COVER
WikiLeaks' War on Secrecy: Truth's Consequences (Cover)
Rogue activist Julian Assange wants to curb government secrecy, but his massive leak of classified U.S. diplomatic cables is undermining the Obama Administration's efforts to do just that
ESSAY
WikiLeaks Shows the Skills of U.S. Diplomats (Commentary / Worldview)
Diplomatic cables made public by WikiLeaks show the skills of American diplomats, not their failings
Back to the Future: Sarah Palin's Restoration
Revolution or reformation? How Palin's restoration message fuels our most essential debate
NATION
88 Wins: UConn Tries to Match a Historic Streak (The Well / Sports)
Led by the blustery Geno Auriemma, the University of Connecticut's women's basketball team is closing in on the winning streak set by UCLA's men. Fans are taking notice — and taking sides
WORLD
This Is the House That Ireland Built (World)
Wild property speculation and crazy bank loans have left the Irish economy reliant on emergency aid. The good news: Ireland's people know they have to clean up the mess themselves
Land of Hope (World)
Fed by drought, Africa's deserts are spreading, bringing with them hunger, disease and tribal conflict. But innovative policies can push the deserts back
Keeping Africa's Deserts at Bay
Photos: Fed by drought, Africa's deserts are spreading, bringing with them hunger, disease and conflict. Can new innovations keep the desert from expanding?
TO OUR READERS
TIME's Managing Editor on WikiLeaks
The WikiLeaks release of classified material harms American security, but it also suggests problems with the culture of secrecy
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Person of the Year
We asked TIME 100 honorees whom they would choose for 2010. The nominations are in
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Holiday Movie Preview 2010 (Movies)
TIME critics Richard Corliss and Mary Pols sample the best and most anticipated films of the 2010 holiday season
SOCIETY
Upwardly Fertile: The Rise of the Vertical Garden (Life / Going Green)
Vertical gardens are on the rise. Are they worth the expense?
To 3-D or Not to 3-D? (Life / Technologizer)
TV is entering the third dimension. Here's why you should look before you leap
Homes for the Holidays: Gifts that Help Haiti (Life / Cash Crunch)
Not sure what to get Mom? A donation toward shelters in Haiti offers two gifts for the price of one
HEALTH & MEDICINE
Meet Dr. Robot (Health Checkup)
Your next surgeon may not be human. Why that should make you happy — and a little wary
Surgery Lite (Health Checkup)
Pain and trauma have always been part of having an operation. But new machines and methods are changing that
SPECIAL SECTION
Norway's Power Push (Global Business / Alt Energy)
Is osmosis the answer to the world's energy shortage? Why the "salinity gradient" holds promise
What Torino Can Teach Cleveland (Global Business / Intelligent Cities)
How an old industrial town restaged itself for a new century
PEOPLE
10 Questions for Nassim Taleb (10 Questions)
The Black Swan author's latest, The Bed of Procrustes, is a book of aphorisms. Nassim Taleb will now take your questions
LETTERS
Inbox (Inbox)
BRIEFING
Leslie Nielsen (Milestones)
The World
10 ESSENTIAL STORIES
Milestone (Milestones)
Brief History: Korean Border Clashes
David Nolan (Milestones)
The Skimmer
Book Review: A Rope and a Prayer by David Rohde and Kristen Mulvihill
Lab Report: Health, Science and Medicine
Verbatim
Irvin Kershner (Milestones)
The Moment
11|30|10: Washington