From Our Readers

Role-Playing Games Recently my new computer arrived. I intended to play just a few games but ended up playing for almost 16 hours nonstop! When I realized what had happened, I immediately erased all the games in my computer. Later on, though, I began to feel that maybe I had been a little extreme. But that same week, your article “Young People Ask . . . Is There Any Danger in Role-Playing Games?” arrived. (August 22, 1999) I realized what those games were doing to me. I thank Jehovah for opening my eyes to this danger.

L. H., Brazil

There’s a card game that has been the rage in Japan. Many of the cards have satanic names, for example, “Curtain of the Black Devil.” I got so caught up in the game that my spirituality was in shreds. In the end my mother found my cards and threw them away. I still felt an attachment to the cards. But after reading this article, that attachment dried up. The article was very helpful to me.

K. N., Japan

Bloodless Medicine I am 11 years old, and the article “Are Blood Transfusions Really Necessary?” was special to me. (August 22, 1999) My sister had two heart surgeries. My parents asked that they be performed without blood. I thought that she would die, but it’s been three years, and she’s doing fine!

C. S., United States

Wrong Horse! I really enjoyed the article “October Fair—‘Europe’s Oldest International Horse Fair.’” (March 22, 1999) But I was astonished to see that the photo of a skewbald cob was labeled “piebald cob.”

S. P., South Africa

Our reader knows her horses! According to the British Skewbald and Piebald Association, the piebald cob has only black and white markings—unlike the skewbald shown in our photo. Our apologies for the oversight.—ED.

Genes I am 16 years old, and I’m very interested in molecular biology. The series “Unraveling the Mystery of Your Genes” (September 8, 1999) was an excellent balance between the simple and the complicated. I read a book that explained the secrets of DNA in depth. To my great surprise, your article covered all that material but in more understandable and accessible terms.

S. R., France

Thanks to the articles, I got a high mark on my biology exam. Your description of nucleic acids and how they are related to hereditary characteristics was so simple and complete!

D.A.N., Brazil

I am a primary school teacher, and I have always wondered how I could help my pupils understand the composition of the human body. I found the information in these articles to be simple enough for my pupils to grasp, even though it involved a number of difficult scientific terms. Awake! made them very understandable.

K. M., Lesotho

Fear of Flying Thank you! On Monday I am taking my first airplane flight, and I’m very apprehensive about it. I guess the main reason is that I cannot comprehend how a machine so massive can seemingly defy gravity. I was therefore delighted to see the article “What Does It Take to Keep Them Flying?” (September 8, 1999) To know that the airlines take such care to make sure that their planes are safe—even X-raying them—has helped me to be more relaxed about flying. So despite my fears, I will keep this article in hand and I will get on that plane!

T. T., United States