Reader's Digest

In this era of information overload, Reader’s Digest offers something unique: the very best advice, information and inspiration from multiple sources, condensed into an easy-to-read digest. In each issue you’ll get trusted, time-saving insights about Health, Personal Finance, Work, Family, and National issues, PLUS exclusive book excerpts, news-making interviews, and humor.

Blown Away!

LETTERS • Notes on the November issue

Detroit’s Proud Tiger • He fought to save his city, and a movement followed him

The Car on the Ledge

The World BEARD & MOUSTACHE CONTEST • JASON KILEY, age 42, Viroqua, Wisconsin

LIFE in these United States

I RESOLVE TO LOSE … WAIT, IS THAT A DOUGHNUT?

QUOTABLE QUOTES

HOW TO Get in Shape in the New Year • Practical tips for keeping that resolution—even if you’ve never succeeded before

A Love Without Limits • Some people thought that a couple with Down syndrome shouldn’t marry. But after 25 years, Paul and Kris Scharoun-DeForge are still going strong.

NEW STORIES AWAIT JUST FOR YOU

News FROM THE WORLD OF MEDICINE

A “Fat Bomb” for Hearts and Minds

WE FOUND A FIX • 9 TRICKS TO Improve Your Life*

LAUGHTER THE BEST Medicine

DRIVE-BY LAUGHS • What’s the funniest town in Colorado? It might be Indian Hills, home to these hill-areas road signs.

Amazing Facts About Salt

YOUR TRUE STORIES

A Flag’s Long Journey Home

FACT OR FICTION? • 25 TALL TALES THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLY TRUE  AND 25 FACTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY MYTHS

Strange but Impossibly TRUE

“Facts” That Are FALSE

Humor in UNIFORM

They Gave Millions to Charity • In life, they were humble SECRETARIES, TEACHERS, and JANITORS. When they died, they were richer than anyone knew—and they GAVE MILLIONS TO CHARITY

All in a Day’s WORK

“THE NUTTY-PROFESSOR AWARD GOES TO …” • The Ig Nobel Prize is a tongue-in-cheek award given each year to actual research projects that seem—well, silly. The winners are published in a humorous periodical, Annals of Improbable Research.

The Dog That Came Back from the Dead • On a run in the Rocky Mountains, the author’s dog, Merle, fell 800 feet, injured beyond hope. But he wasn’t done yet.

HONORING LOLA, AT LAST • She had spent her life caring for our family under the most unusual circumstances. A final trip to her childhood home might help her—and my conscience—rest in peace.

AMERICA’S GREATEST ROAD SHOWS • VACATIONS ARE WONDERFUL, but these quirky roadside attractions prove that getting there is often half the fun

Guffaw & Order

ARE SURGERY CENTERS SAFE? • They are less expensive than hospitals. But when a facility isn’t equipped to handle an emergency, the consequences can be deadly.

JAZZ UP YOUR BRAIN • It sounds illogical, but you can learn to improvise better in daily life. All it takes is practice.

Great Escapes

BRAIN GAMES

WORD POWER • Love is in the air on February 14, but why limit yourself to just one emotion? You’ll experience a wide range of feelings in this month’s vocabulary quiz. If you’re in the mood, check the next page for answers.

PHOTO FINISH • Your Funniest captions