Vol. 166 No. 20

COVER

Ambition: Why Some People Are Most Likely To Succeed (Cover: Behavior)
family, culture--or even in your own hands? Science has answers

How to Help Them Succeed (Cover: Behavior / Ambition and Kids)

SOCIETY

What's Cooking On Campus (Food)
Locally grown food is the latest student cause. Can this movement save family farmers?

SPORT

NASCAR's Driving Force
How Tony Stewart became the sport's top racer by (almost) learning how to take things easy

NOTEBOOK

Numbers

Outing Secret Jails
The Bush Administration faces international controversy over what amounts to a clandestine CIA prison system

Will Libby Scoot Off With a Pardon?
Washington wonders whether Bush will pardon Cheney's indicted chief of staff

Putting a Finer Point On Airport Security
The TSA re-evaluates its list of items banned on flights

E-mail@Foot-In-Mouth.Gov
Politicos face harsh lessons in the nature of e-mail

Bagging Plastic

Punchlines

Milestones

Verbatim

Blogwatch

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

You've Got Pluck (Time Bonus Section December 2005: Inside Business / Small Business)
Independent bookseller Andy Ross is risking everything he has to save the business he loves

Pathways to Power (Time Bonus Section December 2005: Inside Business / Race, Gender & Work)
A NEW STUDY SHOWS HOW THE CORPORATE WORLD CAN OVERCOME BIASES AT WORK AND UNLEASH THE TALENTS OF MINORITY WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE

You Got to Have Guts (Time Bonus Section December 2005: Inside Business / Race, Gender & Work)
Sure, there's racism. This hip-hop mogul says that's no excuse

Watch Out, They Bite! (Time Bonus Section December 2005: Inside Business / Finance)
How hedge funds tied to embattled broker REFCO used "naked short selling" to plunder small companies

Boomer Chic (Time Bonus Section December 2005: Inside Business / Marketing)
WHY ARE SPECIALTY RETAILERS LIKE GAP AND CHICO'S TARGETING THE SPENDING POWER OF WOMEN OVER 35?

Fighting the Freebies (Time Bonus Section December 2005: Inside Business / Health Care)
CITING CONFLICT OF INTEREST, ACTIVISTS ARE TARGETING DOCTORS WHO ACCEPT BIG PHARMA'S GIFTS

The Spark Plug (Time Bonus Section December 2005: Inside Business / Wireless)
AS CEO OF MOTOROLA, ED ZANDER LIT A FIRE UNDER AN AILING AMERICAN ICON. WILL HE BE ABLE TO KEEP UP THE HEAT?

The Bees Buzz On (Time Bonus Section December 2005: Inside Business / Sport)
HOW THE POST-KATRINA NEW ORLEANS HORNETS REBUILT THEIR TEAM, SPIRIT AND ALL

PC in Your Palm (Time Bonus Section December 2005: Inside Business / CEO Speaks)
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, PALM'S HARD-CHARGING CEO THINKS SOMETIMES WE SHOULD TURN IT ALL OFF

Ringtone Pirates (Time Bonus Section December 2005: Inside Business / Biz Briefs)

Big Tuna: Angling for Battle (Time Bonus Section December 2005: Inside Business / Biz Briefs)

Meeting a Challenge with Ideas and Optimism (From The Editor / Time Global Health Summit)

NATION

How Alito Looks Under the Lens
The judge delivers his conservative opinions in a soft voice. Will that be enough to avert a showdown over his nomination?

So, You Think You Know Alito ... (His Record)

A White House Without Rove? (White House Memo)
He's not gone yet, but his Texas-size ambitions are giving way to smaller goals

WORLD

Why Paris Is Burning
As France is hit with its worst riots in years, TIME takes an inside look at the roots of Muslim discontent

"How Much More French Can I Be?" (Viewpoint)

Looking Out on Hostile Territory
the Americans conquered a year ago is still a threat

Endangered Species? Not Tonight, Thank You (Letter From Shanghai)
With the world at its door, China takes a crash course in Western etiquette

BUSINESS

Why They're After Your Favorite Tax Break (Viewpoint)
Behind the push to eliminate the home-mortgage deduction

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Making of a Geisha (Movies)
It took seven years and a lot of crying, but the best-selling book is now a movie. TIME got a first look

The Box of Shadows (Architecture)
Architects of the moment Herzog and de Meuron design a museum that's a breath of fresh air

5 Albums To Get You Rocking (Worth Your Time)
From heavy metal to dance floor punk, these discs have attitude aplenty

The American Bald Ego (Television)
Leaving his perch at The Daily Show, Stephen Colbert is soaring to new heights of media parody

YOUR TIME

Music and the Mind (Health)

Tips On Talks (Technology)

Doctor's Orders (Health)

PEOPLE

People

LETTERS

Read the story

ESSAY

What Was God Thinking? Science Can't Tell