Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2023 i Reader's Digest

MY MOM WAS the queen of snacks. Her philosophy on life was simple: If you had a bad day, you deserved a treat. If you had a good day, you deserved a treat. Basically, everyone deserves treats all the time. She kept our snack cabinet stocked and loved to bake, which explains why friends always wanted to hang out at my house. Mom took us to Dairy Queen so often they hired me, and I spent a summer making cones and sundaes. I like to think I could still make a Peanut Buster Parfait if called into duty. So it was a great pleasure for the Reader’s Digest team to indulge our munchies this issue on a quest to find the best snacks across the country for our annual America…

A Porpoise-ful Life When a dolphin was trapped in a creek in Clearwater, Florida, for three weeks, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) decided to help it back to the open seas for its own safety. But that wouldn’t be easy. The only way out was through a small opening under a bridge, a path the dolphin seemed loath to take. To help coax it out, 28 biologists from CMA and elsewhere entered the water to form a human chain. They slowly moved toward the lost dolphin while making loud noises. It worked. The dolphin, wanting nothing to do with the humans, escaped through the passage and out into Tampa Bay. CMA’s Brittany Baldrica said in a statement that the idea wasn’t to scare the dolphin, but rather to give it…

AS ONE OF the few foods you’ll find at both fast-food drive thrus and Michelin-starred restaurants, burgers clearly are king. And while Americans eat some 50 billion burgers each year, “burgernomics” are international: The Economist magazine uses its Big Mac index to compare the purchasing power of various nations’ currencies based on the price of the McDonald’s staple, with the U.S. price serving as a baseline. (In 2022, when Big Macs cost $5.81 on average here, the priciest Big Mac cost $6.71 in Switzerland, while the cheapest cost $1.76 in Venezuela.) Though both the Roman and Mongol empires enjoyed early versions of what we call hamburger meat, it came to be associated with Hamburg, the German city that would ultimately give the dish its name, in the 18th and 19th…

WHILE THE SUMMER sunshine feels good on bare skin, be careful not to go unprotected outdoors for too long. At least 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. It now accounts for 1 in every 3 cancers diagnosed worldwide, and more people in the United States are diagnosed with skin cancer each year than are diagnosed with all other cancers combined. But how can that be, when we are seeing more safe-sun campaigns and public education around skin cancer? It’s mainly due to better detection and one more big health improvement: “The longer you live, the higher your chances are of eventually developing a skin cancer,” says Deborah S. Sarnoff, a New York City dermatologist and president of the Skin…

When Eugenie George first heard that her friend passed a financial counseling exam, her heart sank. She’d failed the same test weeks earlier, and she needed the credential to advance her career. “My inner child got upset,” recalls George, a financial writer and educator from Philadelphia. But then, instead of stewing, she called her friend. “I told her I failed and admitted I was jealous,” she says. George knew that being upfront would defuse her envy, but she was surprised when it shifted her attitude so she could share her friend’s happiness and experience her own, in turn. “I congratulated her and told her she inspired me,” she says. Finding pleasure in another person’s good fortune is what social scientists call freudenfreude, a term (inspired by freude, the German word…

USA Today reports that SUVs, pickups and minivansare more likelythan sedans to hit pedestrians because these “light-truck” vehicles have wide pillars to reinforce the roofs, resulting in blind spots. Second, the hoods are higher off the ground, obstructing the driver’s view. And when a light truck hits a pedestrian, not only can its heft cause catastrophic injury, the height of the hood pitches the pedestrian forward—not up—where they are more likely to be run over.…

When a new restaurant opened nearby, my wife and I made sure to get a table on opening night. It was our server’s first time working at a restaurant and she was bubbling over with enthusiasm. Case in point: I asked, “What is the soup du jour?” Beaming with the pride of one who has found her calling, she answered, “Oh, that’s the soup of the day!” —DENNIS BYRNE Haymarket, VA Attorney on phone: Hi, sweetie. I’m going to come pick you up after school tomorrow to take you to your appointment… Well, Mommy was going to, but she’s too important to leave the office. And I’m not that important, so I can leave. —OVERHEARDINTHEOFFICE.COM People who live alone should get one practice conversation before they have to speak out…

FORTUNATELY, THE DAYS of slathering on baby oil and baking in the sun to get a golden tan—or more likely an angry burn—are long over. Many sunscreens work by filtering the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays to keep them from reaching skin cells and causing the DNA damage that can lead to wrinkles and skin cancer. But in recent years, the safety of some of those filtering chemical ingredients, particularly oxybenzone, has been in question. A 2019 study published in JAMA found evidence that oxybenzone is absorbed into the bloodstream, leading to concerns about whether it might affect hormone production, puberty, fertility and thyroid function. Oxybenzone has also been detected in breast milk. Because of concerns about higher absorption in children, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against sunscreen with oxybenzone…

English used to be such a colorful language, with words and phrases that painted a portrait. Some of those gems are collected in A Pocket Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, originally published in 1785 and rereleased by Chronicle Books (edited by Steve Mockus). ◆ Break-teeth words: Words that are difficult to pronounce ◆ Church work: Any work that advances slowly ◆ Corned: Drunk ◆ Duke of limbs: A tall, awkward, ill-made fellow ◆ Foreman of the jury: One who talks too much ◆ Grumbletonian: A discontented person ◆ Jingle brains: A wild, thoughtless fellow ◆ Lazy man’s load: Someone who carries more than he can safely hoi so he doesn’t have to make a second trip ◆ Marriage music: Crying children ◆ Milk the pigeon: To attempt the impossible…

Clear a Path to the Door My grandmother told me to “clear a path to the door every night before bed.” It makes for a smooth escape if there’s ever a fire in the night. But “clearing a path to the door” came, in time, to mean so much more. I learned I’ll be much happier tomorrow if I tidy all the clutter tonight. And it’s a good habit when getting involved with new people or activities. Trying mountain climbing or whitewater rafting becomes possible when I know I have a safe exit plan if it becomes too risky. That “clear path” is always a wise plan. —GLYNDA HAMILTON Vancouver, WA Bring the Ball My family moved to a small Virginia football town when I was in fourth grade. I…

TV Prehistoric Planet has all the makings of a top-notch nature docuseries: splendid narration by Sir David Attenborough and a climactic score by Hans Zimmer. But you won’t see footage of elusive snow leopards and giant salamanders—just tarchia, tyrannosauruses, brontosauruses and beyond. Hie team behind Planet Earth joins forces with the visual effects artists behind The Lion King (2019) and The Jungle Book (2016) for a second season of the groundbreaking series documenting the leviathans that ruled the land, seas and sides. You’ll meet new old friends such as isisauruses, long-necked herbivores at home in active volcano terrain, and hatzegopteryx, gravity-defying giraffe-sized creatures that fly. (Streaming on Apple TV+ May 22) —Caroline Fanning…

1. apiary n. (‘ay-pee-air-ee) A apple-cider press B place to store crops C collection of beehives 2. freshen v. (‘fre-shuhn) A delay ripening B thaw after freezing C begin to lactate 3. hydroponic adj. (high-druh-‘pahn-ik) A grown without soil B overwatered C capable of swimming 4. farrow n. (‘fair-oh) A half an acre B unenclosed pasture C litter of pigs 5. haycock n. (‘hay-kahk) A fully mature rooster B seeding machine C cone-shaped hay pile 6. lime v. (lym) A harvest produce B reduce soil’s acidity C wilt before sprouting 7. viticulture n. (‘vih-tuh-kuhl-chr) A organic farming B cultivation of grapes C growing plants in water 8. pannage n. (‘pan-ij) A irrigating with pipes B feeding pigs in a forest C abandoning farmland 9. fallow adj. (‘fa-loh) A uncultivated B drained C composted 10. dibble v. (‘dib-I) A sprinkle water…

I T ALL STARTED with a simple question: “Can I paint your portrait?” In the summer of 2015, Brian Peterson and his wife, Vanessa, had just moved to Santa Ana, California. Outside the couple’s fourth-floor apartment, an unkempt homeless man was often yelling on the street corner, sometimes keeping them awake at night. Peterson, 28, would pass the guy on his way to his job as a car designer at Kia Motors, but they never spoke. What could they possibly have in common? One day, Peterson was relaxing in his living room, reading the book Love Does, about the power of love in action, when his quiet was disturbed by the homeless man. Inspired by the book’s compassionate message, Peterson made an unexpected decision: He was going to go outside…

My father was a die-hard college football fan up until the end. And when the end came, he was in a hospital bed surrounded by his children. At one point, the doctor entered his room and gently came to the point: “Do you want us to resuscitate if your heart fails?” My father shook his head. “No, no. Let me go, let me go.” My sisters and I stood in silence, grasping the gravity of the situation. Then my dad spoke up again. “Unless Ohio State is on TV. Then bring me back.” —RICK EICHHORN Centerville, OH After a day of hiking in a majestic national forest, my son asked my grandson, “What was your favorite thing we saw today?” My grandson replied, “The car after our hike.” —KELLI BRADBURY…

“I used to work at McDonald’s making minimum wage. You know what that means when someone pays you minimum wage? You know what your boss was trying to say? ‘Hey, if I could payyou less, I would, but it’s against the law.’“ —CHRIS ROCK “I got fired from my last job. It was fair. I had stopped working. When they fired me, they called me into HR and they were like, ‘Michelle, it seems like you’re just not doing your job.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, but for like nine months. So, I think two of us haven’t been doing our jobs.’” —MICHELLE WOLF “I called a temp agency once. They were like, ‘Do you have any phone skills?’ I was like, ‘I called you, didn’t I?’” —ZACH GALIFIANAKIS…

WAKE UP WITHOUT COFFEE? Do you blame your coffee habit on a biological incompatibility with mornings? It turns out that being an early riser isn’t genetic, according to a recent study published in Nature Communications. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that lifestyle changes can help keep you from feeling sluggish in the morning. Ideally, you could sleep longer and later than you typically do, but if that’s not possible, these healthy habits will help: Step up your exercise; people who worked out more than usual the previous day felt less groggy when they woke up. Also, eat complex carbs along with a bit of fat and protein for breakfast—such as an egg with lightly buttered whole wheat toast. Help for Hot Flashes Hot flashes affect roughly 80%…

The magic of the holiday season is undeniable, whatever and however you choose to celebrate. So it’s no surprise that so many incredible things occur during that time of year. If you’ve experienced something special around the holidays that seemed nothing short of divine intervention, please see terms and share your story at rd.com/holidaymiracle. We’re looking for miracle stories for our December 2023/January 2024 issue of Reader’s Digest, and yours might provide just the inspiration we need.…

YOU MIGHT BE IN YOGA CLASS when you first feel it. When did downward dog get so hard on the wrists? Or it could be at your weekly tennis game that you notice your knees screaming at you whenever you pivot. Chances are, it’s arthritis, which isn’t just an old-people problem: It usually kicks in between the ages of 40 and 60. By far the most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis. Typically, it strikes after decades of physical activity gradually wear down cartilage. That’s the rubbery, frictionless tissue that serves as a shock absorber between bones, making it more comfortable to move our skeletons around. After years of wear and tear, or an injury such as a fracture or dislocation, that cushion can harden and fray like a dried-out…

The minute you start seeing your obstacles as things that are made for you, to give you what you need, then life starts to get fun. You start surfing on top of your problems instead of living underneath them. —Ashton Kutcher, ACTOR AND INVESTOR, ON RUNNING WILD WITH BEAR GRYLLS: THE CHALLENGE Being enthusiastic is worth 25 IQ points. —Kevin Kelly, EDITOR, IN THE BOOK EXCELLENT ADVICE FOR LIVING My mother always says: “Know your worth. Otherwise someone else will tell you what it is.” —Iman, MODEL, IN BRITISH VOGUE Growing wealth is not interesting to me. What’s interesting is working with people, listening to them and helping to solve problems. —Laurene Powell Jobs, BUSINESSWOMAN, IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL I have been so blessed. My tough times would be…

Good, Clean Fun— And Lots of It As the actor and comedian Milton Berle once said, “Laughter is an instant vacation.” So come take hundreds of impromptu trips with us by thumbing through the pages of Laughter, the Best Medicine 2023. Berle’s quote is just one of more than 450 quips, jokes, stories and cartoons in this allnew, sidesplitting collection. (What else would you expect from your No. 1 source for familyfriendly humor?) The book is yours for just $10. Order a copy at rd.com/LJA2.…

WHERE, OH WHERE? (page 24) D. Marfa, Texas. The hit TV show that the movie Giant inspired was Dallas. BRAIN GAMES (pages 107-108) Key Digits Figure A: 49; B: 27; C: 16; D: 5. On the Run Age (youngest to oldest): Kona, Isla, Stella, Jon. Starting order (first to last): Jon, Kona, Stella, Isla. Finish order (first to last): Isla, Kona, Jon, Stella. Match Play Time Will Tell It should read 8:05. With each successive step, the hour hand’s value doubles and the minute hand’s value halves.…