No doubt this is one of the best nature magazines. It's THE family collection that grows and grows in the basement, and it's always good for giving it a look, even those 70's and 80's issues. But the best are the maps. Everytime I grab one issue, the first thing I look for is if it has maps in it. They're great, well drawn, reliable, etc. 5 stars for the maps.
excellent magazine for lay people
National Geographic Magazine is written primarily for theperson with little or no background in Geography. It is not an intense scholarly magazine and , as a Geograohy professor pointed out, tends to be chatty. But, it does give great information on geopgraphy as well as other fields in the Social Sciences even Natural History. There are many articles about people and places around the world and their customs. There are articles on the latest explorations and discoveries. Such as the rediscovery of the Gnostic Gospel of Judas and the oldest tatooed mummy.Zip USA takes a single US Zip Code and describes the customs and practices of the people living within that zip code. There are many interesting articles about people and places in the United States.
I became interested in Geography and Anthropology through reading this magazine. The articles are quite informative and entertaining and the photography is outstanding.
The World Around Us
This magazine has been around for over 100 years, and with the high quality of the paper, the photograhs, and the content it could likely be around for another 100 years. I am amazed each month opening the latest issue to learn about topics ranging from Arctic Alaska, to Egyptian Mummys, to foriegn cultures and lifestyles. Lately, a favorite feature of mine has been the monthly zip-code piece. The magazine takes an in-depth look at a zip-code in the United States. I gain a deeper appreciation for my world through this subscription.
Encyclopedia Gaia
I am a NatGeo junky. My collection of this magazine spans four decades. This publication is magnificent for many of the reasons that have already been stated.
If humans were to send a capsule into deep space so that an alien culture might come upon it and learn something about the Earth and it's inhabitants, many have suggested that the capsule contain the entire National Geographic collection - 1888 to the Present. In what other publication can you find fascinating articles, maps, renderings and photos on Pterodons, a frog epidemic, Lewis & Clark, the Hubble space telescope, and Balinese culture - and all this in a single issue?! It truly is the Universal Encyclopedia.
Answering Accusations: The magazine reports on "the world and everything in it" as honestly and evenly as any publication could hope to do. In the past decades, many of Geographic's stories have focused on imperiled species, cultures or ecosystems. These are hugely important issues that we should be proud to learn about. I get incensed when people accuse the magazine and its editors of being political (leftist). Every article (I've read every issue since 1961) which concerns the environment explores BOTH sides of the issue at hand - the needs of people and the impact on the planet. The Magazine hasn't become more liberal in the past 4 decades, the world itself has become a more impoverished place as the our numbers have soared past 6 billion.
This magazine gets my absolute highest recommendation. I wish that everyone out there would subscribe to and collect National Geographic. Not only will they become an ornament on your bookshelf or coffee table, but you'll be wiser and more worldly after immersing yourself in them, as well.
Top Notch
What else can you say about this magazine. It looks good, great articles, fab photos and the bonus....makes ya look real high-brow when people see it on your table.
Never a dissapointment!
Awesome Magazine!
Great Magazine, with in depth articles covering interesting topics around the globe. I pity the fool who does not subscribe to NG
It does not get better
This is the best ever magazine in all fields....though they are getting mean nowadays and reducing the number of pages per issue!!! It is really a great reading from cover to cover...everybody must get it!!!
Amazing Magazine
National Geographic has been a consistant magazine thru the years. it is one place where the articles are simple, easy and beautifully presented... And the photographs are absolutely wonderful... Keep up the good work! Cheers
Just buy one
If you are looking for a review about the national geographic, you have just arrived at the wrong place ! This magazine is so good you need to read no reviews. just buy one and the addiction will start right after !
In Response to "International Geographic"
Not certain I understand the fuss about National Geographic covering so many international geographic topics and issues.
1. Hello! The magazine is the journal of the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY. (You think Scientific American won't cover the Nobel Prize because it is awarded in Sweden?) 2. Geography is about spatial analysis and scale. Geographic issues cannot be contained within a single formal regional border. (For example, can you really look at El Paso, TX, without investigating it's relationshiip to Ciudad Juarez right across the border?) 3. My family has been reading this magazine for 50 years. It has always covered the entire world, as "GEOGRAPHY" means 'a description of the world'. 4. What about newer features such as ZIP CODE, which covers in detail one single micro-region of the US. 5. To say that it should primarily cover the US is a surprisingly narrow, US-centric view of what really matters in the world. This is the point of view that explains the sad state of complete geographic knowledge in the US.
But enough of that. Still the best magazine, not just for us Geography majors, but for seeing how geography fits into the entire academic world. If you want to know how sense of space and place is related to physical and natural science, as well as politics, economics, anthropology and history, this is the best value for the money.