NATION

Arms Control: Toward a Safer World (Cover Stories)

Breaking the dusty rules of arms control, Bush cuts the U.S. arsenal and invites Gorbachev to do the same. But Moscow should read the fine print.

Why The Details Are Sticky

As his country crumbles, Gorbachev is happy about Bush's proposals on tactical nukes. But by keeping its submarine-launched multiple warheads, Washington has an advantage that will worry Moscow.

WORLD

Soviet Union: Four Desperate Days

A riveting diary kept by Anatoli Chernyayev, Gorbachev's top foreign policy aide, describes how plotters imprisoned the President in the Crimea -- and how the tide turned against them

SCIENCE

The 4,000-Year-Old Man

Mummified remains of an ancient mountain climber give scientists a rare glimpse into life in the early Bronze Age

HEALTH & MEDICINE

Incest Comes Out of the Dark (Health)

As the taboos against talking about it crumble, thousands of Americans, like Roseanne Arnold, are going public with their stories of anguish and healing

SOCIETY

Tidings Of Comfort and Joy (Behavior)

A witty and fanciful sex manual for the '70s is updated in cautionary fashion for the '90s

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

BUSINESS

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Frankly, It's Not Worth a Damn (Books)

In the sequel to Gone With the Wind, Rhett and Scarlett reunite, she heads for Ireland, has a baby and leaves the reader wondering why tomorrow ever came

SPECIAL SECTION

1492 Vs. 1892 Vs. 1992 (History)

At three imperial moments, three Columbuses reveal something about their different eras

Just Who Was That Man? (History)

No one is sure what Columbus looked like, but enough is known about him that the dispute over his legacy should not obscure his real accomplishments

The Trouble With Columbus (History)

As the 500th anniversary of his New World voyage approaches, a fundamental argument about its significance is growing in stridency

PEOPLE

No More Clapping Hands: RAFFI (Profile)

Once the Pied Piper to millions of kids, folk singer RAFFI no longer warbles about the wonders of childhood. His message is now one of environmental alarm.

TO OUR READERS

ESSAY