The February 1995 Reader’s Digest
As explained elsewhere, each issue editor chose and edited the entire contents of the U.S. edition of Reader’s Digest three times a year. This was one of my issues.
(You can read the blurb for any piece by hovering on its title. Tapping or clicking will either open the piece or launch an email asking me for particulars. Or, if the print is too small, use the easier-to-read links below the cover image.)
- You Call This a Good Economy? (p. 49)—The new Congress has a golden opportunity to restore the buying power we had a generation ago
- Player of the Game (p. 52)—The boy couldn’t run, dribble, or shoot, but for one team he was always…
- What I Learned From Dr. Clean (p. 61)—…will make you want to change a few things in your kitchen and bathroom
- Murder in Logan County (p. 65)—“No lump of coal is worth getting killed for,” one union member said. Others apparently disagreed.
- Fiery Ghost of the Deep (p. 70)—It’s almost invisible—but its venom can kill 20 men
- Thank You, Mr. Lincoln (p. 75)—I hid the postcard with his likeness from the authorities, and I hid his words within me forever
- Another Innocent Victim? (p. 83)—“It was one of the worst things I’ve seen in all my years on the force,” said the officer
- The Big Fix (p. 85)—In 3-1/2 years aloft, the Hubble telescope had failed to live up to its promise. Could a space-walking surgeon repair it?
- 20,000 Golf Balls Under the Sea (p. 92)—Only a true entrepreneur could find the hidden treasure
- Stalked by Phone (p. 97)—Constantly harassed by an obscene caller, this woman fought back
- The Country That Works Perfectly (p. 101)—Streets are clean, crime is rare, and everyone prospers. But what about democracy?
- Reverend Spooner’s Tips of the Slung (p. 107)—He had a habit of spewing up his screech, but this was a finer malt and he was well miked by everyone who let him
- Mercy Flight: Missing! (p. 110)—When the plane took off, its two-year-old passenger was fighting to survive. Minutes later, everyone on board was in jeopardy.
- Just Call Me Mister (p. 117)—Why should we let the boors make the rules?
- “Keep Pedaling, Karen!” (p. 121)—A father discovers what every parent must learn
- Money in Your Attic (p. 123)—$1500 for a Barbie doll? $40,000 for an old guitar? With the current rage in collectibles, you may be able to clean up in more ways than one.
- Death Grip (p. 128)—For two rock climbers, a friendly rivalry became a terrifying game
- Does Not Compute (p. 132)—[No blurb. Cartoons about computers.]
- Heroes for Today (p. 134)—Every town and city in America has its own examples of courage, kindness, and decency. Here are three…
- Do You Know Your Heart Attack Risk? (p. 137)—Take this five-minute test and see
- Why We Dream What We Dream (p. 141)—The hours you spend asleep could be the key to a better life
- What They Want to Teach Your Child About Sex (p. 155)—Author Barbara Dafoe Whitehead has been studying sex education in the American classroom. What she discovered is something every parent should know.
- Crime & Punishment (U.S.A.) (p. 165)—Why do we tolerate abuses of justice that let the innocent suffer and wrongdoers go unpunished?
- This Could Slash Your Car Insurance Bill (p. 181)—A new plan could save you hundreds a year
- The Bomb That Shook America (p. 194)—The day terrorism came to America
- Dinner for Two (p. 7)—Ours was never a conventional romance
- The Mystery of Child Prodigies (p. 15)—Are these astonishing performers born, or made?
- Unforgettable Rocky (p. 31)—Well past 100, he was still teaching me by example: “Strengthen yourself!”
Reader’s Digest, February 1995, cover. Reprinted with permission.