I order Harper 's from Amazon nearly a year ago and I have come to treasure each issue for its unique blend of essay , art , and literary criticism . my subscription have become a de facto extension of my liberal art education , as the magazine 's page be grace with politics , history , literature , and the art .  each issue feature a essay from editor Lewis Lapham , a essayist of the same caliber as Gore Vidal . Lapham 's style and vocubalary be extraordinary , and he writing be often lace with bite satire .  the magazine be illustrate with contemporary art from gallery across the United States , and include informative feature like the `` Harper 's index '' and the `` reading '' section -lrb- garner from document in the public domain -rrb- . each issue usually include two serious book review , sometimes stretch across several page of small , dense type .  a subscription to this indispensible magazine will enlighten and entertain , equip the reader to understand the contemporary world .