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How To Lead a Rich Life

(Revised and Updated for a Poor Economy)
Can money buy happiness? (You'd be surprised!) What is the measure of true wealth? (Hint: Don't look at your brokerage statement.) Why do so many people with high incomes have such limited assets? (Check out your garage...and your pool...and those vacation bills.) A values-driven guide to mastering the Money Issue. Polly LaBarre
page 72

The Hard Life and Restless Mind of America's Education Billionaire

John Sperling was born dirt-poor, fell in with Communists, and became a union organizer who led a strike that ended in disaster. Today, he runs the world's largest for-profit university -- and a company whose shares are defying gravity on Wall Street. So why do so many smart people say such terrible things about him? And why does he relish their attacks? Bill Breen
page 80

Which Price is Right?

It is an urgent question: How can we increase profits if we can't raise prices? The answer demands revolutionary thinking -- new insights about strategy and human behavior, turbocharged with software, mathematics, and rapid-fire experimentation. Is your company ready to master the new era of pricing? Are you prepared to pay the price of failure? Charles Fishman
page 92

Bank of (Middle) America

Kerry Killinger and his colleagues at Washington Mutual Inc. don't model themselves after Citigroup or Bank of America. Instead, they look for inspiration to Wal-Mart, Target, and Southwest Airlines -- giant companies that somehow manage to keep costs low and service high and meet the needs of the middle class. The strategy is minting money -- and WaMu's share price is up more than 150% during the past three years. Linda Tischler
page 104

Would You Like a Mortgage With Your Mocha?

Who says banking has to be dull? Not the executives at ING Direct, who are banking on powerful technology and clever marketing to make a radical change in an industry that needs it. The result: In less than three years, they've attracted more than a million customers and $10 billion in assets. And they serve a pretty mean cappuccino. Scott Kirsner
page 110

The Fast 50

Powerful ideas and personal commitment are what propel industries, companies, and individuals into the future. Every November, Fast Company shines a spotlight on the idea elite of business -- the CEOs who make our annual Who's Fast issue. This month, for the second year in a row, the Fast 50 emphasizes in-the-trenches achievement. There are CEOs, but also engineers, marketers, and frontline teams whose passion means the difference between winning and losing. Paul Cabana
page 49

NEXT

People of Plenty

The American dream says that anyone can be rich. But the real question is, Are you keeping up with the Joneses? James Surowiecki
page 31

Fill 'er Up With Hydrogen

The California Fuel-Cell Partnership looks to go without gas. Katharine Mieszkowski
page 34

Where Are The Jobs?

Want to know where the jobs are? Go to Monster Data Intelligence. Lucas Conley
page 34

Making Unseen America Visible

Bread and roses transforms ordinary working americans into artists with cameras. Daniel H. Pink
page 36

In The Hot Seat

Who: Tom Campbell
Title: Dean, Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley
Where: Berkeley, California
Challenge: Bring his school into the top five. Alison Overholt
page 38

Motorola Bets on Its Chips

A radical new business model overturns all the old rules. Now, will it work? Keith H. Hammonds
page 42

It's Written on the Tablets!

It's practically an eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt have a Tablet PC. But which one? Alison Overholt
page 46

Speedometer

A special money edition -- from Bill Gates's daily winnings to how many dollar bills it takes to make a stack a mile high. Ryan Underwood
page 116

Columns

Who Is the Unlikely Winner of the Wi-Fi Revolution?

John Ellis
page 66

The Five Most Powerful Ways to Annoy Others.

Harriet Rubin
page 68

What Does It Take to Make a Great Movie?

Anne Kreamer and Harvey Weinstein
page 70

More Great Stuff

The Money Issue.

the founding editors
page 16

Between the Lines

The stories behind this issue's stories. Fast Company
page 20

Index to Advertisers

Interact with the companies whose products and services are advertised in Fast Company. Fast Company
page 115