I Cry for the Mountains

After a wildfire swept through the land where his family raised their cattle for more than a century, a rancher takes a tour of what’s left—and what might come next

OUR LITTLE GIRL CHIKA

What is a real father? An orphan in Haiti teaches bestselling author Mitch Albom a wonderful new definition.

Robots Gone Wild

What happens when you train a machine to take over for humans? It screws up—just as humans do.

Fighting for Country and Beethoven

During a stressful time, a National Guardsman still finds a way to lead his class

THE TEACHER WHO WRESTLED A COUGAR

When a wild cat springs from the woods to prey on her young students, a daycare owner instantly moves to protect them. A classic RD drama.

I Am Soy …A Proto- Protein with a Problem

THE FOOD ON YOUR PLATE

SO YOU'VE HAD IT ROUGH? GOOD!

HOW WE APPROACH HARDSHIP COULD TELL US HOW LONG WE’LL LIVE

Putting a Ring Back on It

It was July 2014. We were building a smaller house and getting ready to move when my husband became very ill. He had to spend nine weeks in assisted living, leaving me to do everything in our new home. By nighttime, I felt as if I was moving in slow motion.

National Teacher Of The Year

Tabatha Rosproy, age 33, Winfield, Kansas

I Am Mangoes … A Sweet Treat at Its Peak

One summer day in the early 2000s, Pennsylvania dentist Bhaskar Savani sat outside the arrivals gate at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport waiting for his father to emerge.

Don't waste your money on these 23 things

Avoiding unforced spending errors will let you save for the stuff you really want

¡Fantástico! Top Folk Remedies from Around the World

We asked Reader’s Digest editors at our international editions to share their popular home health treatments. Here are the ones that check out with scientific research.

The Art of The “Good” Meltdown

Under stress from every front, we’re having more meltdowns. Here’s how to lose it the right way.

A Grizzly Encounter

On a trail near a mountain named for his grandfather, a lone hiker crosses paths with a bear three times his size—and with one enormous appetite

Rescue On The High Rise Bridge

With his truck dangling 70 feet above a roiling river and a storm whipping 50-mph winds, a trapped driver’s only hope is a team of trained emergency rescuers—who are stuck in traffic

The Food On Your Plate

I Am Pistachios … An American Success Story

THE BIKER WITH A BIG HEART

Her son’s organ donation saved his life. So he rode 1,426 miles to meet her.

Starting a New Chapter

Some people don’t find their true direction in life until they are halfway through it

Off the Beaten Path

When a hiker falls 75 feet from a mountain cliff, a young stranger goes to extremes to save her

Go Ahead, Do Nothing

We push ourselves to work harder, but taking a break can often fuel a burst in productivity and creativity

Swish Burn Love

It’s not pretty, and it’s not sweet: how brown Listerine became no. 1 in Americans’ hearts and mouths

24-Karat Nuggets About Gold

Pure gold is so ductile (translation: stretchy), a single ounce of it can be drawn out into a thread 50 miles long without breaking (at which point it also would be too thin to see). If you did this to all of the existing gold in the world, it would wrap around the earth 11 million times.

From Role Model to Runway Model

A disabled activist won’t let Twitter trolls stop her from seeing herself as she really is—a star

A Teacher's Lifesaving Call

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Julia Koch began what was only her second year as a first-grade teacher in a virtual classroom at Edgewood Elementary School in Muskegon Heights, Michigan. One September afternoon a few weeks into the school year, she received a call from Cynthia Phillips, who was having technical difficulties with her granddaughter’s tools for online learning.

Does This DOG Know Whether You Have CANCER?

The canine nose is a marvel of nature. Science believes that a computerized model will save millions of lives.

Lift Your Own Spirits

We all feel down now and then, especially lately. These techniques can help you bounce back.

Rules for Being the Age You Are

Whether you’re 20 or 120, the author’s surprise-filled guide can help most anyone live happily ever

The Power of Family

This year, we asked readers a question: "When you think of 'family', what's the image you see?" The winning submissions, and the stories behind them, were all universal and remarkably moving.

When Mom Broke Her Leg

To her great surprise, everyone else stepped up

We Found a Fix

9 Tricks to Improve Your Life*