I think it's pretty safe to say that I am probably not the target demographic that
Psychology Today has in mind. Most of the issues for this pop psych magazine feature women on the covers. Ostensibly, you probably have some underlying interest in psychology if you happen to pick this mag up off the newsstand or subscribe to it as I do.
Psychology Today was founded by
Nicholas Charney, and has been around for a long time. I remember reading it quite often in the public library during my high school years, and I also read it consistently throughout college as well, but after joining the working world in 1990, I gradually lost interest in
Psychology Today, and that loss of interest coincided with a decline in the overall quality of the magazine.
About a year and a half ago, I noticed a sudden improvement in the magazine covers and the content, so I filled out a new subscriber card and now find myself plucking
PT from my mailbox once again. I suppose my renewed interest in
Psychology Today stems from both the economic slide of the last year, and my current line of work.
As a computer salesman, I consider my occupation to be equal parts bartender and psychologist. You have to be willing to listen to peoples problems, and diagnose obscure computer maladies. At work I am engaged in two specific kinds of listening, one social, and the other analytic. I have to be outgoing and engaging while entertaining the sales prospect, and on the other hand, I also have to actively listen to my customers while balancing my sales approach to achieve my daily goals.
I believe the
variety of information available in
Psychology Today has in the last year made me a better listener, or, at the very least, helped me understand people with differing viewpoints.
When I pick up an issue of
PT, the first thing I usually peruse is the Editor's column.
Kaja Perina is the current
Editor in Chief, and she is one of the main forces behind the resurgence of
Psychology Today. Her column on self-Googling in the April 2004 issue is both insightful and good reportage. It brought a smile to my face.
The five stories tweaked on the cover of the current issue are:
The Soul Mate Quest: the Search that Ruins Real Love
Do First Names Matter?
Beyond DNA: The Identity Revolution
The Lighter Side of Brain Surgery
and
7 Myths That Could End Your Marriage
The nine page article (counting photos) by
Polly Shulman that serves as the centerpiece of the latest issue is deftly written and accurately describes the pitfalls of the search for a
"soul mate." I also recognized the description of an
"ex" in the text of this article. She was
"parked on the border of the relationship, so that she was in it, but not of it." Unfortunately I've read this six years too late, but it is an otherwise instructive article that may allow someone else out there a chance to salvage a close personal relationship.
The second story from this issue, that I'm recommending, is
Hello, My Name is Unique, by
Carlin Flora. This story mainly centers around proper names, first names, the power and meaning of names -- but aspects of the narrative could easily be applied to memes, product brands, and trends.
The third piece in this issue,
The Identity Dance, by
Gunjan Sinha is simply a good read and describes how personalities are forged from both a mixture of DNA and life experience. The article is a nice compare and contrast of five sets of identical twins: Sandra and Marisa Peña, Debbie Quinn and Diane Schierer, Randy and Jason Sklar, Pam Spiro Wagner and Carolyn S. Spiro, and Sha-Asia and Na-Asia Jones. Sitting here in Schlotzsky's and typing this, I can say that article number three would be more interesting if I were a twin or a triplet, but I can see how anyone with a sibling might enjoy this piece.
Relationships. Children's names. Siblings.
Oh my God, I'm reading a chick magazine!
Just kidding.
But seriously,
Psychology Today may want to take another look at the male dynamic lacking in their pages, or I might become disinterested again at some point in the future.
Show us a little testosterone once in awhile. How about articles on Sport Psychology? Throw a dog a bone?
The fourth blurbed story from the cover, really titled
"I Had Brain Surgery, What's Your Excuse?" is a classic life story of recovery from a major obstacle, and this little gem is infused with empathy and humor. I had never heard of
Suzy Becker until I read her article here, but I might buy her next published book on the strength of this article.
Lastly, the fifth article, you might miss it if you were flipping through the pages fast.
7 Myths That Could End Your Marriage is a Sidebar article attached to the centerpiece story,
The Soul Mate Quest. Since I'm not married, this one didn't appeal to me at all.
Having covered the major bases in the April issue of
Psychology Today, let me close up with this... I think I've given you a good feel for the types of stories and kinds of editorial calls you'll find on a monthly basis within the pages of
Psychology Today.
I promise to you that I am a subscriber to this magazine, and I have several more issues close at hand, and I could easily regurgitate other articles, author names, and headlines if prodded, but I find that this is unnecessary for the point of a simple review.
I do not believe you have to review the whole history of a magazine to produce a useful magazine review for Epinions.com.
A global view is not always better.
Sometimes a slender review reveals more.
As always, I'll leave it up to you to judge.
(135/242)
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