Good Clean Entertainment

Everyone has flipped through this one… at least once. It is in every doctor’s office, and just about every waiting room you’ve ever visited. Come on, it’s right by TIME, that little half-sized booklet.

What am I talking about? Reader’s Digest.

Reader’s Digest calls itself “The World’s Largest Circulation Magazine.” I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I do know I see it everywhere I go. When I’m in someone’s house on business, I see it on the coffee table. When I’m visiting with someone’s lawyer, in the waiting room there’s a copy. When I go to Grease Monkey to have them change my oil, there’s a copy. Are they what they claim? Yes, probably.

What I really like about Reader’s Digest

I want to start off by saying I really like this magazine. I like it so much I’ve been a subscriber for quite a bit. Why? I like them because of their feature articles. They are always publishing, while sometimes annotated, several heartening stories about everyday people who do something special. Sometimes, it is simply a story about a father who takes his young son on a camping trip. Sometimes, it is a story about a mother’s tragic loss of a child, and how she picks up her life and continues living day to day.

Some stories are fiction. Some are adventure. All tell a good and decent story about good and decent people making the best of the life they’re given. I like these kinds of stories because they simply aren’t told, especially in a magazine or newspaper, or even on television. The stories printed here are those 12 second blurbs on the network news that don’t sell headlines. These are the true human interest stories no one bothers to tell your or me.

Reader’s Digest usually gives a few articles on how to live healthy. Again, these are annotated articles usually pulled from other books and magazines or newspapers. However, they are always insightful and give the reader something to think about.

Reader’s Digest covers current events. The news isn’t breaking news, it is more the news that you will find in TIME or Newsweek. They cover topics such as the presidential campaign, or give you insight as to what precautions you have to take while on the Internet.

The jokes are also great to read. Most of them are old jokes my mom used to tell me when I was a kid. All are clean, with extremely little innuendo if they even exist. However, even though I’ve heard most of them, they still bring a smile to my face. I like the witticisms that appear randomly on the bottom of a page.

What I don’t like about Reader’s Digest

What’s not to like? Certainly not the content! I suppose if I were to find fault, with the publication, it would be what I find fault with in most magazines. Too many advertisements! However, to their credit, Reader’s Digest has never had me open the magazine and have those nasty 3x5 subscription cards fall out all over the floor. No, those do exist, but they are seated firmly in the magazine by a perforated tear-out sheet.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a good, clean, non-political, honest and entertaining magazine, this is a definite “Must Read.” I wholeheartedly recommend it!