What I regularly read - Dave Travis

(Note: This post is cross-posted at books.leadnet.org)

Our editor wants me to regularly write about “What I am reading.” So to throw him a bone I will share a few things from this week.

 

I confess to being a voracious consumer of written words. I hate idle moments so I always have several books and magazines going at once.

 

Most magazines I subscribe to get thrown in my bag for plane rides. Occasionally I rip and read, skimming for something I have interest and ripping that article into a folder that I take out over time. But most of the time I throw the entire issues in, read what I want, rip out a few pages to keep and deposit the carcass in the seatback pocket.

My other method is to pile them up here at the house and during TV sports, read through them.

 

The weeklies:

My daughter reads TIME and I generally skim it not for news but for the back of the book articles on pop culture.

I read the New Yorker – every word by Gladwell and Surowiecki, the feature, the humor but not the editorials, fiction or theater reviews. But the cartoons are good for a chuckle.

Sports Illustrated – my dad got me a subscription when I was nine and has ever since. Always the long piece, always the brief stuff up front. I miss Rick Reilly.

I used to subscribe to The Economist for a European view of the world. Loved its humor but it is expensive and wasn’t really worth it. I still pick up a single issue about once a month. Usually because I have heard there is a special report I want to read.

 

The every other week stuff:

I have subscribed to FORTUNE for over 15 years and read it cover to cover except for the stock picks. I think it is little too much about Warren Buffet, GE and P and G but I will say that I have gained more ideas from this magazine than anywhere else.

I tried Forbes but never got their point of view.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy – I run hot and cold on it. It piles up and then I breeze through it. I think it’s important for me to keep up with the not for profit world. I do rip lots of articles out but rarely do anything with them.

 

The Monthlies:

Fast Company – I have subscribed again because all of these have really dropped their subscription price. Love the layout and design and some of the feature articles. I usually rip one or two things out each month. Great airplane mag because it is heavy and lightens my load when I leave it.

Wired – Same as above. Plus they are basically giving it away now with a free subscription if you subscribe to another Conde Nast mag.

Portfolio – is primarily a business magazine that quite honestly, I don’t think it is going to make it. But I like their feature articles.

 

So what do I gain from all this reading?

A. a sense of the bigger world beyond my organization and context.

B. Some sense of what is hot and not, who is writing well and selling. So it does inform my book purchases.

C. A few, good practical ideas I can apply to my work. If I can get 1 good idea a week I am happy.

 

IF I was forced and only had budget and time for one a week the winner would be---------------

The Economist.

Yep, even though I don’t read it regularly and its expensive, it has the most information and ideas per week.

But I can subscribe to multiple other mags for the same price and read more widely.

 

OK, how about you?

 

What are the mags you read weekly or monthly that inform your worldview and thinking and why?

 

 

Dave Travis

Managing Director

Leadership Network

Comments

[Linda Stanley]

Am seriously considering cancelling ALL mag subscriptions for a year. I have piles of unread books I want to read and not enough time to read them. I scan Congregations print mag only because it comes to my mailbox now. On a related note, I've stopped reading blogs on a regular basis unless someone posts an interesting tweet with a link to a blog. Have observed several twitter friends also stopped reading blogs. I find myself searching the web for topics and articles I want to research and then going to the online version to read. Would be curious to know what other people do.