Explorers House: National Geographic and the World It Made

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Summary: a swell book
Review: I've been reading National Geographic since I was a kid and always wondered who and what made the magazine tick. This book let me know all I could want. A swell read all around.

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Summary: Inside National Geographic
Review: This is a highly engaging look inside one of America's most beloved and influential organizations.




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Summary: A Wonderful History of An American Treasure
Review: This is a truly wonderful history of an American institution and the family behind it, a sweeping story filled with great characters, telling details, romance and conflict, and surprising reasons for why the National Geographic is the way it is today. Poole has the rare gift of knowing how to tell a good tale--interesting details, fine pacing, strong characters, and excellent reporting and research. The book is also a fine history of the city of Washington and the nation it governs. Beautifully written from beginning to end.

Rating:
Summary: National Geographic and the World it Made
Review: This review will not include a synopis -

A thorough telling of the history of the magazine and the people who made it. I don't know about you but my family always saved the copies of National Geographic and put then on the shelves next to the books. How many magazines can you say that about? And it certainly wasn't because of the text. And this was no accident. It was a conscience decision in how the magazine was both put together and 'sold'. You don't subscibe to the magazine, you become a 'member'. It made me think about the film "It's a Wonderful Life" were the boy Jimmy Stewart is proudly explaining that he is a member of the Geographic Society when he still thinks he is going to explore the world outside of his small town. This book was written by a retired executive editor of the magazine and it seems like he had great access. Despite the magazine being his former employer, this is not strictly a love letter to the National Geographic Society. The author doesn't pull punches when it comes to the infighting and power struggles within the magazine, the relationship with the US Gov't (such as letting the FBI use the Society's headquarters proxiemty to the Soviet Embassy to its advantage during the cold war) or the societies history of racism (an issue until well into the 1970's) in a city that has a large african-american community. A good read for anyone interested in publishing, historical Washington, DC and the families behind it.