My Favorite Magazine

Last Updated on July 8, 2018

When it comes to magazines, we all have a favorite or two, even if we only read them these days online. Here’s a look at my pick for a favorite magazine.

There’s a wonderful magazine out there that you may never have even heard of. But it’s one that I’d highly recommend. It’s called mental_floss, and it’s quite entertaining because it’s full of odd facts and anecdotes about trivia. Its slogan reads, “Where knowledge junkies get their fix.” Sometimes it’s nice to escape the reality of the world for a little while.

The latest issue, March/April 2007, spotlights the 20 Greatest Mistakes in History. (You might be surprised that the War on Terror did not make the list…but I digress.) There’s also an informative explanation on how biodeisel works, a profile of linguist/activist Noam Chomsky, whom it labels “famously unknown.” And that’s just the beginning.

A taste of some of the critical pieces of information includes a two-page spread on taxes and the IRS. Know how many different tax forms the IRS produces? Or how much money the IRS collected from individuals in 2006? Or that the IRS actually came up with a plan to collect taxes even after the country was decimated by a hypothetical nuclear war? (As if we wouldn’t have enough to worry about!)

There’s a regular column written by Jeopardy alum Ken Jennings, called “6&nbspº of Ken Jennings,” in which he connects two abstract things or people through six links. This time around, he was challenged by a reader to connect pie and Pi. There’s no need in my spoiling the ending, since it wouldn’t have been published if he couldn’t have found some way to do it! And I think my favorite column is called “The Dead Guy Interview,” in which there’s a Q&A with a famous person who is no longer living. The answers are usually tongue in cheek and reflect either likely interviews that really did take place or expected answers based on eccentricities on display during the subject’s fifteen minutes of fame.

The next time you’re in a book store, visit the magazine aisle and look for it. I’m actually considering subscribing.