Magazines

The official magazine of Microsoft operating system (OS) Windows Vista serves primarily as an extension of Vista's help and support center and as a product review publication. As the successor to Windows XP, Vista, released in early 2007, features several improvements, most notably in visual style, peer-to-peer technology, and OS security—XP had been plagued by vulnerabilities to viruses, spyware, and other malware. While the magazine sports an appealing format, much of its content can be readily obtained over the Internet at no cost. For larger public libraries only.

Modern medicine, nutrition, and exercise science have fundamentally altered the process of aging for many Americans, and increasing numbers of people are now routinely enjoying healthy, active lives well into their eighties and nineties. This buoyant publication, which celebrates the blessings and challenges of aging, certainly stands to gain large numbers of readers as the baby boomers move into their retirement years. Emphasizing fitness, relationships, and overall well-being, ELDR Magazine promises to serve as a guidepost for readers looking to make the most of their golden years. For most public libraries.

When the mystic/guru G.I. Gurdjieff died in 1949, he left behind a curious yet influential body of teachings loosely centered on humankind's capacity for self-awareness. Gurdjieff's philosophy, often referred to as "The Work," still resonates with present-day freethinkers, as exhibited by the continuing presence (and recent redesign) of Gurdjieff Journal and others. The profiled issue contains worthwhile articles about Gurdjieff followers John Lester and Ethel Merston, as well as book, film, and art reviews about related works. Because the journal is primarily directed at readers familiar with Gurdjieff's teachings, its appeal is limited outside of larger libraries.

Published by EMC Corporation, a major developer of information infrastructure technology, ON is oriented toward information managers. With fields such as librarianship, archives management, and information technology undergoing rapid change as the amount of information in the world expands, the need for interdisciplinary materials that address these changes is readily apparent. However, ON, more of a professional newsletter than anything else, probably isn't equipped to meet this need. While its short articles on "Information 2.0," "Green IT," and other topics will certainly appeal to working information professionals, it's unlikely that unaffiliated laypersons or academics will share that interest. For large academic and corporate libraries only.

After more than 100 years, this Seventh-day Adventist magazine dealing with religious freedom is more relevant in 2007 than at any other time in recent memory. As American political rhetoric grows increasingly heated over First Amendment issues, especially those concerning the separation of church and state, Liberty's steadfast, evenhanded editorial support of religious liberty seems more necessary than usual. Nicholas Miller's erudite historical essay on Martin Luther and his role in developing the ideas underpinning the American Bill of Rights is the centerpiece of the profiled issue. Recommended for most public libraries.

As one of several new photography-related publications in recent years, JPG inhabits a crowded room. The two-year-old magazine is, however, very much up to the task of attracting attention to itself. According to its editors, it's "for people who love imagemaking without attitude." It's an unpretentious ethic that clearly differentiates this beautiful, full-color publication from its competitors. The magazine is all about building communities among its readers: on its web site, photographers are invited to meet and interact with one another by uploading files and personal profiles and to submit work for possible inclusion in upcoming issues. For most public and academic libraries.

This new bimonthly serves as a welcome showcase for innovative architecture and design. The profiled issue looks at the collaborative projects of designers Michael Meredith and Hilary Sample, the innovative Alan House residential design project in Santa Monica, CA, and the work of environmental artist Ned Kahn. While FORM is edited with the idea that its primary readers are architecture/design professionals and students, its presentation will attract general readers as well. A bit thin on content, the magazine should also emphasize the elegant photographs accompanying its feature articles more; however, there's little doubt that it has a bright future ahead of it.