A Tsar Is Born (Person of the Year)
Vladimir Putin is no ordinary politician. He is charmless yet adored by his nation. He took a country in chaos and remade it in his own image: tough, aggrieved, defiant. An interview — and dinner — with the man who tamed Russia

A Bible, but No E-Mail (Person Of The Year / Interview)
In an interview with TIME, Putin opens a window on his life

In Search Of Russia's Big Idea
A road trip through the heartland reveals a country caught between its best and worst traditions, as dreamers, drunks, despots and dissidents all battle for Russia's soul

And Moscow Makes Me Sing And Shout
In these boom times, nightlife has moved from dreary to dramatic. Welcome to the new playground of the rich and fabulous

#2 Al Gore (Person Of The Year Runner-up)
The former Vice President, now a Nobel laureate, has become America's environmental conscience

#3 J.K. Rowling (Person Of The Year Runner-up)
Harry's done, but the best-selling author in history still has some secrets she can finally share

#4 Hu Jintao (Person Of The Year Runner-up)
China's leader depends on both ancient wisdom and communist doctrine as guides to action

#5 David Petraeus (Person Of The Year Runner-up)
The commanding general in Iraq fought America's most difficult foreign war — and one at home

Farewell
These people left us in 2007, but they left us with something


Verbatim

Road Test (Manufacturing)
Russia has become a stepping-stone for Chinese automakers eager to expand overseas


Lord of the Jungle (Architecture)
Though disdained as an élitist, Geoffrey Bawa revolutionized tropical architecture by blending modern ideas and traditional forms

Criminal Mind (Authors)
Qiu Xiaolong uses the crime novel to explore topics proscribed in his native China

Casualties of War (Books)
A Vietnamese doctor's salvaged diary offers a poignant take on life under fire

The Mod Squad (Music)
In the musical world of White Shoes & the Couples Company, it's like 1965 all over again


Peak Performance (Tech Watch)
From boots to boards, some prize products for those hitting the slopes

Happy Havens in Mauritius (Dossier)
At a resort in Mauritius, a place in the sun means money in the bank

Cassoulet: Savory Taken Seriously (Amuse-Bouche)
No French dish is as steeped in history, myth and religion as cassoulet

Step Back in Time at Castle Leslie (Retreat)
Ireland's historic Castle Leslie lets guests live like aristocrats and feel like part of the family


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