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Features

The Accidental Guru

Malcolm Gladwell, says one fan, is "just a thinker." But what a thinker. His provocative ideas are taking the business world by storm. So who is this guy, and what can he teach you about business? Danielle Sacks

Fast Take: Sharpen Your Snap Judgments

Malcolm Gladwell wants to rub the confusion from our eyes when we first encounter a new person, product, or idea and help us focus on what's really important. These stories from Blink can help you filter through first impressions and improve rapid decision making.

Fast Take: The Malcolm Gladwell Reader

By the time you finish a Gladwell article, you feel as if you`ve watched a movie and read an academic journal all at once. Your brain is exercised and entertained, your perspective changed. Many of his New Yorker pieces inspired parts of The Tipping Point and Blink. Danielle Sacks

The Change Masters

How do you solve the world`s problems? With creativity, passion, and the savvy to turn scarce resources into big impact. Meet the winners of the 2005 Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Awards. Cheryl Dahle

Social Capitalist Awards Special Section

Details about our methodology, profiles of our various advisers, position statements contributed by the winner and finalist organizations, an interactive SlideShow focusing on business lessons -- and ways to donate to the organizations involved.

A Lever Long Enough to Move the World

Social visionary Bill Drayton is creating a network of incalculable problem-solving power. Keith H. Hammonds

Fast Take: The Makings of a Social Innovator

In its selection of Fellows, Ashoka measures social entrepreneurs against five essential criteria. Keith H. Hammonds

The Soft Sell

Everybody talks about relationship selling. But the folks who peddle computers at CDW really do it. Here`s how. Chuck Salter

Fast Take: CDW`s Keys to a Lasting Relationship

Five tactics to foster closer connections. Chuck Salter

Commercial Success

Traditional advertising is in deep trouble. Now Yahoo is reinventing the game thanks to ad boss Wenda Millard. And her cooperative approach is winning over Madison Avenue. Alan Deutschman

Fast Take: How to Sell Yahoo-Style

Three keys to a more perfect pitch. Alan Deutschman

Swimming Against The Tide

These are some screwy squirrels: Cartoon Network`s Adult Swim operation stays edgy and creative -- despite its lumbering corporate parent. Alan Cohen

Fast Take: Free Swim

Lessons from a creative pool. Alan Cohen

Think Wild, Think Crazy

Jeff Zucker, the president of NBC television, talks about running a network at the ripe old age of 39. Paul B. Brown

Parsing Pentagram

One of Pentagram's design partners explores his design philosophy, practice, and process.

Fast Talk: China Rising

We talked to five of the best and brightest recent Chinese MBA grads -- whose careers will be followed in a 20-year study by Katzenbach Partners -- about China`s future and their own hopes and dreams. Jena McGregor

Next

A New Path To Profit

Save the world (and make a fortune) by selling to the world`s poor, says C.K. Prahalad. Alison Overholt

Chatter

From promotional brochures found at OutsourceWorld, a recent trade show in New York. Diana Ransom

Dropping The Ball

Recipe for Success: New Year`s Eve on Times Square. Alec Appelbaum

Spill Saver

Putting a lid on "dribble wipeage". Paul Lukas

Bring on the Clown

Learn about PR from the man whose hair, ego, and finances are all about puffery. Ryan Underwood

How To Fix K-Mart

Ways to make blue lights special again. Jena McGregor

Gimme Sanctuary

Andy Taylor has built a music-industry powerhouse by doing what`s best for his artists. Ian Wylie

No Consultant Left Behind

Business book authors don`t necessarily write at the level of their peers. Martin Kihn

Private-label Pioneer

This month, the Fast Company/Monitor Group Innovation Scorecard, an ongoing assessment of the best innovators by industry, takes on the food and personal-care sector. Michael A. Prospero

Experience Experiment

The Brand Experience Lab links cool technologies with cool companies. Jena McGregor

Icebreaking for Geeks -- and More

Feel tongue-tied at conferences? These gizmos will do your networking for you. Ian Mount

Leisure on Your Laptop

From entertainment center to central processing unit. Brian T. Horowitz

Suck Up and Move Up

Sad to say, but a University of Texas study shows that sucking up is a good way to get ahead. Jennifer Reingold

Datebook

Critical calendar listings for January 2005. Danielle Sacks

" Buy the Thighmast..." -- ZAP!

Innovation: Ad zapper. Avaliable: Unknown. Kim Girard

Mystery In The Air

Are you reading this on a plane? You may want to skip the item about how clean that airline blanket really is. Fiona Haley and Maxine Clayton

Office Handbook

You can get sick, but only on your time. Ryan Underwood

The Corporate Shrink

How to interview job candidates effectively. Dr. Kerry J. Sulkowicz

Playbook

Bridging the (Gender Wage) Gap

Six no-nonsense ways women can close the gender wage gap. Linda Tischler

Transparency: It`s Not Just for Shrink Wrap Anymore

Take our test to see if you`re an honest leader. Hint: No cheating. David Lidsky

You And Your Posse

Headhunter Kelvin Thompson talks about how -- and why -- to sell yourself as a team player.

The Management Express

You want MBA smarts -- but without the MBA commitment. Look no further. Jennifer Vilaga

Readers' Choice

The secret to your next great strategy might be right down the corridor.

When the Golden Rule Doesn`t Work

Everybody isn`t you. And everybody doesn`t want to be managed the way you do. Marshall Goldsmith

A Starter Kit for Business Ethics

Corporate cheating won`t be stopped by regulation or legislation. That`s why whistle-blowing is everybody`s job. Shoshana Zuboff

More Great Stuff

Celebrating the Extraordinary

This month`s letter from the editor. John A. Byrne

Start the Revolution (Again!)

With our November 2005 issue, Fast Company will celebrate 10 years of publication. Each month until then, we`ll review our favorite editions from the first decade. Michael A. Prospero

Feedback

Letters. Updates. Advice.

What`s the Big Idea?

Readers pick the Fast Forward list`s 101st item. Heath Row

The Net/Net

A go-to guide of the products and services featured in this month`s issue.