Vol. 164 No. 6
COVER
Athens may be struggling to get ready, but for U.S. ATHLETES the preparations are over. They've competed fiercely against one another to earn the right to represent their country when the Games begin
Built for Speed (2004 Olympics)
Why phenom Michael Phelps wants the hype over his gold rush to last, not just for him but for the sport itself
New Kids in the Blocks (2004 Olympics)
Devastated by doping, a sport looks to youth to revive its fortunes
Acropolis Now (2004 Olympics)
Inside the crazy and uniquely Greek marathon of preparations in Athens, where the Games will link ancient and modern Olympians in exquisite athleticism
NATION
TIME photographer Callie Shell goes backstage for an exclusive look at John Kerry's critical convention moment
How Bush Plans To Win (2004 Campaign / The Republicans)
To lure swing voters and dim Kerry's convention glow, the President tries an upbeat message: his second-term agenda
WORLD
How al-Qaeda is tapping into the opium trade to finance violence and destabilize Afghanistan
SCIENCE
Mysterious Mercury, the planet closest to the sun, is
NOTEBOOK
Verbatim
Blaming Frist
Profiteering On The West Bank Wall?
Performances Of The Week
Google's IPO: Buyer, Beware
Will Americans Love Glasgow Celtic?
Numbers
Milestones
Milestones
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Just Label Us Skeptical
The Audacity of Hope
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
In 1993 six geeks had a digital nightmare that changed the culture. It's about to get far creepier
Secrets of The New Myst
The Multitude Strikes Back (Books)
The authors of Empire, the It book of postmodern philosophy, have a new plan to save the world
The Hit Man Took a Taxi (Movies)
It's one very dark night of the soul in Los Angeles in the stylish Michael Mann thriller Collateral
A Supremacy All Her Own (Movies)
Too often the nice one, Joan Allen takes charge
YOUR TIME
New cookbooks give an international spin to the American cookout
Greek Grapes (Style)
Cosmetic Comeback: Powder to the People (Style)
Spend a Little Here, Save a Little There (Money)
Some websites let you earn money while shopping. Are they worth it?
Your Options May Be Limited (Money)
Fuel Forecast: Oil Is Up, But Gas Will Ease (Money)
A Better View Of Breast Cancer (Health)
Push-Button Medicine (Health)
If you can monitor your symptoms electronically, why go to the doctor?
Relief For Twitching Legs (Health)
Who's Feeling Low Down? (Health)
SPECIAL SECTION
WHERE DOES THAT HAMBURGER COME FROM? THOSE STRAWBERRIES? AMERICA'S RANCHERS AND FARMERS THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW
Hip Hop's Online Shop (Time Bonus Section September 2004: Inside Business / Apparel)
CELEBRITY FASHION IS BOOMING. THESE WEBPRENEURS ARE BRINGING IT TO MAIN STREET
Stoking the Steamroller (Time Bonus Section September 2004: Inside Business / Entertainment)
NO OTHER RECORDING ARTIST CAN CHANNEL AMERICAN MIDDLE-CLASS TASTES QUITE LIKE CHIP DAVIS AND HIS BEST-SELLING BAND
Coming to The Rescue (Time Bonus Section September 2004: Inside Business / Investing)
GOT A UNIQUE PROBLEM? NOT TO WORRY: YOU CAN FIND A FINANCIAL PLANNER FOR EVERY SPECIALIZED NEED
Inside Table of Contents (Time Bonus Section September 2004: Inside Business / Inside Table of Contents)
PEOPLE
Intolerable Cruelty via Mail
Beijing's Bubba Book
The Politics Behind The Popcorn
10 Questions For Tommy Franks (Interview)
General Tommy Franks commanded the u.s. military during its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq before retiring last summer after 38 years in uniform. He surveys his career--and the wars he led as head of th