The Economist > Reviews > Not just for economists

Author's product rating:   

Information provided	Good
Article quality	Excellent
Style/presentation	Average

Advantages:	intelligent, informative, in - depth coverage, well written
Disadvantages:	expensive, sometimes too political

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

For a teenager, I’ll admit I have rather odd and varied reading tastes. National Geographic isn’t that far off the norm, but when I tell people I’m a huge fan of reading “The Economist,” I get either raised eyebrows or comments on what a peculiar and strangely mature taste in magazines I have.

But I don’t see it that way. I have this desire to keep myself constantly informed about what’s happening in the world, because I believe it’s important and the more I know, the more I can make up my own mind about events rather than relying on a single source. If the BBC is my favorite channel on television, I don’t find it that surprising that the Economist is one of my favorite publications.

As the name would suggest, the magazine does concern itself with economics, but that’s not really the main focus. Each issue begins with letters to the editor, editorial pages that discuss various issues of importance that are the lead articles, articles about international issues, British issues, economic forecasts and information, science and technology, book reviews, and an obituary. It’s the broad coverage on international matters that draw me to this magazine, but the other aspects are quite solid as well.

The articles are divided by region: Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Britain. I’ve seen articles concerning some of the most obscure (well comparatively, from the perspective of Western media coverage) regions on earth, and the articles always cover a broad spectrum of issues. In one issue it is possible to read about the current need for urgent action in Darfur, human rights abuses in Uzbekistan, and nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. Since the US elections are upon us, the US section runs a weekly poll to track John Kerry’s progress, and provides rather interesting analysis on swing states.

I find the coverage to be balanced, but with a touch (and sometimes more) of either the magazine or the correspondent’s political views shining through at various parts. In some instances, like with the Iraq war, the editors made no bones about explicitly supporting the case for war, but interestingly enough, in the aftermath of the no WMDs, have run a series of articles on the intelligence failures and the like (but in my view have still come off too easy on Messrs Bush and Blair). It’s a fault, but a fairly unavoidable one, and it doesn’t make me respect the magazine less, because they back up what they say. It’s an intelligent disagreement, unlike the ones I have with right-wing Republican ideologies.

Asides from the international affairs, the magazine has a comprehensive section on British issues that are sometimes interesting even for us non-Brits, and the science and tech section has always got fascinating articles on the latest discoveries and advances. My 80 year old grandfather reads this section with particular interest, underlines relevant bits, and then when we come and visit, pesters us with questions as to what this and that means, in his attempts to stay current with the pace of modern development! There are also book reviews (but I stay away from these as they are generally not my type of books), and an obituary section, which, as terrible as it sounds, has introduced me to some fascinating people the week after they’ve died. It’s a shame, really.

All in all, despite the fact that it’s a bit on the pricey side, I definitely think it’s worth the money. It’s a high quality publication that’s been in business for over 100 years, and continues it’s fine tradition of informing and analyzing. I’d even go so far as to venture that reading this magazine lends you an instant air of being intellectual and informed, which isn’t surprising if you consider it’s one of the most highly respected international publications. So what’re you waiting for? Go out and see for yourself!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stats:
Published weekly throughout the year
Available at newsstands or by subscription
No clue as to annual subscription price because my father’s office pays for it, but each issue will cost $4.95 or 3 pounds.
Should be available in most countries