Feeling out of the loop? Then read THE WEEK and know what's going on!

The Week magazine is one of the most read magazines my family subscribes to. It takes all of the main stories that have happened around the world in the last week and gives them to you in a condensed, Readers Digest style.

Their slogan ~ All you need to know about everything that matters


WHAT TO EXPECT IN EACH ISSUE

Most of The Week's articles are from other publications. There is no index and although it looks like A LOT of information and subjects 99% of the issues are 50 pages or less!

NEWS This is divided into 9 main categories ~

• "The main stories....and how they were covered."
This covers the one or two most reported stories of the week ~ Iraq, the election, security etc.

• "Talking Points" This is a great section as it covers the **Controversy of the Week **Good Week for... ** Bad week for... **Only in America **Wit & Wisdom (quotes from the week) and **Boring but important.
My favorites her would be the Controversy of the Week which is told from both sides and the Only in America which is proof there will always be guest for the Jerry Springer show!

• "The World at a Glance"
This seems to be one of the larger sections in the News area, running 3 or 4 pages at times. One great part about this area is not only does it fill you in on what is going on around the world, it colors the area on a map that the article is talking about. This has really helped my children understand the location of these stories to one another.

• "People" which also include the "Gossip" section.
It is here where I read about Harrison Ford acting like a drunk fool before it came out in the Enquire and where Paris Hilton's spokeswomen "explained" how some couple make those tapes for fun.

• "Pick of the Week's cartoons"
A few (one page) of the funnier cartoons, never all on the same subject.

• "Briefing"
A one page write up of a subject in the news ~ one of the better ones was on Cannibalism.

• "Best columns: The U.S."

• "Best columns: Europe"

• "Best columns: International"

Usually one page each.

•"Health & Science"
Quick articles of health and Science questions and/or finding that came out during the week. Sometimes these are combined on one page and other times it is one page for each.


ARTS This is divided into 5 main categories ~

• "Books" This covers **reviews, ** New release in paperback ** Best Books by a different guest each week and the **Author of week interview.

• "Stage"

• "Art"

• "Film"

• "Music"

All four of the above have reviews that were published during the week.

LEISURE This is divided into 5 main categories~

• "Travel"
covers things like Hotel of the week or best places to wait for a flight

• "Consumer"
Covers different consumer information tidbits like spring blooming bulbs and the best do it yourself kits

• "Best Properties on the Market"
Everything from Caboose Ranch, to a home with a private golf course to a London penthouse. Let's just say that none of ours homes will make it here when we all sell!

• "Food and Drink"
Changes on what type of things it covers ~ over Thanksgiving they gave Turkey dinner recipes and hints.

• "Television"
This is actually off by itself but I think it is considered leisure. Here you will find things for NEXT week instead of what has already happened, which makes sense. It covers ** Movies on TV, ** Guide to what's worth watching, ** show of the week and ** New on DVD.

OBITUARIES
At the end of the year they did a layout with all the different deaths by category ~ media, sports, politics etc.

BUSINESS This is divided into 2 main categories ~

• "Making Money"
This has a small article that changes (Investing, The Shrinking dollar etc.) and **What the experts think and a **Recovery Report

• "Companies in the news"
Covering companies that were in the news during the week because of business dealings.

THE LAST WORD
This is a 2 page article covering a different subject each week.


WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE WEEK

1. We have VERY busy schedules at my house and yet it always seems like I am waiting here or waiting there! I keep The Week in the car and read it while I am waiting ~ be it in the car or at the pool or at child's lesson. I use to try and read a novel then but was forever having to start then stop then start again only to have to stop 4 minutes later! The way The Week is set up, with the many quick articles, I can get some read and keep up to date no matter how short my wait is!

2. The articles are simply reported ~ with just the facts. I am REALLY fond of this since my kids are reading these articles and I want them to grow up and make their OWN minds up about how they feel about the issues. MANY magazines are VERY slanted in what they cover and I want my kids to grow up able to debate BOTH sides before they make up their minds where they stand.



WHAT I DISLIKE ABOUT THE WEEK

1. I seem to fall behind. All the things i LOVE about the magazine also add to what I dislike about it! Since each of the articles are so short, I try to read it "on the run" and so if my waiting time is somehow, shorten (kids along, visiting etc.) I only get a few pages read by the time the next one comes.



JUST THE FACTS PLEASE

Publication

The Week is a weekly magazine that comes out 48 times per year.

Price

The cover price is $3.00 but I haven't seen it for sale in my local stores.

The subscription card that falls out of the magazine offers it for $1.19 per issue for 25 weeks.

I got 2 years for FREE from an Internet deal offered before the magazine went to press. While I have not seen that offer since, you can get a good deal from one of the many online subscription sites.


FINAL THOUGHTS

We get over 25 magazines delivered to our mailbox and 98% of them we don't pay for, they are either FREE from Internet deals or from airline miles we'll never. The Week is one we got from an Internet deal and after getting it since August of 2003, I can now say it is one of very few magazines I will spend my own money to renew.

It is a quick and easy way to stay on top of what is happening around the world. Granted, it doesn't give you in depth information about ANY subject but it does give you enough to understand it and often to enough to make you take to time to learn more.

I would rate The Week a full five stars and say it is suitable for everyone over the age of 12.