Over the course of two years, a celebrated novelist and business writer listened to the life stories of more than 900 people who had decided to be honest with themselves. What he found was a way to get back to what matters -- and the makings of a new era for business. Po Bronson page 68
If you want to convince customers to open their wallets, you've got to open your mind to new ways of connecting with them. That's why we set out on a nationwide shopping spree in search of the fearless companies and breakthrough ideas that are reinventing retail. Here's what we found. Bill Breen page 80
Strategy. Marketing. People. Execution. The new business conversation starts here. Presenting 23 bright ideas for a stellar 2003, from "silos of expertise" to data-donor cards. fast company page 95
Police veteran Dennis Marlock has written the book (several of them, actually) on scams, cons, frauds -- all shapes and sizes of street-level deception. Which makes him an expert witness to what's gone wrong in the executive suites of corporate America. Does everyone lie? Aren't we too smart to get conned? Some honest talk about dishonest business. Linda Tischler page 106
Tim and Diane Mueller are king (and queen) of the mountain. They run one of the country's most admired independent ski areas: a resort with a devoted following that maintains close ties to the community and -- surprise! -- makes money in a notoriously unforgiving business. Scott Kirsner page 108
A troubled economy leads to troubled companies. How do you start turning things around? How do you know if you're making progress? When does it make sense to move faster - or slower? Six turnaround leaders explain their strategies. Christine Canabou page 55
Silicon Valley optimists say that now is a great time to start a new business. Everything's cheap, there's surplus talent, and as the veterans will tell you, "The tourists have all gone home." Katharine Mieszkowski page 35
Mark Hanson and his marketing group sit on Sony's border between Japan and the United States. The big question: What to do when that border becomes a gap. Douglas McGray page 38
Gerard Kleisterlee's turnaround program for Royal Philips Electronics is a high-stakes bet on a simple, catalytic idea: strategic conversations. Ian Wylie page 44
Who: Ginni Rometty Title: General Manager Company: IBM Business Consulting Services Where: Somers, NY Challenge: Lead the just-created, largest consulting-services company in the world Alison Overholt page 46
Email was supposed to make your life easier, faster, and cheaper -- not messier, uglier, and cheesier. Here's how to keep the spam off your plate. Alison Overholt page 52
