This Old House

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:00:16 -0400

I live in a Greenwich Village apartment. If you have one bedroom, you're considered fortunate; two qualifies as nearly palatial. Old means pre-war. Personally, I'm a fan of cozy, contained spaces. By contrast, whatever falls under the "house" label -- particularly if it can trace its lineage from the 18th-to-mid-20th century -- is the province of This Old House.

Popular Mechanics

Thu, 19 May 2011 14:45:04 -0400

Usually, I only read magazines whose content appeals directly to me: ones with glossy spreads of the top 50 newest lip glosses, advice columns on how to look hotter than and stop Googling your ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend, what flea market in Brooklyn has the best cheese -- chick mags, if you will. So Popular Mechanics wasn't high on my must-read-every-month list. That is, until I saw the May 2011 issue wrapped in plastic with a supplement featuring what I thought were laptop accessories -- in other words, things to buy.

Cooking Light

Fri, 13 May 2011 14:15:18 -0400

It's been quite a while since I gave Cooking Light short shrift in a 2006 review of a competing magazine. Since then, CL has revamped visually so its graphics are more appealing, and added well-known contributors like New York Times columnist Mark Bittman. It's become a truly excellent pub.

Publishers Weekly

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:45:41 -0400

I read regional pubs of places I refuse to visit; enjoy enthusiast mags on subjects I'd never pursue. There is something about glossy paper, great photography and the printed word that speak to me. But we live in a digital age -- so I pretend to stay current. Thus, when I was given a Kobo e-reader, I gave it a whirl. From a selection of magazines available, I chose Publishers Weekly; assessing a trade weekly on books on an e-book is just so post-modern!

Bloomberg Markets

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:02:34 -0500

Keeping an eye on business and its machinations is the province of Bloomberg Markets, which utilizes the resources of more than 2,300 Bloomberg reporters worldwide to produce a rarity in today's news cycle: in-depth, investigative journalism.

Bloomberg Businessweek

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:30:11 -0500

It's been over a year since Bloomberg bought the venerable yet ailing Business Week, and since then its staff has undoubtedly been grappling with questions like: How far down must a billionaire dig into his pockets to finance what Bloomberg Businessweek President Paul Bascober hopes will be "the most influential business magazine in the world"? And, is that goal impossible -- or simply irrelevant -- with the weekly print business pub possibly as dinosaur-like as the print newsweekly in the face of digital competition?

Weight Watchers

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:15:16 -0500

Anna Wintour be damned. The September/October issue of Weight Watchers magazine features plus-sized models who look nice, but realistically chunky -- unlike fashion magazines where "plus size" means having the teensiest bit of stomach pooch.

Adirondack Life

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:45:31 -0400

Outdoor magazines always amaze me. Yes, nature is lovely to look at -- but what do you think the Discovery Channel is for? First, it's the safest way to travel. Camping is a euphemism for no toilet paper -- or worse. Stephen Colbert isn't the only one terrified of bears. But for those humbled by its wonders, such as conservationist and Sierra Club founder John Muir, the wilderness is transcendent. "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees." That's Muir; unlike me, he didn't dive into the nearest Greenwich Village café when temps dropped below 60. And unlike the lost hikers cited on this month's cover of Adirondack Life, he always found his way home.

Guitar Aficionado

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 14:50:57 -0400

The American guitar-collector phenom tracks the baby boom, the instrument's electrification and consequent graduation from rhythm instrument in big bands to solo instrument, and its explosive proliferation in style and variety. But the first instrument of today's law firm partners, plastic surgeons, bankers, account executives and yours truly was very likely an air guitar. That's Guitar Aficionado's reader base.

Essence

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:30:45 -0400

Should Essence, one of very few magazines exclusively for black women, have hired a white fashion editor? After debate on this question recently simmered online, Editor In Chief Angela Burt-Murray defended her decision as a color-blind merit pick. She also noted that when the mag covers issues possibly more substantive than an editor's race, the public reaction is generally "crickets" (or, as translated by my people, "bupkes").

Vintage

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:00:32 -0400

The meaning of "vintage" depends on usage. For our purposes, we won't be discussing wines from a particular harvest, apologies to our vintner readers. Instead, the term, via Vintage, will be used to showcase, per Dictionary.com, "the high quality of a past time." The goal is to explore the impact of history on our current culture.

David

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:46:44 -0400

When you think Jews and Las Vegas, what comes to mind? If you answered Bugsy Siegel, we're on the same page. Or maybe you guessed Mo Greene, the Siegel stand-in, in "The Godfather." He's the one who slaps Freddy Corleone around -- and gets shot in the eye as payback. Greene is also referenced in "Godfather II," touted for transforming a once-dusty stopover for GIs into, according to David magazine, "the world's most dynamic city." I'd challenge that assertion, as a New Yorker, but I agree: Jews do wondrous things in the desert.

True West

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:15:48 -0400

The Empire State Building is my true north -- as it is for anyone who lives in downtown Manhattan. We get the occasional cowboy -- but he tends to be more Village People than Buffalo Bill. Also, our sense of space is radically different from the rest of the country. Some 3 million people inhabit this island; if "bedrooms," plural, is part of your vocabulary, count your blessings. To find, as Cole Porter once wrote, "land, give me land, and the sunny skies above," we head west. For those seeking an authentic experience without actual contact, try True West.

ShopSmart ;)

Thu, 06 May 2010 14:00:11 -0400

ShopSmart;) , a nifty Consumer Reports shopping guide, presents helpful, easy-to-understand information, laid out by an art director who knows how to use his color wheel. The mag's mission is awesome; it works "for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves."

Seventeen

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:30:39 -0400

Seventeen began in 1944 -- and I'm doubtful if the wartime version pushed the cut line "Guys & Sex: What He's Too Embarrassed To Tell You." Turns out, what he's too embarrassed to tell you is he's intimidated. Since the boys interviewed were 17 and 18, that's understandable.

Success

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:30:56 -0400

You know when it's 3:30 in the p.m., and time to say the heck with health guru Dr. Oz and his sermons about cruciferous veggies? You're drawn instead to a deli with a wall-full of chips and cookies that look better than the Super Bowl in 58-inch HD. That wealth of options calls to mind Success magazine (where Dr. Oz, incidentally, also has a health column). It's snackable content. There are no 8,000-word pieces about a genius solving spherical mathematical issues. No in-depth profiles about where Rahm Emanuel's power starts and stops.

Fly Fisherman

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:00:09 -0500

As a regular, some would say obsessed, theater-going New Yorker, I wonder why anyone would wake at dawn and wade waist-deep into freezing waters for bass? The answer, judging from Fly Fisherman, is the sheer joy of it, a Zen connection with the outdoors.

Conceive

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:00:20 -0500

Making a baby may be fun, but it isn't always simple. Conception isn't just a woman's issue; it takes two to make an heir. And because infertility is evenly divided between the sexes, Conceive addresses everyone with user-friendly, highly informative content.

Field & Stream

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:30:12 -0500

Amid all the how-to diagrams in recent issues of Field & Stream -- on parking cars before pheasant hunting; tinkering with the trigger to resuscitate an old rifle; using a transducer cord for ice fishing -- there are some shoots of amusement inside the ancient publication. Of course, those stand in sharp contrast to the deadly (pun intended) serious.

The Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:30:43 -0500

Lately, it seems far too many magazines can hear the clock ticking. A few good ones have even run out of time. But for one, a clock counting down the minutes left to its doomsday has actually been a good thing -- if you can call the thing it has been keeping time on, "good." The publication is called The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and the "doomsday clock" that graces its homepage (formerly its cover -- the print edition was suspended in 2008) has been counting down the minutes left to a nuclear Armageddon ever since the birth of the atomic age and the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Scrubs

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:16:02 -0500

Paging Scrubs. It's not a clinical work; it's a lifestyle magazine and terrific Web site geared to the 3 million RNs in the U.S. The new pub has all the hallmarks of a traditional women's magazine with less cloying sentimentality and more heart. It pays tribute to a noble profession whose practitioners suffer from chronic overload and nationwide shortages. And it's a reminder that nurses, like cops, are a subculture that face specific challenges.

WWII History

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:00:42 -0500

One glance at the cover features confirmed WWII History magazine was for me. They had me at "Patton's Tactical Air Support"; I was even more intrigued by "Red Sea Naval War," which I've always wondered about. Down at the bottom there were some teasers: "The Real English Patient, D-Day's Dangerous Weather, German Hybrid Vehicle and much more!" Pretty impressive: even by the standards of military history geeks, this was some obscure subject matter, and that's just what the editors put on the cover! This magazine was arcane, in the most complimentary sense.

Runner's World

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:21:40 -0500

Many people who don't run marathons or need a GPS on their Asics probably pigeonhole Runner's World as a niche offering -- a publication slotted in the newsstand next to Sport Fishing. A quick glance at RW's December issue may not dissuade them. For example, blurbs exclaim that beet juice increases nitrate levels and builds endurance. But give the mag a 26.2-mile examination, and it becomes clear: Runner's World does an admirable job of serving as both an enthusiast and general-interest publication.

That 'Je Ne Sais Quoi': What Makes A Shelter Book A Keeper?

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:34:22 -0500

Earlier this year I was bemoaning the death of Condé Nast's shelter book Domino, while also wondering if I could find a replacement pub for my monthly design fix. My subsequent search helped me define the X factors determining whether a shelter book merely rates a cursory look-through, or becomes a keepsake pub (at least for me; feel free to propose contrary views in the comments).

Audubon

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:00:45 -0500

Egrets, I've had a few. Also macaws, warblers and cardinals. All make up the extraordinary world of our avian friends; there are 600 North American species alone. For amateur and professional ornithologists alike, the bird world is a source of endless fascination. Such is Audubon's turf; this beautifully produced magazine believes, like Emily Dickinson, "hope is the thing with feathers."

Star

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:00:57 -0500

You could write thousands of words about how Star magazine both reflects and contributes to the inexorable decline of civilization, but I will skip all that in the hope of being a savvier media consumer than my dad, who once expressed indignation on finding "Boogie Nights" "a rather lewd movie" (Mom: "We thought it was about disco dancing"). Celebrity mags are what they are -- trash -- and if you don't like it, you're free to go read Tolstoy or Rick Warren, or maybe just take a nap.

American Photo

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:45:11 -0500

If you just want tips on cameras, try Popular Photography. It's got rankings, choices and a user-friendly approach that spells out the technical expertise involved in high-end purchases. However, if you value the art and culture of photography, give American Photo a look-see. You'll become a regular F. Stop Fitzgerald.

Get Married

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:46:56 -0500

Condé Nast recently shuttered Elegant Bride and Modern Bride. How can a new bridal magazine possibly survive in these trying times? Get Married is hoping to carve out a niche by focusing on being "the new shopping and trend guide for the savvy bride."

New York

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:15:53 -0500

On Oct. 14, Bruce Wasserstein -- CEO of Lazard. Ltd. and owner of New York magazine -- died suddenly. The event had the makings of a classic New York article: Financier-Owner Dies! What's Next For New York Magazine? Speculation about the magazine's future did appear. Callous? Perhaps! Downright ghoulish? Maybe. But, hey, this is publishing and this is New York! You got a problem with that?

The Ring

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:45:54 -0400

The Ring has a long and varied history dating back to 1922. For a while the magazine was published by Bert Sugar, a colorful cigar-chomper generally regarded as the dean of boxing writers and a man who could have been created by Damon Runyon. But today's version of the mag has no such pedigree; a company owned by the slick entrepreneur Oscar De La Hoya now publishes The Ring.Which raises the question: Can someone who oversees a stable of dozens of contending athletes publish a successful and unbiased magazine devoted to that sport?

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