June 2008
I have been a reader from the first issue. Its a great magazine but..
As an international subscriber I am totally dissatisfied with customer service. Customer service does not respond. Web page account login does not work. Issues are missing as they are shipped through poor quality cheap couriers. Avoid !

Bought this subscription for Discover magazine for my 90 year old mother. She said it keeps her "sharp as a tack"!

Has many interesting articles. I have it magazine on our coffee table at work. Everyone love's them.

This magazine is insightful and thought-provoking. And when I ordered it the last issue was sent immediately and we have received every issue since--great service.

I'd never seen this magazine before now. I was searching for a gift for my husband, who couldn't be harder to shop for. When I read the description, I knew he'd enjoy it. I never imagined that I too would find it interesting. We've both found articles about subjects we didn't even know we'd want to read about, but found ourselves enlightened, educated and entertained. I'd recommend Discover magazine to anyone who wants to read something a cut or two about the usual; who wants to encounter articles written by knowledgeable authors about unexpected new interests that actually ask you to use your brain.

Very interesting articles and great photography. The first issue arrived 5 weeks after I placed the order.

I've been a subscriber for years. I think this is as good as anything else out there, so I haven't switched to SciAm.

I see that some folks have been complaining about the customer service. I just wanted to say that I had good luck. I moved from Chicago to SF this past summer, and the post office didn't seem to want to forward any of my subscriptions. I emailed Discover to complain that I had missed about 3 issues (even though it wasn't necessarily their fault). They credited me for another 6 months.

So I'll be sticking with 'em when it's time to renew.

I don't think every issue is a page turner, but they do cover a lot of interesting stuff. Stories they cover have a way of making their way into mainstream news later on, which makes Discover a lot more relevant than, say, WIRED.

Found a copy of this magazine in the doctors office, I've been hooked ever since. I've been a popular science fan for years, this offers more in depth articles.

I remember reading Discover as a teen. So, last year when my daughter did a magazine fund raiser through school, I signed up for a year. After my first issue, I know I will not be signing up for another year.

This "new" Discover reads like a tree-huggers guide to science. It has so many environmental/global warming stories that I cannot take it as an unbiased scientific magazine.

You have been warned. Non-hippies need not apply.

If you're into science, this is a good magazine for you. Great pictures, interesting articles-I've been getting it for as long as I can remember.

I bought this for my son, but I had a hard time putting it down...Articles are packed with information in a clear, concise, understandable way, and the topics covered vary widely. I would highly recommend this magazine for anyone over 12 with a curious mind.

The web site confused me and the subscription, meant for our son, indicated that it would be sent to me. I then called Discover magazine to change the address. I could only speak my concern to a computer, but the magazine is now sent to my address.

The only thing I do not completely comfortable is too much commercial.
Issues are good. :}

This magazine is a great way to keep up with recent scientific trends and research if you are not a scientist and don't like a lot of technical journals. Its less technical than Scientific American, but it's interesting and informative without being boring. My husband, my 14yr old, my 70+ old father, and I can find something interesting and enjoyable to read in it.

This is a great magazine that covers the lot of science, technology, space and everything (at least the interesting stuff) in between. You can pick it up and quickly read the shorter articles, or if you have a little more time, there are a few longer ones as well. Discover is ALWAYS interesting and worth the price.

This was quite a purchase...for 9.95 you got a year's subscription of Discover. The magazine is well written, fairly accurate, and has a lot of excellent photography. It's a bit cluttered with ads, but the content is still very good. I recommend it for undergrad and high school science students especially - it's always good to get enthused about your subject in a way that doesn't involve the classroom.

This is a fun magazine. The material presented is interesting (depending on one's taste), clear, and varied. It is the science magazine I started reading as an elementary school student many years ago after being attracted by pretty pictures of dinosaurs. I recommend this magazine for people who are not professional scientists but are interested in either learning or being exposed to science-related information. This magazine is good, but not fantastic. Maybe I am hard to please.

I have read Discover in passing for years; now that my kids are older I thought it might be good for them. When I saw the promo offer I got a one-year subscription. I probably shouldn't have been, but I was shocked at how much popular pseudo-science and opinion are injected into otherwise sound articles. They are clearly intended to persuade and that is not the role of science. So, mostly what I have Discovered is another tool of the demagogues. The best way to hide a lie is to surround it with truths. There is so much of this in today's media that passes for science and journalism that few people even notice any more.
Still, I have used the magazine to help my kids become more critical thinkers and seperate fact from opinion, so I guess it's not a complete loss. Same old story, let the buyer beware.

This publication is enjoyed by myself and my family. We were surprised that it did indeed come sooner than the time stated. The value could not be beat. This title is recommend for those who love science and technology.

Discover magazine contains up-to-date information that the non-professional can understand and relate to. I read mine from cover to cover.

The description on the page above says, "The first issue should arrive in 6-10 weeks" which suited my purpose perfectly since I ordered it well ahead of time as a birthday gift for my wife.

However, the first issue came almost immediately for the month that was almost over, followed in short order by another for the upcoming month. This allows Discover to send renewal notices sooner, I suppose (actually, I think they start putting renewal notices in from the first issue). It also may work out great for those who are in a bigger hurry.

Excellent magazine to update oneself on current scientific developments. Weird collection of ads though for a science oriented journal!

The present issue was better than it has been for a while. Marion Long's interview with Steven Pinker shed some light on the workings of our brains, & Jeanne Lenzer's article on "Citizen Heal Thyself," was also somewhat instructive. The latter verified what many lay folks & scientists have been saying & believing for some time. That STRESS is the great killer. It keeps our healthy cells from combating a wide variety of illnesses. A persons attitudes also, appear to be self fulfilling as well.

Discover is not as good a magazine as it was say, ten years ago, But, it is trying to reach a far wider & less scientifically knowledgable audience than Scientific American. Therefore, comparisons are a bit unfair. The sections of the magazine like Neuroquest where the inner workings of the brain are explored are good. The brain teasers can also keep one alert & entertained. However, the magazine could certainly improve on the 95 pages having about 15-20 devoted to advertising. On the whole, still a worthy read.

This magazine is very educational. The majority of my family enjoys reading this magazine that covers a variety of topics. It is a great resource for school reports and papers, too.

My only concern or warning for parents wanting to use this magazine for educational purpose is that it does contain "adult" advertising in the back. Parents' discretion.

I got my first issue and I read it cover to cover, it was very interesting

Very nice learning tool for my homeschool teens. Provides new & interesting info in a short & sweet format.Variety of subject matter.

I've read and subscribed to Discover magazine for years and have enjoyed their timely coverage of important scientific information. It is a magazine intended for more of an overview than in depth reading-however there are some reasonably indepth materials to be found.
My major complaint with them is their very very deceptive renewal gimicks. From bogus renewal notices- they start at least 6 months before your subscription expires -to the 2 for one notices to entice to you to renew months before it is necessary. It is very easy to find a subscription price 1/2 of what you pay directly to the company- so for loyal customers you pay nearly double what can be found elsewhere on the web. Love the magazine and fed up with the gimicks. Read the magazine beware of the renewal process!

The rating is 3 stars only because of the lack of depth of coverage and simplicity of explanations. This is science 'light'. If you have a science or engineering background, Discover is for you only if you are long removed or are seeking a 'TV version'. For those currently in the science and technology game or conversant, 2-3 stars is correct. If you have little familiarity with science or technology, this is a good publication to become informed: 4-5 stars.

This is not a publication where one rating serves. Please decide on the basis of your background. Those seeking more depth should look to Scientific American or American Scientist. For true technical articles Science or Nature are excellent publications with broad science coverage although typically lacking in 'technology' (as opposed to science).

Lets be honest, Discover magazine is part of what I like to call "The Feudal Lords of a New Era", the Mega Corporations. These Feudal Lords run the country. The Mega Corporations control virtually all information that we receive.

Much of the "Science" in Discover is now part of the subtle propaganda that the Mega Corporations espouse. Much of what you read in Discover should be taken with a "grain of salt". Do not accept all that you read as gospel.

The best part of Discover is that it is geared towards the highest common denominator so it is easily understandable. There are still many interesting stories but not as many as there used to be. This is for the average person that would like a little science with their coffee. Recommended for the person with a casual interest in science but not recommended if you want more hard science.

I had a subscription to this magazine for almost 10 years, and I always read every article with interest. In the past 6 months, nearly every article has been a disappointment, either filled with fluffy, quasi-science or written by an author with an obvious bias. The latest issue came with a promotional CD from an oil company, and had an article about how fossil fuel emissions were not responsible for global warming. If that isn't a sign of what's gone wrong with Discover, I don't know what is.

If there is a dramatic improvement in the next few months, I might consider resubscribing, but likely not.

Great magazine that translates cutting edge science discoveries into language the non-scientist can understand. Thought provoking and informative. Covers the breadth of discoveries in all the science disciplines.

I really enjoy this magazine. It is easy reading and lets me keep a pulse on the world of science. For anyone who loves the world of science and technology.

Discover's strongest suit has gone unheralded in the other reviews I've read here. Few magazines let the character of their writers shine through quite like this one does, nor enliven potentially dry topics by injecting (God forbid) some imagination and humor into the subject.

For example, I could conceivably open up any magazine and read about how a particular species of octopus can change colors to camouflage itself. But only in Discover would that factual account be followed by a dreamy tangent about the nature of communication, and an alien species that might, say, communicate hunger by projecting an image of an empty stomach on their bellies.

So yes, I suppose if one was looking for a tome of molecular sequences and Calculus equations to display on their coffee table, one might find the above to be an unnecessary digression away from "hard science." I, on the other hand, prefer my magazine subscriptions to be enjoyable as well as informative.

This is not just for science geeks. It's for anyone with a natural sense of curiosity about the world and life around them. Lots of great pictures, writing, and ideas.

I expected it to be better. I subscribed last year, looking for a good magazine for the family, and decided on Discover. There is the occasional interesting tidbit, but the issues are generally pretty lean, have few photographs, and are for the most part, boring.
The latest issue with the bald, fat, naked man was just about the last straw for me and Discover magazine. I definitely will not be re-subscribing.