Gauging the American Zeitgeist

Want a clear snapshot of the collective American mind?

Go to Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, or Borders. Grab a cup of coffee. Look at the magazine covers. Note: B&N and BAM generally have the best magazine selections. If you're lucky enough to have a local bookstore with an extensive selection, all the better.

Another magazine cover gazer, John Hendricks of the Discovery Channel, notes (sub. req.):

"Every time I walk into a Borders bookstore, I spend a lot of time looking at the magazine rack — because staring at you are all the passions of America. The bride who is about to get married, there is a magazine for her. And for the person who is a little older, there are wonderful travel and leisure magazines."

Try it sometime.

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