I couldn't be happier with my time spent reading magazines and books. I often walk away from articles and long form edits feeling enlightened (if modestly). Most recently I experienced this feeling when reading Monocle, arguably my favorite magazine, and Microtrends, a voluminous book on recent trends that are shaping the world as we know it.
I can't remember the last time I read an online article and walked away knowing that the rise in Cougars is due to women re-entering the workforce and delaying child birth, that Calorie Restiction is a healthy way to prolong life, and that Copenhagen is the most liveable city based on it's quality of life, position on environment issues, and stellar urban planning. Actually, if I read these articles online I probably wouldn't care about any of it. But at the same time by reading my books and magazines I've diversified my intake and read something that ordinarily I would never have read.While online articles that are consumed with little regard, the printed word is sought out by users. Their selection marks an investment on their part, both fiscal and mental. And because of this, print readers are loyal; they often follow their favorite authors going back years or even centuries, and likewise often stick to the same magazine due to it's trustworthy and reliable content (be it celebrity gossip, haute couture, science/technology or politics).
However, that is not to say that online content isn't relevant or important. It's just a different read. The virtue of online content is that it gives the printed word posterity. Even Monocle and Microtrends have websites filled with additional content. Online content continues where magazines or books leave off. That being the case online content is good for a bite-sized read, but for a real appetite nothing beats a bound print edition.
And on that note, here are some recommendation to tickle your temporal (et al) lobe:
- Monocle Magazine
- Microtrends
- A People's History of the United States
- Tropic of Cancer
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