Ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Our fourth-annual Who's Fast issue arrives at a time when our feelings about work, life, business and purpose need thoughtful recalibration. page 83
Ireland's "Pope of Customer Service" dominates his market -- and continues to beat bigger and better-financed rivals -- with a leadership philosophy that is at once folksy and radical. Behind all his success is one big question: How do we convince our customers to come back? Polly LaBarre page 88
The personal-computer business used to be fast growing and glamorous. Now it's ruled by price wars, vanishing stock prices, consolidation, and layoffs. So why is Bob Moffat, who runs IBM's PC group, having such a good time at work? Charles Fishman page 96
Michael J. Fox isn't just another movie star promoting a pet cause. He and his colleague Deborah Brooks are reshaping the pace and logic of research devoted to curing Parkinson's disease. Keith H. Hammonds page 106
There are few moments as disheartening in business as the day that your most important customer decides to start doing business with someone else. Ad man John Dooner faced just such a moment -- and turned it into a source of change and renewal for his giant agency. Fara Warner page 116
He helps some of the world's best-known companies cut through marketing clutter and communicate effectively with their customers. His secret for helping brands get and keep your attention? A picture really is worth a thousand words. Chuck Salter page 122
From Pottery Barn to the feel of a room at the W Hotel to finding just the right gift at RedEnvelope, Hilary Billings has mastered the art of creating "lifestyle brands" -- products and services whose forms, features, and personalities forge an emotional connection with customers. Ron Lieber page 130
The driving force behind a genomics technology that may reshape how drug companies fight disease and test new products is conducting a second experiment: figuring out whether he can transplant the energy of a startup into the giant that bought his company. George Anders page 138
The semiconductor has been the driving force behind the digital revolution. Now Akira Ishikawa is looking to force the revolution into overdrive by creating semiconductors in the form of spheres instead of chips -- a breakthrough with truly electrifying implications. Paul C. Judge page 146
Talk about the power of leverage. Don Harris is a savvy lawyer and a creative deal maker whose nonprofit organization has figured out how to help moderate-income people make a down payment on the American dream -- literally. Fara Warner page 150
Here's one way to engage kids without much hope or opportunity: persuade them to lift every voice and sing. As executive director of the Chicago Children's Choir, Nancy Carstedt runs a high-impact, fast-growing nonprofit that touches the lives of tens of thousands of children. Alison Overholt page 154
Silke Maier-Witt, a trauma psychologist in Kosovo, is seeking to heal the wounds that terrorism has inflicted on women from both sides. She's also seeking redemption for her father's dark past in Nazi Germany and her own as a revolutionary gang member. Harriet Rubin page 158
Mobil launched Speedpass to help customers guzzle gas faster. Now, 5 million users later, the tiny device has become a huge asset -- a classic case of a network effect. Keith H. Hammonds page 44
Back in 1831, Welsh coal miners at the tower colliery invented the red flag as a symbol of rebellion. Today, miners own the mine, and they are focused on black ink -- and producing lots of it. Ian Wylie page 50
Fallon Worldwide couldn't thrive on its own. Nor could it lose the creative fire that first fueled its growth. An up-start ad agency learns to love its big-company patron. Christine Canabou page 60
"If people are too intimidated or too reluctant to help their leaders lead, their leaders will fail," says Michael Useem, management professor at the Wharton School and the author of a new book about how you can take control -- even when you're not in command. Bill Breen page 70
Lots of Internet startups have tried to reshape finance. PayPal Inc. has pulled ahead of the pack by getting three things right: it built an easy-to-use system around email, it learned quickly from its mistakes, and it didn't invent a new currency. Fara Warner page 186
Janey Place, who runs e-commerce strategy for Mellon Financial, firmly believes in the Internet. But she doesn't believe in the overheated urgency of Internet time or the "ready, fire, aim" model of Internet strategy. Bill Breen page 196
A few years ago, experts thought a new pricing model would sweep the Internet in which users would gladly pay a few cents a page for the content that they liked. It was a costly misjudgment. George Anders page 204
In response to the terrorist attack of September 11, members of the Fast Company community turned to the Web -- first to communicate their shock, then to offer consolation, and finally to sort through the implications. The ultimate conclusion? The most powerful response to acts of great evil is to renew our committment to doing good work -- work that creates value, provides a sense of meaning, and moves the world forward.
Amid the rubble, companies worked miracles to get back to work. Firsthand reports from the New York Board of Trade, a Verizon switching center at 140 West Street, and other places under (re)construction. Keith M. Hammonds
What better way to respond to disaster and despair than by documenting the work that you do to improve your company and make a difference? Visit the Web, and be part of our first-ever reader's challenge.
The guardians of big business are defending their values and power structure against outsiders. Two new books examine what this intrusion means to corporate insiders -- as well as to outsiders. A serious look at how serious we really are about diversity Keith M. Hammonds
