Holiday Shopping: This Year It's a Game of Chicken

A showdown is looming between retailers and bargain-hunting shoppers over who will blink first at the cash register this holiday season

• TIME.com's Holiday Gift Guide 2009
• Black Friday—Shop Till You Drop

Will Private Equity Be the Next Meltdown?

Private-equity firms, such as Blackstone, KKR and Carlyle, have bought thousands of companies over the past decade using mostly debt. In a new book, author Josh Kosman argues that these leveraged acquisitions will produce the next financial meltdown

• FHA: Housing's Safety Net Begins to Fray

Can the A380 Bring the Party Back to the Skies?

Air France inaugurates its A380 service to JFK, complete with six bars, an onboard art gallery and in-flight live music. But has the economic crisis made the Airbus superjumbo a white elephant?

• A Perfect Day in ... Paris

Low Prices and Booze Put Brunch on the Rise

With all-you-can-eat and sometimes all-you-can-drink specials, more Americans are heading to restaurants for this mid-morning meal

Unemployment

With employment in double digits and a full recovery a way off, lawmakers are looking for ways to boost employment. It was easier in the early U.S.

• Unemployment Rises to 10.2%, Stoking the Economic Debate
• Jobless in America: Is Double-Digit Unemployment Here to Stay?
• Unemployment Dips, but Long-Term Joblessness Remains a Concern
• Obama's Stimulus Plan: Failing by Its Own Measure
• As Men's Job Losses Mount, Wives Feel the Impact
• Unemployment Nation
• 10 Ways Your Job Will Change
• Prize-Winning Photos: Struggling Cleveland

Techland

The Six Greatest Fantasy Novels of All Time

While I knew it was basically impossible to make a list like that, I didn't realize it would be that impossible

The Curious Capitalist

Good Numbers on Housing; Not So Good on GDP

Barbara can have her upbeat housing statistics. The Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis delivered a downer today, revising its estimate of third-quarter GDP growth from 3.5% to 2.8%.

It's Your Money

Must-See Recession-Era TV: The Credit Card Game

Based on the economy, the job market, and what you'll see on The Card Game, using cash rather than credit cards is a prudent move

Five Painless Ways to Cut Expenses

Trimming the home budget doesn't have to mean more macaroni and fewer cable channels. Here are five ways to smartly - and painlessly - cut your family's expenses.