Smithsonian

We took a visit to the Smithsonian in Washington, hosting some guests from Germany who had the treasures of the mineral exhibit on their "must see first time to the US" list of attractions. We were a bit nonplussed by this--we didn't know that foreigners would be interested in the Smithsonian Museum. We spent an entire day, seeing just a small percentage of the national treasures in this montsrous museum complex. While we were shopping in one of the gift shops, we were offered a membership. We signed up to support the Smithsonian and to get this magazine.

Recently, there was an article on Cambodia's huge temple complex Ankhor Wat (filmed in "Lara Croft"), an article on sled dogs and an article on the Kansas-Nebraska Act, a key law that added to the tinder sparking the Civil War. And best of all, an article on Diane Arbus, the photographer who was famous for her portraits of seemingly ordinary people, somehow caught with an eye to freakishness or evil. Though I've been familiar with Arbus' work for year, this article had so much new information.

If you like magazines about nature, culture and history, this is the one to get. We get excited by every issue.


Learn more than you ever knew you wanted to...   July 14, 2003
 22 out of 22 found this review helpful

The Smithsonian is a wonderful source of information. Every time I read one, I learn so much about things that I never realized that I might have an interest in. Some of the articles can get lengthy, but for the most part they are well written and obviously thoroughly researched. As opposed to many of the mindless magazines on the market today, the Smithsonian makes the reader think and may even spur the desire for further personal research. It's a terrific magazine!


Best American Magazine, My Membership Is Good To 2017.   December 20, 2006
 17 out of 17 found this review helpful

Every month this mag has fascinating articles. History, current events, Politics, Enviromentalism, Science, Technology, Art, & daily living in the USA are all covered here. The topics are diverse, well written, & the photography can sometimes rival National Geographic. Smithsonian's articles encompasse several areas covered in magazines as various as "The Atlantic Monthly, Economist, Discovery, US News & World Report, & Archaeology. From prehistory to the newest innovations you will find it here.


A literate and beautifully photographed magazine   January 1, 2003
 18 out of 19 found this review helpful

Every issue of "Smithsonian" is as varied as the multitude of items found in the much-heralded institution. Having visited the respective museums in the Smithsonian complex on the mall in DC, I have come to respect the magazine as providing its readers with such diverse articles within its pages.

The reader can find historical essays and reports, science developments, the arts, and a bevy of pieces encompassing the whole of existence on this planet.

One of the most highly entertaining magazines of its type, it is not just an intellectual pursuit. It is geared for all interests.