People (6-month)

For example, several years ago, reading about Tony Robbins in People inspired me to investigate what he was all about. That led to my buying one of his books, then a set of motivational tapes, and ultimately I went to one of his live seminars and WALKED ON FIRE! That experience has led me to a personal understanding that I can do ANYTHING that I set my mind to. All because I read about Tony in People.

Another great example is Robert Kyosaki -- I read a profile on Robert which talked about his Rich Dad Poor Dad book, which prompted me to get a copy of the tape set. I drove around listening to those tapes in my car for months -- and then next thing I knew, I made an offer on a house, got it accepted, and suddenly, just a few months later, I went from being a renter to a home-owner. My own personal American Dream story, straight from the pages of People.

And lastly -- perhaps most importantly -- I read a small story about a new system for increasing intimacy and passion for couples. I followed up by buying a copy of the "New Sex Now" dvd right here on amazon, and before I knew what had happened, suddenly my lovelife went from ho-hum to humming on all cylinders. I started dating a woman with whom I shared some major chemistry, and soon I turned her onto the experience -- it ignited passion in us both that we had never known before, and intimacy that was unparalleled. Now, a few years later, she's my wife. Talk about fulfillment! I connected with the love of my life because of an article I read in People.

Granted, all of the foregoing is not to say that there's not a great deal of very light entertaining reading and pictures in People, for those who want to just veg out and pass the time idly. But for those who are looking to improve themselves, for those who are looking to suck the juice out of every drop of life, People magazine can be the stuff which makes dreamers out of work-a-day slobs by providing pictures and profiles of the people who inspire us to be more than what we are. How much more could you want from a magazine?


How to a great deal on a good magazine   June 29, 2005
A. G. Corwin (St. Louis, MO)
39 out of 42 found this review helpful

The world of the glossy tabloid is here, and with so many choices out there its tough to seperate the good from the bad. People magazine today is still as good as it was 15 years ago when I started reading it. The articles are always touched with the human element, and the magazine does not descend to the depths of salacious gossip that other glossies do. The magazine is quite correctly titled. It's a magazine about people from all walks of life. It's well worth the subscription.

That being said, don't order here. Go to their website and to the subscription inserts in the magazine itself, compare the prices, and request that a billing notice be sent to you instead of paying with a credit card. This way when your subscription is up for renewal, you have the opportunity to cancel without your card being charged. Often times sites like this one utilize a third party service that contracts with the various magazines, your payment goes to them and they auto-renew you. I find it easier to do it through the magazine themselves. Saves me the trouble, and invariably, the magazine comes a lot quicker.




Brain fluff, but good brain fluff   October 30, 2001
E. A Solinas (MD USA)
28 out of 38 found this review helpful

"People" is my guilty pleasure, a rather gossipy magazine that chronicles celebrities and the various stuff that happens to them -- but it also does delightful pieces that are genuinely heartwarming, and reviews for books, movies, CDs, etc by people who actually seem to like the material.

People usually starts with several pages of color photos of celebrities, both in glitz and sweatpants (I'm thinking of one horrible Julia Robert picture). These are usually pretty entertaining, ranging from playful to "eww, look at that." Then we get reviews of books and movies and music, where the reviewers often seem to acknowledge that "different" does not mean "bad."

Then we get to the Big Stories. Usually there are more than one of these per magazine, stretching over three pages at minimum. These can either be celebrity stories (usually pretty gushing) or stories about... well, real people, ranging from heroic rescues to "where are the celebrities of the past?" to medical breakthroughs.

Then come smaller stories: A little boy who inexplicably sets off store alarms. A nun who used to be a Hollywood actress (and was once involved with Elvis). Someone who makes anti-man shirts. There is a crossword puzzle, the fashion gaffe of the week (and often two people who have eerily similar outfits) and a final page of excerpts from celebrity interviews.

It all sounds pretty bad, right? Wrong, though People sometimes delves a little too deep and tells us a little more than we want to know, they do so with the same sort of gleeful enjoyment that we all, deep down, have. We want to hear the juicy details of X and Y's divorce, and we want to dream about wearing Z's wedding dress (even though deep down we know the marriage will last as long as her LAST one)

Do they overstep the boundaries sometimes? Yes, but they make up for that with the real life stories of people who have succeeded. I find that far more engaging than X and Y's divorce, and that is why I buy the magazine.

So yes, I'd advise getting this magazine if you enjoy sneering at celebrities, reading about the "Goat that saved my life," and watching David Duchovny get carted around on the handlebars of a nun's bike.


God Awful   June 22, 2002
23 out of 28 found this review helpful

Utter bilge. Every article is written in such a predictable way that it makes one hate every celebrity that appears in this rag. Everyone in it has had a tremendous career start, followed by a stint in a rehab center, and now is re-discovering life through yoga or rolfing, etc. The photos are all the same. The celebrity is sitting bare-foot on the bed hugging the person who initiated the intervention, or they are jumping in the air for joy.Written by morons for morons.