COVER
The Seriously Funny Man (The Well / Cover Story)
Mark Twain was our first great political wit and a dogged defender of racial equality. Jon Stewart, Barack Obama and the rest of America are in his debt
Mark Twain: Our Original Superstar (Cover Story)
The celebrated writer skewered the powerful, mocked the pious and helped change America
Photos
Mark Twain: Portraits
The celebrated author and humorist was feted in photographs his entire career
Getting Past Black and White (The Making Of America)
It took a writer as deft and daring as Twain to teach Americans some useful lessons about race
Man of The World (The Well / The Making Of America)
In his lifetime, Twain was best known as a travel writer. Through five books, he narrated his journey from humorist to crusader
TO OUR READERS
The Mark of Twain
America's first political funnyman continues to leave his indelible mark on our humor, our literature and our desire to attain racial equality
NATION
Candidates' Vices: Craps and Poker (The Well / Campaign '08)
Obama learned the art of politics in backroom poker. McCain bets thousands at craps. What the candidates' passions for gambling tell us about their presidential ambitions
The Supreme Court's Group Hug (Nation)
After years of split decisions, America's highest court has found consensus on a range of issues. How John Roberts brought the Justices together
10 Things You Can Like About $4 Gas (The Well / Nation)
Pricey gas is mostly just economic pain. But beyond the agony at the pump, life is getting a little better in ways we may not notice
The Battle for Catholic Voters (The Well / Campaign '08)
With the economy and Iraq topping voter concerns, abortion has receded into the political background. As a TIME poll shows, that has put the Catholic vote up for grabs
White House Memo (The Well)
The Pentagon wants to step up the hunt, but Pakistan's new leaders are balking. Inside Bush's last battle
ESSAY
Giving Back to Veterans (In The Arena)
Thousands of troops are coming home with mental-health injuries. It's the duty of all of us to help them
The Meaning of Summer Camp
It used to be about acquiring survival skills. Now it's the social skills that need work
Saving Zimbabwe (The Well / Commentary)
Military force isn't the answer. But aggressive diplomacy can still remove Robert Mugabe
BRIEFING
Pop Chart
The Skimmer
Milestones
The Page
A Brief History Of: The Tour de France
The World
10 ESSENTIAL STORIES
Verbatim
Sam Manekshaw
Nation Building. (The Moment: Ground Zero)
Why the lack of progress at ground zero should worry America
Clay Felker
SCIENCE
Mopping Up the CO2 Deluge (Science)
To battle global warming, it's not enough to reduce emissions. We need to soak up what's already there
WORLD
Does Osama bin Laden Still Matter? (World)
As the quest for bin Laden founders, one of the few Western journalists to have met him argues that al-Qaeda's leader may be poised to strike again
Busch's Last Call in St. Louis? (Postcard: St. Louis)
St. Louis was once the site of a World's Fair and the fourth largest city in America. Now it may even lose its brewery
HEALTH & MEDICINE
Stem-Cell Treatments for Pets (Health / Health)
With owners willing to spend more and more on their pets' health, vets are increasingly turning to alternative treatments
SOCIETY
A Gourmet Family Meal for $10? (Life / Food)
That, at least, is the goal as Joel Stein gets a top chef to try to feed a family of four on a recession budget
Fancy Names, Affordable Feasts
The goal was to serve four people for around $10. Joel Stein looks into recipes and the chefs who give the ins and outs of make-'em-yourself extravaganzas
TECHNOLOGY
The Better Browser (Life / User's Guide)
Firefox 3 is free--and well worth it
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Famous Author's Guilty Pleasures (Books)
What do writers read when they don't want to work? We asked some big names from the literary world what they dip into for enjoyment; the answers are instructive, about both writers and pleasure. Enjoy
Lil Wayne: The Best Rapper Alive (Music)
How Lil Wayne gave away his songs and got paid back a million times over. Hint: he's good
Planet Hollywood Goes Green (Tuned In)
A new cable channel uses stars to make environmentalism glamorous. Earth to celebs: It's not working
5 Things You Should Know About. (Downtime)
Will Smith, surly superhero; Willie Nelson, cheerful also-ran; and Beck
The Shack Of the Lord (Literary Phenom)
SPECIAL SECTION
Spice Girls. (Global Business / Small Business)
With a fresh take on herbs, a pair of rookie entrepreneurs is stirring up the market for seasoning
Collaborative Contagion. (Global Business / Small Business)
A Portland, Ore., software start-up helps states adapt open source to collect public-health data
Business Books (Also In This Issue)
If you want to get rich, says magazine tycoon Felix Dennis, you can make a start by being poor, obsessed and a little bit of a jerk
China and Japan: The Green Connection (Global Business / The G-8 Summit)
China wants clean technology; Japan has it to sell. On the eve of the G-8 summit, two traditional rivals have reasons to heal old wounds
Smarter Clothes (Global Business / Textiles)
Europe wants to own the market for fabrics that can monitor you and your environment