Book Digest Issue Appraisal

Book Digest Magazine - January 1977

The item is a vintage "Book Digest magazine" from January 1977, indicated by the text "JANUARY 1977" and "ONE DOLLAR" printed on the upper left of the front cover. The cover itself features a prominent yellow border on the left side, containing a table of contents-like list of articles, including "TO JERUSALEM AND BACK Saul Bellow," "MY PARENTS A Differing View-James Roosevelt," "LONELY IN AMERICA," "FUTURE FACTS Tomorrow's Technology," and "BLOOD AND MONEY PART II." An interview with "Alistair MacLean" is also listed. The main image on the cover depicts a young Black male, apparently shirtless, crouching in what appears to be a field or grassy area, with the bold red title "ROOTS: The Saga of a Black American Family" prominently displayed above him. This indicates a feature story on Alex Haley's 'Roots,' which was highly popular around that time. The overall color scheme of the cover is yellow, red, and the natural colors of the photographic image. The magazine appears to be made of standard paper, likely a glossy or semi-glossy finish for the cover. Visible condition issues include some creasing and wear along the edges and corners, consistent with its age and use. A white address label is affixed to the lower right portion of the cover, partially obscuring the image, indicating it was a mailed subscription copy. This label provides a manufacturing detail, showing the delivery information for "MS A WELLS" at "1822 ROSELAND DR FLINT MI 48504" and a subscriber code "40D786 WELL 1822ROSO 04ZN SEP77". The presence of this label suggests it's an original issue, not a reproduction. The magazine's craftsmanship appears to be standard for print media of the era, with clear printing and image reproduction, although the paper exhibits typical aging.