Issue 155

May 2011

Lessons Of Lebron

What do you get when you add LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh? A lesson in team building.
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Features

The Sharing Economy

Thanks to the social web, you can now share anything with anyone anywhere in the world. Is this the end of hyperconsumption? | Illustration by Craig Robinson
A Guide To The Shareable Life
Medical Wonder: Meet The CEO Who Rebuilt A Crumbling California Hospital

How Wright L. Lassiter III saved an inner-city hospital plagued by mistrust, mismanagement, and million-dollar losses.
Truvia's Test: Can Diet Sweeteners Go Natural?

When supersecretive agriculture giant Cargill decided to attack the no-calorie-sweetener market dominated by Sweet'N Low, Splenda, and Equal, it sent its best marketers and scientists to basement war rooms and covert labs. Only now can the inside story of Truvia -- and its unlikely success -- be told.
China: The Small Steps Forward

For the residents of one neighborhood in Shenzhen, China, the New Balance sneaker is more than a shoe. It's a path to a better life, buying material comforts, education, and even the right to have another child.
Slideshow: The Small Steps Forward
Fast Cities 2011

The city is humanity's laboratory, where people flock to dream, create, build, and rebuild. Each year, we spotlight the building blocks of that progress -- bold ideas that promise to enrich our cities and economies.
O Pioneers: Why Houston Is Our City Of The Year
The Evangelist

Annise Parker, right, with her partner, Kathy Hubbard, was elected Houston's second female -- and first lesbian -- mayor in 2009.
United States Of Innovation

Browse 51 -- yes, we included the District of Columbia! -- bold ideas and brilliant urbanites who are helping to build the cities of America's future.

Now

Now May 2011

Charting the must-attend gatherings, galas, and openings for the month of May.
America's Railroads Are Still A Century Behind

The U.S. trails behind other nations when it comes to bringing high-speed rail to the masses.
Tony Blair's Secret Club And Other Clubs We Want To Crash

When the rich and powerful really want to talk, they do it behind closed doors.
Hello, My Name Is: Conference Addict

A lot of wheeling and dealing goes down at these conferences.
Ancestry.com Leads The Race To Digitize Your Family Roots

Genealogists call it an "aha" moment: You unearth a meaningful family detail and you're hooked.
Between Aerosmith And American Idol, Steven Tyler Gets Around

The bass-mouthed rock star turned Idol judge's music worlds overlap in more than one way.

Brave New Co-working World

The rent-a-desk movement matures.
How To Network A Company Picnic
Rock Stars Lend Their Sound To Ugandan Women Of The Voice Project

Rock stars covering fellow rockers helps one New York-based nonprofit raise awareness for Ugandan women's groups.
RISD Old Guard Clashes With Its Tweeting President John Maeda

John Maeda's plans to digitize communication at the historically analog school have backfired.
A Former Facebooker Forges A New Path (App)

After Facebook, Dave Morin continues to shape the way we share moments with friends.
Arab Air: How The Middle East Is Rewiring Our Friendly Skies

One new hub of global air travel is in the Middle East.
A Case For Changing The Way We View Mentors

In an age of networks, it's time to rethink mentorships.
As OpenTable Booms, Who Gets The Dough?

OpenTable now accounts for just under 10% of the 700 million dining sessions that occur in North American restaurants every year.
Amit Bhatia's Aspire: Matching Rural Workers With Jobs

Bhatia's company, Aspire, trains high-school and college students to become English-speaking, tech-savvy, problem-solving whiz kids ready for hire.
Six Degrees Of Inspiration

Whom do bold thinkers look to for inspiration? Other innovators, of course. Here, we trace one creativity chain:
Cisco's Virtual Doctor Will See You Now

Cisco's new health-networking systems could transform health care.
New Social Media Bizwords

We tried changing our email address, but when Internet guru Alex Blagg of BajillionHits.biz heard we were doing a special section on networks, he started friending us across every social network, insisting that we include his list of Hot New Social Media Bizwords 2.0.

Fast Talk

Josh Nesbit On The Power Of Mobile Phones In Haiti

Mobile phones have become the common denominator in third-world countries--and a great way to provide better health care services there.
Alec Ross On The State Department's Global Tech Efforts
Padmasree Warrior On Cisco's Russia Connection
Adriana Lucia Suarez Grajales on Using Text Messages to Solve Conflicts in Columbia
Jason Liebman on Creating a Space for Digital Activists

Wanted

A Starry Night On Sark Island

Forget blue skies -- for a growing community of stargazing tourists, darkness is all they want.
How Steve Weindel Redesigned Air Travel

Eight Sparks of Inspiration.
Smooth Sailing: Cruise Ships For Singles

Can cruises catch a younger crowd?
Keepsakes Worth Keeping

Ending a trip can be a drag. These souvenirs all under $50 ease the pain.
Ready, Set, Jet: Travel Tech To Aid Your Trip

The gadgets and gizmos to get you from door to destination, and the travel fiends behind them.
The Future Of Subway Swiping

Take a good look at these transit cards -- thanks to new technology, they might be on their way out.

From the Editor

SLRPs, BUMs, Swishes, And Success

The week before my trip to California, I went to visit George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN, at the network's corporate headquarters. That gave me insight into a unique world.

UPDATES | Getting Stronger

Major League sporting team Sporting Kansas City announced in March that its new $200 million stadium will be called Livestrong Sporting Park.

Re: March 2011

Your comments, tweets and, yes, gripes about the March 2011 issue.

Issue 155

May 2011

Lessons Of Lebron

Features

Now

Next

Fast Talk

Wanted

From the Editor