Although at times the advertising can be questionable (the recent issue includes an ad placed by Chevron), the content is well worth the low price of a subscription. There are few magazines left that include material of such depth, and the broad scope of its content is both suitable and satisfying.

One important benefit Harper's provides to its subscribers is access to the full content of all arhived issues back to 1850. This alone is worth the price of a subscription.

One more note: I hope it is appropriate to suggest subscribing directly, as this will knock off quite a few weeks of nail-biting anxiety as you impatiently and obsessively check your mailbox, waiting for the first copy of your subscription to arrive.

On January 19th, I ordered this subscription as a gift for my niece. It is exactly a month later, and she has received no notification that she is going to receive the magazine. I was aware that the magazine would not arrive for several weeks, but in years past, notification has been sent out by magazines to inform recipients of the upcoming subscription. I give Harper's the benefit of the doubt when I give 3 stars... since I have yet to see any sign of a subscription.

I don't know how they do it, but Harper's always seems to present me with tidbits of information that I wouldn't have gotten anywhere else. It seems like they must have an army of people digging through documents to come up with some of their content. I generally read it cover to cover within a few days of getting it. I think it's great.

This magazine has been a terrific little treasure for at least 25 years.
I started reading it when they printed a piece on Bert Lance called
"The Money Vanishes" during the early Carter years. That piece along
with a Larry Kramer article during the early days of the HIV epidemic
are the two most compelling pieces of US journalism I have read in
forty years.

How any reviewer (below) can see Harper's as a "Left Oriented Magazine"
is a bright mystery to me. Any piece as scathing as "The Money Vanishes"
could NOT appear in a left-slanted magazine.

The reader should be ready for a hard look at topics from another,
challenging perspective. Along with The Economist and The Atlantic, this
is a magazine I would recommend as brain food for airplane trips and
waiting rooms etc. Bascially, Harper's is the other end of the comtinuum
from most of the print medium in the US now.

I ordered this magazine for a class I was taking last semester at college. I really did enjoy the articles I read in class. My only problem with the magazine was that I never received it. After calling Harpers about four times I got two magazines from the previous two months, but now I am still waiting for both last and this month's editions. Happy reading...if the magazine reaches you!

Harper's reminds me of a book reading I once went to. The author read a selection from Proust. It took forever and when she finally got to the 'point' the crowd all murmured and nodded in approval at its profundity. I thought I was going to go out of my mind.......what's so profound about taking 1000 words to make a point that could have been made in ten words or less? And therein lies my problem with Harper's.

People here compare it with other "thoughtful" magazines like the Atlantic and the New Yorker. No....it's not like those magazines at all; every paragraph in those magazines is packed with information that is critical to understanding the entire story. They don't take the rambling "blue highways" approach like Harper's does. If you really want a magazine that is balanced and in depth without the wandering prose of Harper's try my two favorites: the New Yorker and the Economist. I also recommend the Atlantic.

I would like to classify myself as a moderate but I probably lean conservative. Because of that, I subscribed to Harpers so that I could read good writing that would challenge my beliefs and stretch my mind in new ways. I got that, more or less, at first, but over the course of a couple of years the magazine drifted further and further to a leftist propaganda screed, the worst of which was Louis Lapham's bitter drivel editorials. It got to a point where the writing was incredibly predictable; I knew exactly what position (read: left of Pelosi) the writer--any writer in Harpers--would take on whatever the issue was, and I had a pretty good idea of what the line of whining would be.

If you attend dinner parties on the Upper East Side; if you drive a Prius to the Oscars; if you think commercial organic farming is an environmental travesty; if you've ever desecrated a Starbucks, then look no more--this magazine is for you.

However, if you're dumbfounded at how the Republicans can keep winning elections--and then you realize they have the Democratic party as opponents; if you realize the genius of George Bush and Karl Rove is in getting liberals to underestimate George Bush and Karl Rove; if you want to read smart, insightful writing that will inform and entertain, then try The Atlantic Monthly (which, by the way, I am surprised to see reviewers describe as a liberal magazine; I think it is moderate, and if anything, a bit on the conservative side.) Needless to say, I let my Harpers subscription lapse.

Two stars, tho, for the Harper's Index--however, that wasn't worth the price of a subscription (it got to be the only thing worth anything for the price of the subscription).

Harper's, like the Atlantic and The New Yorker is written for those looking for more in-depth analysis and coverage on political and cultural affairs with a sampling of serious literary prose. Personally I prefer the Atlantic, which I read regularly, only picking up Harper's when I have time and something in it interests me, which is usually two or three times a year.

Just looking at the cover and pages inside convey Harper's as a serious tome, perhaps too serious for the casual reader, especially compared to the more colorful pages of the Atlantic and playful New Yorker cartoons. Nevertheless, Harper's is an American icon in it's genre having published many articles from great names since it's inception in 1850.

A number of reviewers complain about it being left leaning and that stance clearly sprouts from the now recently departed editor Lewis Lapham, who has been an outspoken critic of the current administration. Mr. Lapham shares his views in a two page opinion piece and in the full page listing of various "fun facts" known as the Harper's Index. Serious readers will be able to get beyond this as simply a "viewpoint" and see the entire magazine for the serious writing that it is. I would contend this represents the best in "critical analysis" rather than bias. I would also simply suggest you view the other reviews made by people espousing this periodical as overly biased. For instance, at least one of those claiming liberal bias here is also praising an Ann Coulter book.

So if you feel underwhelmed by the typical content you get even in a 60 minute broadcast or a political round table free-for-all and you're interested enough in this magazine to read it's reviews, you should probably pick up a copy of it for two or three months and give it a try. I recommend you also check out The New Yorker and the Atlantic to compare.

I've read many positive reviews of this magazine and I did receive, several months ago, a trial issue. After sending in the subscription fee, I was billed again. I wrote a note letting them know that the check had been endorsed and deposited. Yesterday, I got a notice telling me my subscription had expired after one issue. I give up. It might be good, but customer service is really lousy. What a disappointment.

Harper's has been in business since 1850 and has published some of the greatest American- writers , from Mark Twain on down. Its editor and tone- setter is the veteran journalist Lewis Lapham. It publishes fiction, and articles including interesting symposia on many aspects of American economic, political and cultural life. It attracts the big - names in all areas, and also provides a lot of human - interest material, statistical curiosities, historical information and stories.
For some reason which I do not fully understand it has never been my great favorite. And in the old days I preferred 'the Atlantic' and the 'Saturday Review of Literature ' to it. Of course one of the features of 'Harper's is its book- reviews done by among others today, John Leonard.
I suppose what has soured me a bit on 'Harper's' is its bias to the political left.
But that withstanding it still provides a rich mix of articles of high quality.

There was a time when liberalism had a connotation of deep thinking, tolerance, and openness to healthy, civil debate.

No longer. And HARPER'S is a perfect symbol for all that ails the Left. To call this magazine "Left leaning" is a farce. It doesn't lean...it completely, totally, enthusiastically, and blindly tumbles and falls into the "Far Left" swamp. The tone is often hysterically and shrilly partisan, reflecting the ongoing deafness and disconnection that the leftist media elites have towards the mainstream of America.

The quality of the writing and feature selection has declined precipitously through recent years. This rag is about as credible now as THE GUARDIAN, NATIONAL ENQUIRER, or, come to think of it, The New York TIMES! Save your money, LOL!

So I ordered the magazine in Nov. 6, 2005. Its now Feb. 22nd, 2006 and the magazines (since I also ordered the Smithsonian and Scientific American) are nowhere to be seen. Of course, my account was quickly charged and at this pace, I'm guessing the whole genomic structure of all living organisms in this planet will be decoded before I receive any of them... so if you actually want to read this excellent magazine, it might be a better idea to get somewhere else...

I dont enjoy this publication at all anymore, dont know if editorial leadership has changed

I'm "[l]iterary, brainy, and left-leaning," and I'm sure I'll really enjoy my issues once _Harper's_ stops sending me the old issues from its warehouse. But it frustrates me no end to find yet another outdated issue in my mailbox and to have Harper's ignore my requests to update my subscription.

I subscribed on November 22. My first issue arrived, as Amazon told me it would, a few weeks later. That first issue was the November 2005 issue--the one I'd bought at my local bookstore when it came out two months earlier. There were advertisements in that issue for Christmas television programs, and the deadline for submitting the puzzle was early December. So it was clearly an outdated issue. And I went to the subscriber services page on the magazine's website to get the dates of my subscription updated to reflect my unwillingness to accept old issues as part of my subscription. (The date of expiration on my mailing label, by the way, is November 2006--so this is no simple mail room error.)

No response from _Harper's_.

Three days ago, I found the February 2006 issue waiting for me. Great. The day after that, the January 2006 issue arrived.

Look, I like _Harper's_. I really do. But I don't like receiving leftovers, and I don't like being ignored when I try to get treated like I have half a brain.

Interesting May 05 issue. When I saw the cover I sighed and with a somewhat sinking heart picked it up wondering who "now" had declared war on America.

Oh! why it's only the Christians now. This was a great issue. I had not read one in quite awhile and forgotten how funny and sad they could be.

The Harper's Index page is full of eyebrow lifting information. Readings was great.

The articles on the market economy and the religious right was a jaw dropper. I had to get up and look under the table to find where mine had fallen and rolled. Most everyone knows this information in some depth and degree but . . . these articles were different. Like some other books and articles I have read they are couched with the attitude of, "Wake up, please. Throw some water on your face, look around and Wake Up, hurry before it's too late". Once you get through the large amount of heartbreaking information contained (Please tell me that America did not `sell' cornmeal that we knew was going to starving people etc., etc., etc.) you are deposited at Karbola for an account of the Sunni versus Shia and then on to Katmandu and the monarchy and Maoists. The final article is on Tango dancers and somewhat of a relief.

After reading this you might want to go home and just pull the covers over your head. Don't. Waddle around to another section and fiind a magazine called "What is Enlightenment?" The April/May issue has a equally jaw dropping set of articles on the market economy. It's the perfect follow up to the Harper's. Harper's is a wake up call if you've slept late. WIE is the what can we roll up our sleeves and do about it. The people they interviewed are not Pollyannas. Several are quoted as saying that they really think there may be nothing left to do but totally dismantle the old system but they are willing to put that aside and focus on fixing instead of destroying and trying their hardest to make the new ideas work.

They have some incredible contributers to the articles and to the new system they are trying to impliment. Short articles from Dadi Janki and Joseph P. Milton are included. The article about Tex Gunning - President of Unilever Bestfoods Asia and his new direction for his company is wonderful. These are people who are trying to shift the whole attitude of companies. It's not the current spate of altrustic activity that is geared more toward upping sales with profit as the end result but a real shift to business conducted with the end result as a healthy, sustainable world. The end result would benefit humanity first, the business second and the shareholders third. Novel concept eh? They make you believe that it just may work. They are however very up front about the timeline and how many people have to be shifted - quickly - in order for it to work.

Read them both - it's worth the time and I think that they both have something very important to say.

In the several years since my retirement, I have come to wait by my trusty old rusted metal mailbox around the third or fourth of every month, waiting for my monthly issue of two magazines, the Atlantic Monthly and Harpers. Each in iuts own way is likely the best amalgams of intellectual articles on a variety of subjects one can find in contemporary America, and each features a stable of highly regarded writers and authors. For good reason; from subjects as arcane as the supposed imminent fall of the Soviet union based on demographic and economic analysis in the mid-1980s to the recent synopsis of former spy Robert Baer regarding the evils of dealing with the highly corrupted Saudi regime, the magazine consistently offers an erudite, informative, and provocative look at aspects of contemporary reality one cannot find elsewhere.

Needless to say, I really enjoy reading Harpers, especially under the guidance of editor Lewis lapham, and its articles often lead me on Amazon searches for tomes by the talented authors, which in the case of said author Robert Baer, or perpetually sagacious satirist P.J. O'Rourke, or a whole raft of noteable others. All of them lead to some worthwhile reading experiences indeed. It avoids the trendy, so we are spared the suffering through the latest and greatest mass experiences in favor of intellectual roads less traveled, being grassy and rather wont of wear, makes for better and more satisfying traveling, whether trudging through the snow with my Wintertime Dunham Tyroleans or padding down grassy fields in my summertime Birkenstocks. Just keep on trucking! Enjoy!

During the 1980s and 90s Harpers decayed badly from a journal of literature and opinion into a collection of short pieces and meaningless charts- sort of a journal for the literary pretentious with a short attention span. During the late 90s and the early part of this century, an effort was made to recreate the old Harpers.

Gone now are the annoying fragments and pointless tables, but the quality of the writing is still variable. At its best, Harpers still trails far behind The Atlantic, and at its worst it's pitifully sophmoric. I'll try it again in a few more years.

I used to be a subscriber and an avid reader. Recently, perhaps in the last two years or so, the quality of the writing has become rather poor. The selection of articles is uninteresting, and sometimes half the articles themselves are so poorly written as to be unreadable. The fiction is simply mediocre, and the entire magazine seems to be infected with editor Lewis Lapham's shrill and ever-growing Notebook (does the man ever have anything interesting or original to say?). In short, Harper's is not the magazine it once was. I would suggest the Atlantic Monthly if you want a magazine that is interesting, informative, and well-written, cover to cover.

I ordered Harper's from Amazon nearly a year ago and I have come to treasure each issue for its unique blend of essays, art, and literary criticism. My subscription has become a de facto extension of my liberal arts education, as the magazine's pages are graced with politics, history, literature, and the arts.

Each issue features an essay from editor Lewis Lapham, an essayist of the same caliber as Gore Vidal. Lapham's style and vocubalary are extraordinary, and his writing is often laced with biting satire.

The magazine is illustrated with contemporary art from galleries across the United States, and includes informative features like the "Harper's Index" and the "Readings" section (garnered from documents in the public domain). Each issue usually includes two serious book reviews, sometimes stretching across several pages of small, dense type.

A subscription to this indispensible magazine will enlighten and entertain, equipping the reader to understand the contemporary world.

I was bored by this magazine. The artistic analysis and views were useless to me. I have a feeling a small group of people into arts and culture would love it. Not for a casual reader hoping to be entertained.

read harpers to sidestep the pointless left/right debate
read harpers and learn how to think multi-dimensional
(i guess harpers looks left-leaning to those who think fox news
is balanced and fair)
ive been a reader for decades...i didnt know it was liberal
media

The interesting thing about Harpers is that it is a liberal biased magazine. It doesn't try to be "far and balanced" it clearly attacks the agenda of the conservative right. The interesting thing is that instead of calling the other view point "Treason" it uses facts and evidence to back up its view point. The general format is 2 or 3 major articles, a host of snipits from interesting readings some of which are interesting and some boring, the famed list of facts of who cares. i.e. voters who supported GW last time but not now who are expatriot Iraq's etc.

It has good value for the money, amount worth reading per issue cost. However Atlantic has more meat per issue, and the New Yorker being a weekly tends to be more on top of current events. Still its interesting for those who care about things like the growing monopoly of business'es like Clear Channel.

I've been subscribing to Harper's for years. In fact, I started after reading editor Lewis Lapham's "Money and Class in America: Notes and Observations on our Civil Religion" and at least one other book, a collection of his essays.

First, Lapham's "column" at the beginning of each issue I cannot recommend enough. In the case of the recent Iraq war, for example, Mr. Lapham had the guts to stand up against it. And he did so in an eloquent and erudite way, less volatile than any stand I was able to publicly make.

The rest of the content is the best I've ever read in an American periodical. For those who refer to Harper's as "leftist," I'm forced to disagree. There have been articles that are not remotely "leftist," with some of which I happen to agree. But most would consider most of the material "liberal."

(While I'm not much of a short story reader, those who read them in this magazine say they're the best.)

Thanks so much, Mr. Lapham, for your erudite commentaries on Iraq, on George W., on 9/11, and on countless other subjects. I look forward to each issue.

The best of the intellectual and, why not, the absurd. Entertaining, thought-provoking. Worth every dime.

In June of 1850, a new magazine appeared on the American scene. Created by a New York publishing company called Harper & Brothers, the periodical received the appropriate name "Harper's Magazine." Over the years, the magazine began printing articles and stories from American authors, including William Dean Howells, Mark Twain, Theodore Dreiser, John Muir, Jack London, and many other big literary names immediately recognizable to readers of literature. Harper's also published news about the big stories of the day, such as an article written by Henry Stimson defending the use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Astonishingly enough, the magazine nearly folded in 1980 until several big shots stepped in and rescued the periodical with grant money. Needless to say, Harper's Magazine still chugs along, and I recently subscribed to see what this historic publication looks like today. What I found both elated and bothered me. Harper's Magazine is an entertaining read, if the September 2003 edition is any indication, but at the same time the politics expressed in several of the entries left a slightly sour taste in my mouth.

The September issue overflows with articles about politics, book reviews, essays, letters from readers, pictures of artwork, and several excerpts from current literary efforts. There is even a doozy of a puzzle towards the end of the magazine for those who want to test their mental powers. It looks as though the editors of the magazine keep advertising to a minimum (a good thing), and there weren't any of those annoying, and sometimes perfumed, inserts you find in most magazines. Nothing kills a magazine quicker in my mind than detecting waves of some cheap cologne wafting off an article about politics or entertainment.

My favorite odor free articles in this issue of Harper's included a travelogue piece about Waziristan, a rugged region in Pakistan where Taliban exiles mix with hostile Pashtun tribes who possess a decidedly anti-American mentality. The article, written by an American woman, is slightly histrionic in its presentation but it is very informative. Sure enough, a week after I read this article someone on the news mentioned the region in the context of American anti-terrorism efforts, and I was happy to know something about it before hand. Another article worth mentioning is an essay about the public school system written by a retired teacher. The author of this piece derides the crushing boredom of the educational system for both students and teachers, and traces the development of our schools back to Prussia in the 18th and 19th century. While I disagreed with his political leanings, I did find his conclusion that our schools serve as factories to churn out good little sheep that only know how to shop relevant and satisfying. My favorite literary excerpt comes from an Israeli journalist named Oz Shelach, who wrote a book called "Picnic Grounds." The excerpts come in bite sized little fragments that shed some insight into the problems between the Israelis and Palestinians, among other topics. Some of the stuff in this issue of Harper's Magazine is good reading material.

Regrettably, my politics do not mesh well with the staff at Harper's Magazine. I sighed aloud every time I saw a reference to identity politics, specifically in a literary critique about V.S. Naipaul written by Terry Eagleton. I should be fair and state that I saw a full page advertisement from a group seeking to limit immigration into the United States, and there is a critique of the new Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry that does question the inclusion of several poets who write about nothing except identity themes, so there does seem to be an attempt at balance. Overall, Harper's Magazine is definitely a left oriented publication. I think I can live with it now that I know what to look for in future issues, but for some people this might present a significant problem. One good aspect: while there may be a mess of leftists at the helm of this magazine, at least they still know how to have a laugh. Included in this issue is a description of an Italian board game about women of the night. Based on Monopoly, the Italians call this game "Puttanopoly," and the excerpts taken from the cards in the game are as hilarious as they are inappropriate for this review.

After finishing this issue of the magazine, I realized that even though I disagree with its politics, I am still looking forward to receiving my next issue. I read this magazine cover to cover in just a couple of days, and for the most part I felt I learned a lot about various topics in the process. You simply cannot resist the price offered here for a year's subscription, so give Harper's Magazine a chance. No matter what your outlook on life, I guarantee you will find something here to tickle your fancy.

Harper's Magazine is quite simply the single most comprehensive and highest quality literary rag to date. Displaying an unabashed moderate to left wing view, it is a publication for the people. Unafraid to poignantly uncover some of the world's most touchy subjects, this magazine also proudly displays some of the most talented writers and essayists in the world. With former contributors including V.S. Naipul, Joyce Carol Oates, Don Dilillo, et al., you would be hard pressed to find a literary rival. Fun, user friendly, challenging, and eye opening, Harper's is just the best thing out there. Holding a firm edge over such others as Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, Mother Jones, and The Economist, Harper's delivers information and creativity with zeal unmatched in today's magazine scene.

My favorite Harper's pieces over the years include:

-McManus almost wins the World Series of Poker
-D.F. Wallace takes a cruise
-Pollan flirts with growing opium poppies
-Darcy Frey hangs with a young Stephon Marbury and friends
-DeLillo's "Pafko at the Wall"
-the devastating critique of the McMartin child abuse case

At a buck an issue, it only takes a few brilliant pieces such as these to make this magazine worthwhile.

I finally received a subscription to this amazing magazine as a gift, and I've read my first issue cover-to-cover over the span of two days. This month's (February 2003) issue includes, among other things, an essay on the inevitable doom that humans will eventually face when our planet experiences its next major cosmic collision.. Unless, of course, we manage to annihilate ourselves via environmental, militaristic, pathological, or technological means, pre-empting the arbitrary extinction caused by an asteroid or comet.

Every issue of Harper's contains excellent essays, fiction, political discussion, and of course the Harper's staples, such as the Index. Many of the stories and essays win major literary prizes such as the O'Henry award, and get included in high-profile anthologies such as the *Best American* series. Certainly, for a writer, if you are chosen to appear in Harper's, you are at the pinnacle of your craft.

Although the New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, and many other smaller literary magazines consistantly offer excellent content and visually pleasing formats, Harper's seems to lead the pack -- maybe because of it's no-nonsense approach, limited advertising, regionally non-specific content, and diversity of topics. The fact that Harper's is aided by a non-profit organization must contribute to its quality; certainly any independence from advertisers can only improve the open-endedness and creativity that Harper's excels in.

Along with the Atlantic Monthly, this is probably one of the best mass-circulated literary/cultural periodical in print today. With the Bush administration pursuing an increasingly conservative agenda, Harper's is really at its best since its editors have meaningful opposition to critique and criticize. Plus, this magazine gets away from the "you NEED to know this" mentality--the writing they publish is always excellent, but never limited to breaking news or urgent matters. Well-balanced and enjoyable.

Harper's Magazine is in a sense a unique medium. It is a place where literate authors share their viewpoints through essays, memoirs and short stories. It's extraordinary in that although its periodicals may contradict each other, they are all well-written. The magazine deals primarily with politics and its content is typically liberal. If you're up for the challenge, you'll find it educational and enjoyable to read!

Finally, I've found a magazine that keeps my mind active long after I've set it down. Each month I discover a deeper understanding into today's issues and look at things with a new perspective thanks to the thoughtful words in Harper's. I recommend this magazine to anyone looking to learn more about our country and the vast world around us.

...a day of great joy. This is the most recent of my magazine (re)-discoveries, and one that I am quickly discovering it difficult to be without. It provides wit, thought-provoking material, and the odd bizaare classified advertisement (nothing like an offer for free material on forthcoming alien invasions to brighten my day). The editorial staff is deserving of commendation for assembling such literate, thoughtful, and relevant articles. Though certainly not devoid of bias (and who'd want that, anyway?), it is a remarkable and enjoyable magazine.

Whenever I feel that this country has gone beserk, I read Harper's and especially Lewis Lapham's editorials, and realize that sanity still exists. He always seems to hit the mark squarely and it is a shame that we don't hear and see more of him.

I discovered this wonderful magazine by chance a short time ago. I wish I had discovered it sooner. Out of curiosity I decided to read it and it was well worth it. I have read magazines such as Time and Newsweek on and off over the years so I had expected similar articles. I was amazed at the outstanding quality of the magazine in comparison to the commoner periodicles. It was like a stallion among donkeys. The thought provoking articles, reviews, etc. are an intellectual pleasure to read. I actually feel like I have attained a greater understanding of the world after reading an issue (...). I recommend that you read an issue of this magazine for yourself to see if it really is all I've said it is or if I'm just a fool who is overenthusiastic about a periodical.

Harper's is simply a joy to read. I look forward to each new issue. Harper's and Mother Jones are easily the most well written magazines available in the US. The New Yorker and The Economist (from a literary perspective) would probably tie for third. I would also agree with past reviews regarding the political slant (centrist).