COVER

The End of California? Dream On! (United States)

The Golden State has fought the status quo since its birth 160 years ago. It celebrates failure. It is a magnet for innovation. Its obituary has been posted time and again. But even amid a particularly rough chapter in the state's history, the nation's future is being written in California. A special report

ASIA

PEOPLE

Han Han: China's Literary Bad Boy (Profile)

Wildly popular novelist Han Han is the rebellious, potty-mouthed voice of a generation of disaffected Chinese youth. Why won't the authorities shut him up?

LETTERS

GLOBAL BUSINESS

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Mr. Vice Guy (Books)

Yakuza, sex, murder. Jake Adelstein's debut is not your typical expatriate memoir of Tokyo

GLOBAL ADVISER

10 Reasons to Visit Yanesen (TIME Traveler)

The winding lanes of Yanesen are a hit with young Tokyoites in search of a slower pace of life

Lots of Interest (Diversions)

For the visitor, London's smaller auction houses offer hours of browsing pleasure

Try a Little Grass (Curtain Raiser)

Hong Kong's Clockenflap is a festival with film, art and ecological components as well as music