In this eSpecial, titled: "HAS WAL-MART FOUND ITS SOUL?" Fishman chronicles the work of Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott whose mission became to reconcile how Wal-Mart shoppers feel about the store with how Wal-Mart is viewed by critics. By providing a forum for Wal-Mart watchdogs to sound off, and through a reexamination of business procedures and motivations, Scott shifted the company's focus to sustainability and the environmental impact of capitalism. Wal-Mart has emerged from this revolution as a powerful and conscientious player in this ever-evolving economy.

Further Information on THE WAL-MART EFFECT:

Wal-Mart isn't just the world's biggest company, it is probably the world's most written-about. But no book until this one has managed to penetrate its wall of silence or go beyond the usual polemics to analyze its actual effects on its customers, workers, and suppliers. Drawing on unprecedented interviews with former Wal-Mart executives and a wealth of staggering data (e.g., Americans spend $36 million an hour at Wal-Mart stores, and in 2004 its growth alone was bigger than the total revenue of 469 of the Fortune 500), The Wal-Mart Effect is an intimate look at a business that is dramatically reshaping our lives.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Charles Fishman is a senior editor at Fast Company. His award-winning cover story on Wal-Mart generated the strongest reader response in the history of the magazine. In 2005 he was awarded the prestigious Gerald Loeb Award, the highest award in business journalism, for which he has been a finalist three times. Fishman, who started his career at The Washington Post, has also been a senior editor at the Orlando Sentinel and the News & Observer. He has appeared regularly on NPR, CNN, and Fox News.

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Questions? Comments? E-mail me at elaine.broeder@us.penguingroup.com