Table of contents for October 2024 in Reader's Digest

AS I HOPE you will not be surprised to learn, Reader’s Digest is put together by a bunch of very nice folks. It’s something of a job requirement, in fact. The magazine’s founder, DeWitt Wallace, used to roam the halls of the headquarters on summer Friday afternoons and tell everyone to quit working and go enjoy the day. Oh, and the headquarters were located in the nicest-sounding place you could conjure: Pleasantville, New York. So it’s absolutely fitting that one of our biggest projects of the year is our Nicest Places in America contest. For eight years now, we have asked all of you nice folks to tell us about the nice places where you live, work, play, volunteer, or hail from. This year we selected six, with Provo, Utah,…

Mail Bonding In the post office in Grand Prairie, Texas, Alvin Gauthier discovered some letters dated 1942 to 1945 and addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lamb in Jacksonville, Arkansas. A stamp read: “U.S. Army Postal Service.” A Marine vet who’d served in Iraq, Gauthier knew the importance of mail to soldiers and their families. He was determined to see the lost letters delivered. With help from KARK-TV in Little Rock, he tracked down the last surviving member of the Lamb family, JoAnn Smith, whose older brother Marion wrote the letters while serving in World War II. On his day off, Gauthier drove five hours to Jacksonville to hand the letters to a tearful Smith. “It’s a connection to my family,” she told KARK. “Sometimes,” Gauthier said, “you just go…

THE TALE OF the pretzel’s enduring popularity crisscrosses a medieval monk with a modern mall mogul, with a lot of twists and turns in between. Our story begins around 610 C.E., when a monk in northern Italy braided ropes of bread dough to resemble crossed arms in prayer. He baked the treats until golden and gave them as rewards to his students at the monastery. That iconic knot shape became popular with bakers in Europe during the Middle Ages, and Germans especially took to the art of pretzel twisting. Starting as early as the 12th century, German bakers hung pretzel-shaped signs above their doorways “as a symbol that you could find fresh-baked breads inside,” says Saveur writer Ben Crair, adding, “Pretzels were once so special that medieval painters would dab…

THERE’S A FINE line between educating someone on a subject and being an overbearing bore. I trampled that line a long time ago. Just the other day, my wife and I were discussing how painful childbirth is. Scratch that. I was discussing how painful childbirth is; the person who actually gave birth to a child was rolling her eyes. “I [that would be me] would have to say the pain is akin to the sensation of having your insides ripped apart by two gerbils fighting over a lettuce leaf. That, or watching an 8-year-old trying to tell a joke. But even those examples don’t capture the agony.” Jennifer rolled her eyes in the direction of the TV remote and picked it up. “The thing I can best compare it to…

IF YOU’VE HAD shingles, or you know someone who has, then you know what a painful condition it can be. It’s also surprisingly common: One in three people will develop shingles (medical name: herpes zoster) in their lifetime, adding up to an estimated 1 million cases in the United States each year. Fortunately, there are very effective ways to prevent getting shingles, and effective ways to treat it if you are unlucky enough to get it. What It Is Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV)—the same vims that causes chickenpox. When you’re exposed for the first time, you develop chickenpox. But when you recover, the virus doesn’t leave your body. It lies dormant in nerves that emerge from the spinal cord and causes no problems until something reactivates…

WHEN CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE IDALIA, complete with 125-mph winds, came pounding across the Gulf of Mexico in August 2023, Horseshoe Beach, Florida, took a direct hit. An idyllic enclave of some 200 permanent residents in the state’s sparsely populated Big Bend region, the town prides itself on its old-fashioned vibe, neighborly spirit and resistance to commercialization. “They paved the roads back about 15 years ago,” says Mayor Jeff Williams, “and a lot of people in town raised Cain about it.” Horseshoe Beach had no cell service or internet access until 2014. Now, one of Florida’s final frontiers faced an existential threat. Idalia’s storm surge damaged or destroyed every building that wasn’t constructed on pilings. Forty homes were washed away completely. Devastated residents returned to town later the same day, shell-shocked…

WHAT WAS THE most important medical discovery of all time? Was it antibiotics, which gave doctors a way to fight deadly infections? What about medical imaging such as X-rays and CT scans, which allow doctors to look inside the human body to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions? Both of these innovations, of course, have saved many lives. But there’s one that leaves them in the dust. According to the World Health Organization, vaccines have saved more human lives—154 million, including 101 million infants, in the last 50 years alone—than any other medical invention in history. The first successful human vaccine was the smallpox vaccine, developed in 1796. Smallpox used to kill millions of people each year, and the vaccine has saved many millions of lives. We no longer…

It’s no secret that almost every fad eventually loses its appeal. (We’re looking at you, post-lockdown mullet!) However, some trends seem to have always been around because, well, they have always been around, at least as far as we can rememher-and then some. Photobombing In case you haven’t noticed, people have been taking a lot more pictures since the invention of the smartphone. As a result, countless individuals go out of their way to make chance encounters as memorable as possible—for themselves. The word photobombing, meaning popping up in a photo uninvited, first appeared online in 2008 and was enshrined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in 2015. The oldest known example of this odd behavior took place in the early 1850s, when a woman named Sally sat alongside a Mrs. Reed…

TV A new comedy that’s sure to inspire laughs and teach something about love, cutting us up in more ways than one? Yes, we do want this! Noah (Adam Brody) is a young, brassbound rabbi on the cusp of proposing to his “perfect,” familyapproved girlfriend, Rebecca (Emily Arlook). Then a chance collision with Joanne (Kristen Bell), an outspoken agnostic who co-hosts a hit podcast about the joys of life alone, rocks both their worlds. The O.C. heartthrob Brody brings the rom and The Good Place funnywoman Bell brings the com. (Streaming on Netflix Sept. 26) —CF BOOKS Blood Test: A Comedy By Charles Baxter Brock Hobson, a cliche of wholesomeness as a midwestern dad, insurance salesman and Sunday school teacher, finds himself facing a life-altering revelation. Follow our sympathetic protagonist’s…

1. lob v. (lahb) A scribble B chop C throw 2. inveigle v. (in-’vay-gl) A convince with flattery B negotiate C tangle up 3. canvass v. (’kan-vuhs) A lengthen B su rvey C crisscross 4. foment v. (’foh-ment) A turn sour B stir up C snarl 5. hew v. (hyoo) A conform B inform C deform 6. undulate v. (’uhn-juh-layt) A sell short B overshadow C move in waves 7. garner v. (’gahr-nr) A correct B beautify C earn 8. gambol v. (’gam-bl) A make a deal B skip happily C sand smooth 9. quaver v. (’kway-vr) A tremble B stall C debate 10. futz v. (fuhts) A stumble over B stink up C fool around 11. opine v. (oh-’pyn) A relieve pain B imprison C express an opinion 12. mewl v. (myool) A droop B whimper C crush 13. expedite v. (’ek-spuh-dyt)…

Stories That Stay with Us We pack each issue of RD with stories of lasting interest, but some have endured in our memories for longer than others. Take, for instance, the brown spaniel who helps comfort other rescue dogs, or the man who fought for 29 years to prove his innocence. These inspirational tales and more of our most captivating content are inside The Best of Reader’s Digest Timeless Favorites. The book is yours for just $10. (We’ll spot you the shipping.) Order a copy at rd.com/2308C.…

TEN YEARS AGO, when college students in Ottawa, Canada, tied scarves to fences and around the necks of statues, with notes to homeless people to help themselves, they had no idea they were launching a movement. But today, “scarf bombing” is definitely a thing. Knitters across the United States are turning wool and fleece into scarves, hats and gloves, then leaving them in places where the needy congregate, like bus shelters. In Jacksonville, Florida, a note reads: “I am not lost! If you’re stuck in the cold, take this gift to keep warm.” The scarves warm body and soul, Suzanne Volpe, a bomber from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, told the Washington Post. The gifts, she says, tell homeless people that “somebody cares.”…

As a nutritionist, I find a good bone broth so nourishing, especially in the afternoon as a pick-me-up. Last winter, it was a constant after my toddlers brought home a bug that turned into cold after cold at our house. I recommend bone broth to my clients who are struggling with excess weight, gut symptoms, low energy, depression, immunity and more. The ingredients gelatin, glycine and glutamine cansupportdigestive health. Proline and hyaluronic acid promote collagen production, which helps with skin elasticity and hydration. When I drank bone broth every day for a week, I was less bloated and I didn't crave an afternoon snack. I also noticed that I was less thirsty after working out. Some brands of store-bought bone broth can be high in sodium, so I make my…

IN 2003, THREE CHURCHES brought a mobile dental clinic to Cashiers, North Carolina, a tiny vacation town with just 752 year-round residents. When the clinic moved on, hundreds of hopefuls were left in line. Church volunteers who saw the good that accessible dental care could do raised funds to buy office space. Dental practices donated chairs and equipment; a dentist and a hygienist donated their time; and the Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic was open. The pool of volunteers grows every year: In 2023, more than 20 professionals helped some 700 people with overdue fillings, extractions and dentures. “You don’t need to walk around feeling bad about yourself, because they can change your life for the better,” says Elizabeth Hooper, who skipped her school reunion because she couldn’t afford to…

Our Finalists For the past eight years, our readers have nominated thousands of towns, cities, libraries, parks and even a shed as some of the Nicest Places in America. Take a journey around the country to see this year’s winners, starred on the map above. Read more and visit our previous Nicest Places at rd.com/nicest, where we are already collecting nominations for 2025. ★ Provo, Utah ★ Manuel’s Bike Shed in Silver Spring, Maryland ★ Butte, Montana ★ Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic in Cashiers, North Carolina ★ Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York ★ Horseshoe Beach, Florida OUR PAST WINNERS • Gallatin, Tennessee, 2017 • Yassin’s Falafel House in Knoxville, Tennessee, 2018 • Columbiana, Ohio, 2019 • Buchanan, Michigan, 2020 • The Quality Inn in Kodak, Tennessee, 2021 • Coulterville,…

My background is hunting and fishing. I’ve sat around campfires with my father and watched older men talk. I got to know who the real storytellers were. —Kevin Costner, ACTOR, IN DEADLINE Part of growing up is realizing that you haven’t been walking a straight road to where you are now, that it’s been a labyrinth the whole time. —Moshe Kasher, COMEDIAN, IN THE BOOK SUBCULTURE VULTURE Treat yourself, don’t cheat yourself. —Snoop Dogg, MUSICIAN, IN PEOPLE Courage is not the absence of fear; it’s acting in the face of fear. In the same way, grit and determination, for me, are not the absence of self-doubt and insecurity. They’re acting in the face of self-doubt and insecurity. —Cady Coleman, ASTRONAUT, IN THE BOOK SHARING SPACE No matter how poor I’d…

FEAR NOT: These ghoulish fiberglass figures, collectively called Last Supper and cast in a pose similar to the one in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the same name, mean you no harm. Their sculptor didn’t think they’d last two years in the desert, but they have hovered just outside the Gold Rush-era ghost town of Rhyolite since 1984. Where are they? (Answer on PAGE 111.) A Beatty, Nevada B Tule Valley, Utah C Amargosa, California D Arcosanti, Arizona…

ANOTHER STICKY LATE-JULY Thursday in Philadelphia, and 52-year-old Christine Dawn King was hurrying to her job as a caregiver to the elderly. Or trying to. The traffic on Interstate 95 was thick—no surprise for this stretch of highway. She pulled into the exit lane, which was moving at a crawl. That’s when she spotted a man and woman standing beside a stopped vehicle and engaged in some kind of altercation. King watched as the woman repeatedly attempted to block the man as he headed toward the guardrail, which overlooked a 40-foot drop onto a concrete parking lot. The man kept pushing the woman aside and shifting some object from his right arm to his left. Having reached the guardrail, he dangled the object out over the precipice. Oh my God,…

True-Crime Anxiety Podcasts, books and videos recounting real-life crime stories are popular, with about half of Americans admitting to a fondness for the genre. The stories are often gruesome, and a new survey finds that it’s often difficult for fans to forget the gory details. The survey, by the company Secure Data Recovery, finds that nearly half of truecrime fans say that the stories increase their anxiety, and 61% say they make them more suspicious of other people. One positive effect, though, is that 78% of truecrime fans say that consuming these stories has made them more aware of their surroundings. And 1 in 3 report that they have added to their home security. So maybe that heightened vigilance will lead to fewer real-life crime stories in the future! A…

LAST YEAR, EMILY ANADU answered a call from New York City’s Parks and Recreation Department. “Emily, I’m mad at you,” the man on the other end of the line told her. Anadu, 45, and thousands of other Brooklynites had just convened in Fort Greene Park for The Lay Out, an annual gathering the Sunday before Juneteenth. People come together to eat, buy clothes and crafts, and just bond with one another. “Oh no,” Anadu replied, “did we do something wrong?” “No,” he said. “You didn’t leave anything for us to do.” Attendees and organizers had returned the park in better condition than it was given. Decades ago, Fort Greene, a section of Brooklyn just off the Manhattan Bridge, was largely populated by first-time-homeowning Black families living on tree-lined streets where…

Shell-Shocked As a kid, I heard stories of snapping turtles who ate my grandmother’s pet ducks. One day, I was in a rowboat with my aunt, occasionally dipping my hand into the lake. Suddenly, there was a huge snapping turtle inches away from my hand. I’ve been scared of them ever since. Then, in my 20s, some friends convinced me to join them in jumping into a lake from a bridge. On the way down, all I could think of was snapping turtles swarming me when I landed. I flailed my arms and legs midair in a futile attempt to stop myself, totally muffing the jump and doing a painful belly flop into the water. —JENNIFER THORNE Auburn, AL Mixed Signals I told my wife howl hated driving under traffic…

IN AMERICA WE URGE EVERYONE over the age of 18 to vote, but only 15% of voters read books. Only 15% of us perform the life-affirming, sanity-bolstering, empathy-forming act of spending time inside somebody else’s brain. Fortunately—in spite of cellphones, in spite of video games, in spite of online gambling, in spite of the current storm of shortsighted politics— the habit of reading books is not yet on the brink of extinction. Not yet. Today’s booksellers and librarians are not the sitcom stereotypes who give judgy looks when someone brings the latest bestseller to the counter, or who will shush an overenthusiastic teen to churchy quiet from 60 yards away. Today’s booksellers and librarians are extraordinarily good at understanding and motivating. Armed with empathy, wit and professional training, they take…