valuable information for top decision makers and opinion leaders who need authoritative information on the global aviation industry.

The journal covers the current developments and news in the aviation industry including safety, security, licensing, and airworthiness of aircraft, aircraft operations and many other issues covered in the ICAO Annexes. The issues are often covered in-depth, with articles being written by very knowledgeable people.

In a nutshell, this is an insightful magazine which delves deeply into the critical issues affecting the worldwide aviation industry which aviation stakeholders are well advised to read.

Horticulture (1-year)

This is a GREAT magazine for gardeners and plant lovers. If you like to put your hands in to dirt, are interested in people who make plants their life, and believe "low-maintenance garden" is an oxymoron, this is your magazine.

If you are looking for high gloss that showcases the tops in garden design--but don't necessarily want to get dirt under your nails--I'd suggest Garden Design magazine. Somewhere in between I would recommend Fine Gardening.

I have been a subscriber for several years and this magazine gets smaller and smaller. I live in Atlanta an several of the recent issues have had little to no value for the zone 7 gardener.

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I was very excited to subscribe to this magazine. I thought, "wow a magazine for a novice like myself". Yet I found it boring and not very helpful. I can find the same information on the web by using a search engine.

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Many beautiful photographs and design ideas adorn this classic magazine. The "how-to" articles are useful and timely. Missing, as with most other gardening publication is a focus on native plant materials. It s the native herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees that support the insect, butterfly, mammal and bird populations where you live. Without plants that have something to offer insects, native bird populations will have nothing to find in your landscape; they will see desert and move on.

We have the misconception that a plant unspoiled by a nibbling by insects is a beautiful sight. I say that it is a plant that is making no contribution to the ecosystem. It is merely chosen to quench our thirst for exotic and unique specimens, not intended to survive in the climate where it is planted. Our ecosystem can only thrive when we support it; this too can be a beautiful sight along with a floor show; birds taking up residents, bees cross-pollinating and more.

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Brilliant, easy to read book with clear guidelines and stunning pictures, well worth the read and ideal for a gift.

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Country

I buy this magazine for my grandmother but I love it too. There are many interesting stories about the history of small towns, rebuilding churches, restoring old buildings and raising livestock. The most famous feature is the hidden needle. Somewhere in each issue, the editors hide a sewing needle. It can be in a photo or in a border, etc. It's a lot of fun (and sometimes frustrating).

I saw this magazine at a hair salon where I go to often and I saw this magazine pocked it up and enjoyed it right away. The photos of America's beautiful land and the people made this a wonderful magazine :) I 'knowing the hair stylist' asked if I could have the magazine. No problem in having it I later subscribe to it. And I'm waiting for my first issue :) There really is nice photos inside like horse buggies , mountains, trees, lakes and people. It has wonderful articles also and If your an artist like me and love to draw this mag is the perfect way to come up with your own creative drawings.

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This is a very good magazine about things and a lifestyle near and dear to my heart. Always a great read!

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A friend had passed on a few copies of Country and I loved them so much I subscribed. This magazine gives the reader a chance to look into the lives of those in the Country and see beautiful pictures from our great land.

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Great magazine!!! Beautiful pictures of the country side and so relaxing to sit back and enjoy. My husband loves this magazine subscription which I ordered it for him. Would highly recommend this magazine!

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Orlando Magazine (1-year auto-renewal)

This is the magazine for getting the information on who's who, what to do, where to go and what's up in Orlando, Florida. It gives the inside information on the players in Orlando and has fabulous articles. It is not only an informative magazine, but incredibly beautiful too! I look forward to every issue!

I find this magazine a nice capture of what is going on in Orlando. While I miss Scott Joseph's food reviews, (He's at Orlando Home and Leisure at the time I'm writing this review) I enjoyed the reviews in the 7/2010 and 8/2010 issues.

Calendar listing is great and the annual dining awards are reason enough to subscribe.

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We live in the northeast but vacation in the Orlando area when we can. This magazine has good information about local entertainment and restaurants as well as information about the housing market and the health care system. Very informative magazine for someone looking for more than Mickey Mouse in Orlando [no disrespect meant to Mickey!].

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old, I almost fall asleep looking though Orlando Magazine... not much readable content... full of advertorials paid by advertisers...there are much better choices in the city...

I like Orlando Style magazine...

they also have the magazine online plus exciting social pictures and events.

Great content with beautiful photography. If you really like to know about Orlando look up this website and subscribe to this magazine.

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Cesars Way

So I know a lot of magazines are littered with "fashion features" or "product features," which are just ads and product placements, sugar-coated to be easier to digest. I guess it's not surprising Cesar Milan's magazine is no different. But I was a bit naive and expected more articles regarding training, tips, and information. You really have to navigate through this magazine to get to the "good stuff" Cesar Milan has to offer. There's a wonderful "Ask Cesar" section in which readers' questions are answered. However, this section only spans five or six pages and the answers from Cesar are not very detailed.

There are some good articles on helpless dogs being adopted and people who devote their lives to helping canines, but all of the content is still overshadowed by the amount of ads. It's really a shame, and I wish some of the products advertised were better than overpriced or inane things you don't really need. However, these ads have opened my eyes to the lengths some people go to pamper their pups, and that's a lot coming from me--I spoil my puppy rotten. Overall, this magazine has some good info if you're a Cesar fan, plus good photography throughout.

The kindle edition you also get is a nice touch. I can go through the new issue before it hits newsstands/my mail.

I do like this magazine, especially seeing how personal Cesar Milan gets in some of the articles it's easier to relate to. There are a lot of ads in this magazine, which is a little annoying, a little interesting, because they are for a lot of unique dog items. Interested to get the next issue.

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This is a great magazine for anyone who loves dogs it goes way beyond the other dog magazines and of course it has the unique advice of Cesar Millan.The photography is superb and I especially like all the articles about people and their dogs.

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i like the articles that cesar brings in this magazine. after im done reading an issue i pass it along to my other friends who are dog lovers and they love the magazine also.i like that he does include pit bulls and mixed breeds in his articles not just the pure breed dog.

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This gentleman has had a remarkable career. His magazine is superb, and very well written. His TV series is educationable, has humor, and quite helpful. He goes out of his way to help those in need, no matter their class. The "Dog Whisperer" is now recognized around the world. "Cesars Way" is well worth the price.