What magazines are good for improving reading and writing skills?

[PremedGunner]

i was thinking the new yorker? the economist is also good but i dont think it is as interesting as the new yorker, and it is mostly about financial and economic matters, where as i want to read more about social issues as well so i can become a good writer in a diverse field of topics.






sorry, this is like my 3rd thread today, but this is my day off and i have been on sdn all day and i'm registering for classes and i have all these things swirling around my head like a vortex of panic and worry.

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[LizzyM]

The Economist is not just about economics and finance. It is the best (IMO) news weekly anywhere. It provides information about the the UK, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas. It is light on entertainment news but does a good job with science and technology.

The New Yorker is another good one.

 

[IPremed2010]

If you are talking about the MCAT Verbal, I have heard to read the passages found in other standardized tests such as GRE and OAT.

 

[Caesar]

I like the Economist. I like National Geographic as well. Newsweek is usually a good read. I also like to read the New York Times.

If you take a class that has a lot of basic science journal reading you will hate it at the time but it makes you a better reader I think.

 

[Cypher321]

Screw periodicals...try some of these:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(novel)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperion_(Simmons_novel)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Worlds_of_Frank_Herbert
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Foundation_Series
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theives_World
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Count_of_Monte_Cristo

Aside from having great stories, these novels have multiple plots and charcters to follow plus many also have a deeper level of thinking woven into the writing.

 

[planktonelement]

New York Review of Books. It's a level of discourse above the Economist and the New Yorker.

 

[indya]

http://tinyurl.com/2g6osff

<---- my personal collection of great books.


in addition, the economist is good, but the wall street journal is better. however, IMHO, the financial times is the greatest newspaper ever created. (and no, it isn't only about finance.)

 

[goldandapager]

The Economist is good for analysis, but I wouldn't read it to become a better writer. My favorites are The New Yorker and The Atlantic.

 

[bravofleet4]

reading good books also helps and i don't mean New York Time Best Sellers. books like 1984 made me think a lot and they also helped me understand a lot of cultural references. as a bonus, You're likely to be asked what the last book you read was on your interviews as well.

 

[ILikeDrugs]

I've never understood how magazines like the economist, atlantic, and new yorker are suppose to help your verbal comprehension. How are you going to know if you are truly comprehending what the article is trying to convey? There are no tests in the back of the magazine. What if you think that you comprehending the articles but you really aren't or not as well as you should be? How will you know? I just don't see how you're suppose to know if you're improving or not. 😕

 

[indya]

I've never understood how magazines like the economist, atlantic, and new yorker are suppose to help your verbal comprehension. How are you going to know if you are truly comprehending what the article is trying to convey? There are no tests in the back of the magazine. What if you think that you comprehending the articles but you really aren't or not as well as you should be? How will you know? I just don't see how you're suppose to know if you're improving or not. 😕

do you just read a book and then never think about it again? usually people discuss books, articles, news, etc. this helps a lot in comprehension. but ya, if you were on a deserted island with only a stack of the economist, your reading comprehension may not get any better.

 

[PremedGunner]

sorry for your confusion, i just had the understanding that by reading regularly, you become a better reader and writer. but yeah, definately some great suggestions.

i wouldnt say i hate reading fitional books, but there has been too many times that i've read a few chapters only to never continue, and good novels are hard to come by.

i'd say the new yorker is the best choice because it has a blend of factual articles and more creative articles where as the economist is more along the lines of straight fact. meh!

kind of embarassing but the last novel i finished was the lost symbol by dan brown 6 months ago and before that i cant remember. i just cant finish! but i did read a lot of non fiction when i was really into finance! i was reading about 4 investing books a month. speaking of investing, it's been good lately!

 

[thebaine]

The Economist hands down!

 

[cheesier]

I don't know if this matters to you, but the Economist is far more expensive than the New Yorker. All of the content is available for free online, so I read it there rather than paying $150 for a subscription.

 

[PremedGunner]

yes, it certainly matters, but i cant read for long periods of time on a monitor like i can on glossy pages. the new yorker scription is not bad, 100 bucks for 3 years! weekly! when you consider how much i've spent on video games, this is nothing, and this is far more valuable than any video game.

 

[LizzyM]

I've never understood how magazines like the economist, atlantic, and new yorker are suppose to help your verbal comprehension. How are you going to know if you are truly comprehending what the article is trying to convey? There are no tests in the back of the magazine. What if you think that you comprehending the articles but you really aren't or not as well as you should be? How will you know? I just don't see how you're suppose to know if you're improving or not. 😕

Just reading more densely written material helps you gain speed and comprehension... just as it did when you had "Reading" in grade school you went from simple stories to more complex ones with more vocabulary, longer sentences, etc. Reading good material also helps you see good sentence and paragraph structure and exposes you to new vocabulary.

Ther may be no tests in the back of the magazine but you can ask yourself about the main points of the article, if two or more opinions are presented or if there is a slant to the material.

 

[JoshuaGuit]

This may be a very dumb question so I hope no one minds...

I haven't yet read an example of an MCAT verbal passage. Would reading published scientific research articles have the same effect as the news articles you are all listing? I don't mean articles like on wired, I'm talking about abstract, intro, methods/techniques, results, discussion.

Thanks!

 

[NickNaylor]

This may be a very dumb question so I hope no one minds...

I haven't yet read an example of an MCAT verbal passage. Would reading published scientific research articles have the same effect as the news articles you are all listing? I don't mean articles like on wired, I'm talking about abstract, intro, methods/techniques, results, discussion.

Thanks!

I wouldn't think so, because on VR if you have to do a lot inferring and summarizing. With scientific articles, the writing is usually very clear-cut and basic. You might learn some new terminology, but it's a completely different style with a different purpose.

 

[305602]

How do you guys feel about Scientific American? I really enjoy it and assume that it is improving my comprehension/reasoning abilities just like any other magazine would. Anyone else read it?

 

[indya]

I actually have read it a few times in lobbies and waiting-rooms. It seems /alright/, but the publications mentioned above (the economist, the new yorker, wsj, financial times) are much better.