Living Well April 9, 2008

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

By Teresa Griswold

Literary food for mind, body and soul
Are you tired of reading through the political discourse, fear-inducing international headlines and tabloid hype that are rampant in our media? If so, here are two of my favorite magazines that give refreshment for head and heart.

First is “Ode,” my newest discovery and now at the top of my list. My friend Inger Koedt introduced me to it last month, and I read the copy she lent me from cover to cover in one night. “Ode” is among a new generation of “positive change” magazines. Billed as “Ode: For Intelligent Optimists” it reports on global innovations in science, business, agriculture, and energy. It is a publication that covers positive news: the people and ideas that are changing our world for the better.

Founded in Rotterdam, Netherlands, by Dutch journalist Jurriaan Kamp in 1995, the magazine drew a strong international following because of Kamp’s solid journalism reputation and its news emphasis. Kamp worked for a decade at one of the Netherlands’ largest newspapers, “NRC Handelsblad,” and as a radio and television journalist before founding the magazine.

He created the publication to advocate an optimistic outlook about the people and ideas that are changing the world and to help readers see how they can contribute to a more just and sustainable world. He wanted to expose readers to new inspirations and new visions from around the world.

The magazine profiled people like clown-doctor Patch Adams, guru Deepak Chopra and Dr. Andrew Weil long before more conventional publications made them household names. “Ode” has a community of readers who are passionate about the magazine and the issues for which it stands: positive social, environmental and economic change.
The cover of the first issue - a close-up image of a radiant woman laughing out loud - captured the joy and spontaneity they wanted “Ode” to embody.
For the first nine years of its existence, “Ode” was published in Dutch. But in the summer of 2004, the publication moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to launch the English-language edition of the magazine.

The magazine is available in print and online at www.Odemagazine.com. The website is a mix of print and online journalism with user-generated content and social networking that makes it unique on the web.

In print and online, Ode’s aim is to bring a new reality into view, to explore opportunities for positive change in our daily lives and our daily minds.

Next up is “Real Simple” because it makes everything in life seemingly effortless and fun. I recently dug out an old copy that described a dinner party including an enticing menu, all the recipes and wonderful pictures. Though it was a January issue and slated as a New Year’s Buffet, I saw it as the perfect menu for an Easter gathering. I followed everything to the letter, and it turned out to be a soulful, enriching and festive dinner party. The best part was it really was simple.

“Real Simple” has been on newsstands since 2000.  It offers concise, useful strategies, coupled with a clean, inspiring design, focused on making busy lives easier, from preparing a fast, healthy breakfast to getting a good night’s sleep. The magazine helps readers do what they need to do, so they have more time to enjoy what they want to do. It is available online at RealSimple.com which translates the magazine’s content and philosophy to the web and provides a fast, easy way to search more than 7,000 solutions for everyday life and 1,300 recipes. It’s an information resource and also an online organizer. There are quick fixes to just about everything.

My favorite free offering on the site is the “Daily Thought Wallpaper” for your computer monitor that provides inspirational quotations imposed over serene and peaceful photographs. Find them under the “Life & Soul” tab in the “Daily Thought” menu. There are 19 to choose from and all you need to do is double click on the image and follow the downloading directions. Again, it is really simple.

Happy reading.
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Living Well April 9, 2008 | Planet JH News Article: Living Well

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