It is a good read... personally, I like things that touch on the FBI Miami shootout, being I did my senior paper in college on it.
.38 Special is a good caliber, but it is an old caliber (not date produced, but back when the inception was right at the move from black to smokeless powder). With the exception for some outliers, like 5.7mm, long pistol cartridges aren't the norm. It is also dismissed being it isn't a duty caliber anymore... and as mentioned in this thread, marketed more as a backup caliber.
I have a 642-1, which is my second favorite revolver (first is my 629-1). Problem for me is that reloads are a little too long, so opted for a 9mm. Wasn't a simple decision, but was a simple solution...
A few of the guys I trap shoot with still couldn't comprehend that the 9mm has more energy due to the size of the case, but shooting standard pressure 9mm is comparable to .38 +P, in regards to shootability.
Personally, I'm not a .357 Magnum fan. If I'm going with the flash/recoil/weight, I rather go to a .44 Magnum. .38 is a good cartridge, and has a lot of variation with loadings, but it isn't doing anything that can't be done in 9mm. It isn't bad because of that, but have to consider it.
But when it comes down to it, in roles such as a backup gun, you can save some weight/bulk going with a choice other than .38. If there was a cylinder that was sized correctly for 9mm, the revolver should be shorter than my 642. But even looking at comparable semi-auto pistols, guns chambered in .38/.357 have dimensionally long grips (Coonan, Desert Eagle, etc). It takes a certain desire to go with a .38... usually those who like revolvers.
When you get reliable autos in the LCP and P938 size, it is really hard to choose a revolver over them.