A spin off of the "Old People Question" about encyclopedias - Readers Digest Condensed book.

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I remember my dad having those when I was a kid.

 

[Babs Johnson]

My family never got them but once I bought a volume at a used book store for like 25 cents because it contained the abridged edition of Peter Benchley’s “Jaws.” They cut out much, just like the film did, but left in the important parts.

 

[goofyernmost]

That's why the is having a tilt problem on its axis...at our Book sale for the last 40 years we have been throwing them all away and just recently national geographics...life magazines seem to be holding their own... for some reason adolescent boys tend to purchase them

What with the internet, there is little need for national geographics anymore!

 

[citruscurtis]

What with the internet, there is little need for national geographics anymore!

O.k ...we won't tell the supreme Court

 

[citruscurtis]

My family never got them but once I bought a volume at a used book store for like 25 cents because it contained the abridged edition of Peter Benchley’s “Jaws.” They cut out much, just like the film did, but left in the important parts.

She died this year... she was quite the stunt woman

 

[TinkAgainU]

I just grabbed a couple at a thrift store to put in the Guest Room. I remember reading those at my Aunt's when we visited, if I was bored to tears I'd go hide in the Guest Room to read them. Now the kids hide reading their cells and ipads - but I'd like to have something non-electronic as an Option at least and each book has 3 to 4 books in it. I've read so many articles about how not using electronics for x number of minutes before bed time is supposed to promote better sleep. If a Guest wants to take the book with them, that's fine too.

 

[citruscurtis]

I just grabbed a couple at a thrift store to put in the Guest Room. I've read so many articles about how not using electronics for x number of minutes before bed time is supposed to promote better sleep. If a Guest wants to take the book with them, that's fine too.

...and you missed the article that condensed milk and condensed readers digest promote better sleep

 

[NYCgrrl]

My grandparents bought them for us in case we ran out of reading material at their home. Some of them migrated to our house so I can wander over to my current bookshelves and pull say Volume 2, 1966, out. Book probably hasn’t been opened in donkey years but love the binding.

 

[TinkAgainU]

My grandparents bought them for us in case we ran out of reading material at their home. Some of them migrated to our house so I can wander over to my current bookshelves and pull say Volume 2, 1966, out. Book probably hasn’t been opened in donkey years but love the binding.

Yes, I'm looking at one dated 1997 and the book is lovely. Nice size, beautiful cover, embossing, the print inside is easy to read and professionally printed and spaced. The current cheap printed books often are so sloppy, it actually makes them harder to read. The Readers Digest book actually feels "nice" in your hand. /// I realize that may make me sound a bit silly, but those of us who grew up Loving books and reading will appreciate the difference between a "pretty" coffee table book and a "real" book meant to be appreciated as it's read cover to cover.

 

[weewuvvdisney]

My parents had them. Not sure why since I don't recall anyone ever actually reading them.

Lol I did. Not sure how we got them. I'm sure my parents didn't subscribe but we had some

 

[citruscurtis]

opened in donkey years but love the binding.

What are donkey years?? When diesel the donkey made the news that is when I learned longevity

 

[tvguy]

Lol I did. Not sure how we got them. I'm sure my parents didn't subscribe but we had some

My mom was an RN and subscribed to RN Magazine. Never read them, but wrote them off on her taxes. That is a situation RN Magazine was clearly aware of. My mom's baby sister came to visit once and was thumbing through some of them and found a check for $100 in one, good for 6 months. It had expired YEARS before, and probably would have gone to the dump untouched if my aunt hadn't found it.

 

[NYCgrrl]

What are donkey years?? When diesel the donkey made the news that is when I learned longevity

Had I not looked it up, I’d have said it was a Caribbean saying but in fact it’s a Brit term:
Donkey's years" is an informal British idiom that means a very long time. For example, you might say "I haven't seen her in donkey's years”.

 

[OneOftheB's]

My dad got them and read the entire condensed version. He would occasionally read one to me, I remember my favorite being No Job for a Lady. He and mom were frugal; mom checked books out of the public library and dad chose to get the condensed versions from Reader's Digest. I know he read many books he would never have picked up at the library or a bookstore but wasn't rushed to read them and could read them again if the mood hit him.

We bought a beach home a few years ago from an older couple, fully furnished. I am still finding Reader's Digest condensed books in random places. I also have kept my eye out for No Job for a Lady even though I found a copy of the full book many years ago.