EXHIBIT 99.5

PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

June 12, 2002

Special Committee of the Board of Directors
The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
Reader's Digest Road
Pleasantville, NY 10570

Board of Directors
The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
Reader's Digest Road
Pleasantville, NY 10570

Re: Initially filed Registration Statement on Form S-4 of The Reader's Digest
Association, Inc. (the "Company" or "Reader's Digest") relating to shares of
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share ("Common Stock"), of Reader's Digest to
be registered in connection with the Recapitalization (as defined below) of
Reader's Digest.

Ladies and Gentlemen:


Reference is made to our opinion letter dated April 12, 2002 with respect to the
fairness from a financial point of view to the holders (other than the Lila
Wallace - Reader's Digest Fund, Inc. and the DeWitt Wallace - Reader's Digest
Fund, Inc. (collectively, the "Funds")) of the outstanding shares of Class A
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Class A Common Stock"), and
outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the
"Class B Common Stock") of Reader's Digest, of (i) the repurchase of 3,636,363
shares of Class B Common Stock held by the Funds for $27.50 in cash per share,
or $99,999,983 in cash in the aggregate (the "Purchase Amount"), (ii) the
exchange ratio of 1.24 shares of Common Stock to be exchanged for each share of
Class B Common Stock (the "Class B Exchange Ratio"), other than shares of Class
B Common Stock purchased from the Funds as described above, and (iii) the
exchange ratio of 1 share of Common Stock for each share of Class A Common Stock
(the "Class A Exchange Ratio;" collectively with the Class B Exchange Ratio and
the Purchase Amount, the "Recapitalization"), taken as a whole, in each case
pursuant to the Recapitalization Agreement, dated as of April 12, 2002, among
the Company and the Funds.

The foregoing opinion letter was provided for the information and assistance of
the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company and the Board of
Directors of the Company in connection with its consideration of the transaction
contemplated therein and is not to be used, circulated, quoted or otherwise
referred to for any other purpose, nor is it to be filed with, included in or
referred to in whole or in part in any registration statement, proxy statement
or any other document, except in accordance with our prior written consent. We
understand that the Company has determined to include our opinion in the
above-referenced Registration Statement.

In that regard, we hereby consent to the reference to our opinion under the
captions "Summary -- Opinion of Financial Advisor," "The Recapitalization --
Background of the Recapitalization," "The Recapitalization -- Reasons for the
Recapitalization," and "The Recapitalization -- Opinion of Financial Advisor"
and to the inclusion of the foregoing opinion as Appendix D in the
above-mentioned Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is
understood that our consent is being delivered solely in connection with the
filing of the above-mentioned version of the Registration Statement and that our
opinion is not to be used, circulated, quoted or otherwise referred to for any
other purpose, nor is it to be filed with, included in or referred to in whole
or in part in any registration statement (including any subsequent amendments to
the above-mentioned Registration Statement), proxy statement or any other
document, except in accordance with our prior written consent. In giving such
consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons
whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933 or the
rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.

Very truly yours,


/s/ GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
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(GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.)