Customer Reviews

The Wilson Quarterly

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

WQ is a joy to read. The writing is rich, lively, intelligent, and scholarly. It rarely, if ever, slips into jargon or staid academic writing. It's an indispensable counteragent to cabalistic, pseudo-scientific journals like Social Text.

Whether you're looking for a considered look at the death penalty, a history lesson on English poor relief, or a discussion on the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein, you'll find it in WQ.

How to sum up WQ? A compendium of thoughtful and engaging essays on a variety of issues germane to being human--a breath of fresh, untendentious air.

My only complaint is that it only comes out 4 times a year.

The art of short non-fiction writing lives on. I have subscribed to this magazine since 1981, a very different world then, but have been consistently impressed with WQ. This magazine has always demonstrated an excellence in style, content and quality of writing. My favorite is that it has reviews of other magazine articles, something I always look forward to. If controversy or an edge is what you are looking for, this may not be your cup of soup. But if you are looking for a condensed and concise article on a subject you may know nothing about, coming away feeling just a little bit more informed about the world, I can't think of a better source.

There are so many news and commentary magazines out there, so which one should the curious reader pick? Perhaps the TIME-NEWSWEEK-U.S. NEWS trifecta? Or perhaps a more serious subscription to THE NATIONAL REVIEW, THE WEEK, THE NATION, THE ECONOMIST, THE AMERICAN PROSPECT, THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR, or another smaller-circulation journal?

Personally, my vote goes to THE WILSON QUARTERLY. This periodical, amazingly, seems to carry no hidden agenda. No spins or propaganda--just fair, well-informed, and well-balanced reporting and analysis. The reading, more on political topics than cultural ones (i.e., don't expect pieces from NEW YORKERs and ATLANTICs), follows in the same in-depth reporting tradition of related journals, such as the equally thick-volumed FOREIGN AFFAIRS, BRILL'S CONTENT, and the slimmer HARVARD INTERNATIONAL REVIEW, featuring substantial articles on important current national and world events. The style is not so scholarly as to require a degree in political science to comprehend, but neither is it so watered-down that you will find yourself reading the journal in the bathroom, along with PEOPLE and ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY.

So whereas the ultra-conservative set may take bow-tie shopping tips from Tucker Carlson and his fellow writers at THE WEEKLY STANDARD, and liberal dullards may continue to leaf daily through USA TODAY as if it were the paragon of journalistic culture, the independent mind may rely on THE WILSON QUARTERLY for his or her source of news, commentary, and expert analysis.

Over the years I have read and/or subscribed to many different magazines. This one is my all time favorite. I try to read it in phases to savor it. My only complaint - the quarterly status. When I first receive my issue, I tend to look thru the articles, authors, etc. This I follow with reading the letters section. Afterwards I go to the book reviews. Each article I then skim, returning to them one at a time for an in depth reading. That finished, I puruse the ads for books, conferences, etc. Accomplishing that, I know it is time to start again. I must say, I learn something new each time I open the magazine. How I look at the articles chosen for each themed
issue is, only the best of the best makes the cut. For anyone who appreciates a view that is centered and not biased, who enjoys learning about our world and our history, in concise articles, this is a magazine I believe will be enjoyed.

The coverage of the articles is excellent, although aimed more at social "sciences" -- you won't see much overlap between WQ and Scientific American, or National Geographic, for instance. But they delve into their topics at a satisfying depth, and come out only quarterly so you stand a chance of keeping up with your reading.

But my favorite sections are the "In Essence" periodical reviews, and the "Current Books" reviews. These will satisfy the appetite of an information glutton perfectly. Small enough that you can read every review, detailed enough that you'll know when to followup for more.

A strong recommendation for any intelligent reader, even if only for a trial run.

Since I discovered this periodical in my campus library, I have loved it and shared the info. I enjoy the articles. I bought a book from one of the authors featured. The other day I nearly laughed out with some of the content and then went on to read a serious article in the same volume. I highly recommend it for peole who thirst for knowledge.

I subscribe to about a dozen magazines on current events, politics and the academic world. And this is the best. The stories are always punchy and novel, and the other sections truly shine: If anything broadly salient has been published in an academic journal in the last three months, you can be sure that the Wilson Quarterly will have a perfectly distilled synopsis. The book reviews are also excellent.

To be clear: This is a thick magazine aimed at academics (broadly defined). But don't confuse "thick" or "academic" with "stuffy" or "unreadable"; the writing is as breezy as any newspaper and surprisingly topical. I started reading it in the library as an undergrad, and was overjoyed to discover that subscriptions are as cheap as they are. Now I'm a graduate student, and every issue seems to contain something relevant to my research. This is a priceless periodical.

The Wilson Quarterly is probably my favorite publication. Few others are as fascinating; its diversity and intellectualism make most other magazines pale in comparison. Simply extraordinary.

I will admit, I have only read two issues of the magazine. But from my experience with it, the journalists try to stay in the middle of the road too much. Most of the articles are more of reports than essays, reviews, or editorial pieces. That in itself isn't really the problem. The problem is that a quarterly (or even bimonthly or monthly) doesn't exactly have time to do basic reporting. Leave that to the daily newspapers and the weekly magazines. It may just be my opinion, but I believe an international affairs magazine that comes out monthly or less needs to focus on making a message or vision out of a story and explain how it will effect foreign relations in the future and how governments and NGOs need to shape their policies due to events that have occurred or are likely to occur. Otherwise, it becomes out of date within the next couple weeks.

The one part of the journal I did enjoy, though, was the book reviews. These offered great pieces on international affairs that bordered on editorials in many cases.

Overall, I think the magazine and its articles are well-written, but they don't really achieve their goal. For a great magazine on international relations, Foreign Affairs is the only way to go.

This is definitely the cream of the crop. I would recommend this publication to anyone. It is well-rounded, thoughtful, and aware of present events without being sensationally consumed by them. Definitely worth subscribing.