A Letter From The Publisher: Feb. 15, 1982

Declining productivity. High interest rates. Slipping stock markets. TIME'S Economy & Business section has dealt with these dismal themes all too often in recent months, as the American economy has slid deeper into recession. So it was with relief that Business staff members turned to a more cheerful phenomenon: the surprising surge in innovative businesses in America today, and the new generation of capitalists who are risking, and often winning, huge sums with their venturesome companies. "It is the other, upbeat side of the economy," says Business Senior Editor George M. Taber. Adds Staff Writer Alexander Taylor, who wrote the cover...