I think some of what's missing is the human element. The flying world is about people and the experiences they have; the little ones that occur and leave you with a nugget of knowledge you didn't have before or restored faith in people. Biographies are OK but not really what I'm thinking of. As much as I don't like Flying Magazine, you couldn't beat Bax In The Back, Len Morgan or, now, Lane Wallace for good stories, well written, about the human part of flying.
I think that's what's missing, as least from the pilot magazine I read.
Pitts2112