Thread: What Magazines Do You Read?

Are there any magazines out there that don't suck? I used to subscribe to Rolling Stone and a couple of guitar magazines, but they slowly became adbooks instead of magazines.

A couple people that I know have recommended the Economist, how is it?

Also, is Outside Magazine any good? I saw it mentioned in a few books I have read.

Read? I just look at the pictures.

Car and Driver... I just need to make sure the BMW 3 series wins every comparison.

Other than that, I read the random Bike, Decline, Powder, and Ski.

Outside sucks arse, don't get it.

The Economist is really good but really dense. That said, it is the best news magazine going and doesn't have all the horseshit lifestyle crap that most U.S. magazines contain. I think the subscription is very expensive, not sure though.

I also get The Week, which is sort of a Reader's Digest-type condensed news magazine. Gives a nice survey of what's going on and a lot of different takes on news, about twenty minutes to read, and cheap. Recommended.

The Ski Journal is by far the best ski magazine I have ever read.

As a household, we get about fifteen magazines, so that's all I'm going into right now.

Originally Posted by Steven S. Dallas

As a household, we get about fifteen magazines, so that's all I'm going into right now.

Cat Fancy. Best feline-related info anywhere.

Wired is a good read if you're interested in tech, the internet, and prognostications that will no doubt be proven false (we're getting our consciousnesses uploaded to computers in 30 years, haven't you heard?).

I have designs on getting Vanity Fair, but for now I'm content to get my racy Miley Cyrus pictures from the online edition.

Powder, Wired, Dirt Rag, Concrete Wave (when I can find it) are ones I either get via a subscription or I buy because they are (at least semi)good

Ski from a free subscription, not fit to line a bird cage

I occasionally buy the various photomags, but find they are either too equipment heavy or `have really really basic tutorials. Some of the PS tutorials are ok though. Once in a while I'll find an issue that is decent (usually Shutterbug or Outdoor Photographer have the best odds of a decent issue)

then there is Barely Legal...

The Drake is spot on if you're a fly angler.

Powder
Freeskier
Road & Track
Automobile

The Week is perfect reading. Keep it in the 'office' and unless your a marathoner in there, the weekly refresh works out pretty well.

Originally Posted by MCS5280

Also, is Outside Magazine any good? I saw it mentioned in a few books I have read.

I was a subscriber to Outside for several years a while back. I'd say it went downhill 10 years ago or so. It went from a decent articles and information to one big advertisement for destination resorts. Their gear guide also went downhill. I don't know if they have gotten better or worse since then as I haven't read that magazine in quite a while.

I now only have subscriptions to two magazines and one is about to expire. Pointing Dog Journal and some PC Gaming Magazine that was given as a gift. I do enjoy both but since I'm not a big gamer I'm going to let the PC magazine subscription expire.

Bump.

Yes, I know, print journalism is dead, but anything good out there these days, especially in the music/culture scene? Last time I picked up Rolling Stone in the airport it was rubbish. Thinking about a subscription for my older brother for his birthday. He lives in Anchorage so I thought something to tell him what the cool kids in NY and SF are listening to might be good. His taste generally leans towards the DJ Shadow/turntabilism set, but also digs other sorts of music. Anyone have any suggestions? Paste? Filter?

Wired, SI, Maxim, and Autoweek, but only because I got free subscriptions

I don't do ANY subscriptions these days.

I buy National Geographic every now and then. It is one of the few mags out there that HASN'T gone to shit. It's STILL a keeper.

I used to like the following: Omni (for its great science fiction stories and its puzzles...not even sure if it's around anymore); Astronomy (for its great deals on home-built newtonian telescopes); Mad Magazine (for its Spy vs. Spy cartoons and of course its back page 'fold puzzle'); Backpacker (for when I wanted to feel like a Mark Trail...except that magazine is SOOO 1970s); Scientific American (gone WAY downhill now that it's a become a populist rag...little more than a upscale Popular Science these days); Utne Reader (Obnoxiously pedantic and pretentious....STILL); AdBusters (still GREAT); Atlantic Monthly (still dry as kindling wood); a bunch of different leftist Zines that I used to get at Left Bank Books in Seattle (the COOLEST little semi-communist bookshop in the Emerald City!!) Oh...I forgot, Car and Driver and Autoweek...two decent and honest car mags...as long as they keep publishing Brock Yates' stories.

What the HEEL happened to Penthouse?? It's gotten as raunchy as Hustler now. They merge?

I just picked up a 7" Pandigital eReader that is actually pretty good...like a 7 inch iPad (which Apple was silly not to make), so I'm going to be checking out a bunch of eMagazines.

Go green.....go paperless.

Grays sporting journal. Bought a lifetime subscription years ago and it still shows up.

The showcased artwork is awesome if you like sporting art, here are a few cover shots from a few issues-

For some reason I've been getting Powder for free for the past 12 or so years. It follows me wenever I move too, which is weird. I mostly look at the photos - the articles are for the most part Tean Beat personality crap.

Just buying a magazine from a newsstand or book store is rididculous. Some of them are like $7 +.

AK - you must just download your monthly dose of Increase Your Wordpower from readersdigest.com, huh?

I've got 15 issues of The New Yorker on the desk in front of me. Finally over time bailed on SI, The Economist, The Week, Nat. Geo, Dwell, Fine Homebuilding, Smithsonian,The Conservationist, Car and Driver and Powder because it was just too much. Trying to keep up with The New Yorker is a job in itself, one comes in the mail every time you turn around.

Scientific American, best mag ever, they have been around for like 160 years. I feel like every article I read in there is earth shattering in its significance to humanity. Every month they have old articles from past years , like; 100,75,50,25 years ago, very cool to see what this science of the day was.
I got powder this year, very disappointed.
Trans-snow-board, actually pretty good.

Originally Posted by Jer

AK - you must just download your monthly dose of Increase Your Wordpower from readersdigest.com, huh?

Not biting this time, Jer. I acquired acute copper toxicity syndrome from those last bare hooks. Well, I'll nibble a little: I think Reader's Digest is the Oldsmobile 88 of magazines...but YOU seem to know it fairly well.

Yeah - actually I used to read Increase Your Wordpower from my Gramma's Reader's Digest subscription all the time from like 9 'til my early teens. Hence my awesome vocabulary.


Old magazines are super cool pretty much regardless of subject matter. And by old I don't mean from 2004 - I mean 1980 or older. I'm always looking out for obscure vintage magazines like Argosy.

The only magazine I still get is American Field, which is centered on pointing dog trials. My dog and I have graced the pages of this magazine a few times over the last couple years.

Air Forces Monthly
Foreign Affairs
Proceedings
The Economist
Powder
Decline
BIKE
SBC Skier

The Economist is rad.
Ski Journal
Bike
Gray's Sporting Journal
Versatile Hunting Dog

The Ski Journal - all
Backcountry - all
Alpinist - Subscribe
Powder - most issues
Rock and Ice - some of the time
Runner's World - occasionally
Explore - occasionally
Climbing - occasionally

I make it a point to pick up a Mountain Gazette every month. I've been meaning to subscribe for awhile now.