BETTER BRAIN A U S T R A L I A RD TALKS OUR STORIES AS PODCASTS How to Build a World’s Highest SKYSCRAPERS PAGE 110 LONELINESS 2020’s Other Health Crisis PAGE 58 VAPING The Facts About E-Cigarettes PAGE 96 EXCLUSIVE Crazy Rich Asians’ Kevin Kwan PAGE 26 Fast Tracking THE GOOD TIMES PAGE 146 PAGE 38 NOVEMBER 2020 $6.50 Golden West Rail Tour 2021 Riverina Rail Tour 2021 For more information and a full copy of the itinerary, please visit vintagerailjourneys.com.au Book via your travel agent, online or call 1300 421 422. $3,995 pp ex Sydney Choose a 5 day/4 night experience including 10 meals, off-train excursions and sleeping on-board in your own cabin. Vintage Rail Journeys is excited to announce the launch of the autumn 2021 season with an exciting new series of rail tours on board our newly restored, iconic 1960’s ex-Southern Aurora sleeping train, travelling along lines normally closed to the public. Coolamon 10-14 March 2021 & 24-28 March 2021 & 7-11 April 2021 10-14 February 2021 CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2020 ON THE COVER: HOW TO BUILD A BETTER BRAIN - PAGE 38 26 profile Kevin Kwan: Society Wit The writer behind Crazy Rich Asians is back satirising the ultra-wealthy. MELANIE EGAN 32 inspiration Real Super Humans Be amazed by seven people with extraordinary abilities. BETH DREHER 38 health update How to Build a Better Brain Make the most of your mind with simple brain-healthy choices. SARI HARRAR Features 76 health Before You Flush Doctors answer questions about our bathroom habits. THE EDITORS OF HEALTHY.COM 80 drama in real life “I Didn’t Know How Long I’d Survive” Living on the land requires a tough constitution. This farmer didn’t know how tough until a shocking accident. CARSON VAUGHAN 88 did you know? 10 Ghost Ship Mysteries Phantom vessels found drifting with no crew aboard. MARISSA LALIBERTE 50 food on your table Almonds: The Health Nut (Only Not) Chewy almonds are actually a fruit. KATE LOWENSTEIN AND DANIEL GRITZER 58 public health Loneliness, 2020’s Other Health Crisis Feeling lonely? You’re not alone, with all ages suffering from lack of social contact. HELEN SIGNY 70 adventure The Real-Life Lord of the Flies How teenage boys really behave when stranded on a deserted island. RUTGER BREGMAN FROM THE BOOK HUMAN KIND: A HOPEFUL HISTORY 50 26 C O V E R : G E T T Y I M A G E S readersdigest.com.au 1 NOVEMBER 2020 CONTENTS 96 investigation What You Need to Know About Vaping As more young people use e-cigarettes, debate is escalating over vaping. SIMON HEMELRYK, DIANE GODLEY, MELANIE EGAN 106 humour Curtain Call Our stagestruck writer wonders when he’ll be able to visit the theatre again. OLLY MANN 110 photo feature Skyscrapers of the World Architectural wonders that are impressive and beautiful. TINA DONVITO 116 did you know? 10 Surprising Innovations from World War I Inventions that arose from the Great War. JACOPO DELLA QUERCIA 118 in the news Separated by Religion Some schools are still segregated 25 years after the end of the Bosnian war. ELEANOR ROSE 128 bonus read The Search for Life on Kangaroo Island After bushfires ravaged their habitat, volunteers and locals banded together to rescue and treat injured koalas. CERIDWEN DOVEY FOLLOW US @ReadersDigestAustralia the digest 18 Pets 20 Health 24 News From the World of Medicine 141 RD Recommends regulars 4 Editor’s Note 6 Letters 10 News Worth Sharing 12 My Story 16 Smart Animals 54 Look Twice 126 Quotable Quotes humour 48 Life’s Like That 68 Laughter, the Best Medicine 94 All in a Day’s Work the genius section 146 In Praise of Hitting Repeat! 150 Puzzles 154 Trivia 155 Word Power 68 2 november 2020 *Must be 18+ to purchase gift hamper. *More Specials Available Online *Stocks are limited. Call Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm WAS $70.95 NOW $49 + DELIVERY Code: 200335 Get Your Christmas Shopping Sorted. Perfect for Staff, Customers, Family & Friends. To Order Call 1800 566 433 or Order Online at hamperworld.com.au/deals This hamper contains: Valley Produce Co Crackerthins 100g, Maggie Beer Paste 100g, Piranha Cashew Soy Snack Mix 80g, Piranha Soy Crisps 2 x 23g, Chocolate Toffee Clusters 110g, Mitchelton Shiraz Wine 750ml, Christmas Bauble contains 2x20g Shortbreads Biscuit, and Chocolatier Chocolate 2 x 10g, Santa Express Train contains 1x80g Christmas Pudding, 2x20g Shortbread Biscuit, Piranha Soy Crisps 23g, Chocolatier Milk Chocolate Bar 40g. All the products are packaged in an Exclusive Collector Gift Tin. READER’S DIGEST HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT VAPING? Our article on e-cigarettes explores the world of vaping, and how kids who have been raised on the risks of smoking tobacco are taking up vaping because they think it’s safer and not addictive (page 96). We set out to find the facts, explain the trend and highlight valid concerns and, in doing so, hopefully raise awareness about e-cigarettes that contain nicotine. We all shared a sense of baffled confusion – why, after decades of public health efforts to reduce the war on tobacco, do we now need to question the risks of vaping? Without overlooking the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear that our race to curb one crisis unwittingly fed into another. In ‘Loneliness: 2020’s Other Health Crisis’ (page 58), health writer Helen Signy explores the risks associated with loneliness, a condition that has surged among groups in the community because of social distancing, and the sudden isolation created by business and social shutdowns. How we work together as a community to reduce this isolation, and strengthen local ties, is part of the broader health challenge ahead. There’s also some surprises: we meet Kevin Kwan, one of the literary world’s most likeable authors (page 26), step inside the world of superhumans – where extreme talents rule (page 32), and journey to Kangaroo Island and meet the people who helped seriously injured animals following the catastrophic fires (page 128). Something for every interest and family member. Enjoy! Challenges That Lie Ahead LOUISE WATERSON Editor-in-Chief EDITOR’S NOTE 4 november 2020 Call 1300 300 030 or visit readersdigest.com.au/subscribe TO SUBSCRIBE SAVE 50% DISCOUNT SAVINGS OFF TOTAL COVER PRICE PLUS Already a subscriber? You can take advantage of this great offer to renew your subscription. +SPECIAL FREE GIFT +FREE DELIVERY CALL CENTRE HOURS: MONDAY–FRIDAY 6am–8pm SATURDAY–SUNDAY 6am–6pm (AEST) $39 FOR 12 ISSUES EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Louise Waterson Managing Editor Zoë Meunier Chief Subeditor Melanie Egan Art Director Hugh Hanson Senior Art Designer Adele Burley Art Designer Annie Li Senior Editor Diane Godley Associate Editor Victoria Polzot DIGITAL Head of Digital Content Greg Barton ADVERTISING Group Advertising & Retail Sales Director Sheron White Account Manager Darlene Delaney Advertising Support Manager Rebecca Zhang •All ADVERTISING and RETAIL INQUIRIES Sheron White Mobile Phone 0421 897 140 Email