(FORTUNE Magazine) – Nobody tells business stories better than Joe Nocera. So while it's been a big plus for me--and a great benefit for FORTUNE--to have Joe lay down his pen and serve as an executive editor for the past 15 months, we've all missed his unmistakable voice in the magazine. No longer. In this issue Joe returns to a memorable character he first encountered--and helped make even more memorable--some 20 years ago: famed oilman and corporate rabble-rouser T. Boone Pickens (that's Boone making a point to Joe above). "The Return of the Raider" is Joe's deeply personal look back at the career of a man who soared high, fell hard, and ultimately found both personal redemption and renewed business success. Like a single-batch bourbon or a dust-covered bottle of sauterne, it's a tale to sip slowly--and savor.

Meet a wise man and the ultimate road warrior. For the past 25 years Ram Charan, the eminent CEO coach and consultant, has spent 100% of his time racing from airplanes to hotels to business meetings. He literally has no home. Ram's frenetic pace, fierce intelligence, and deep access have made him an unrivaled source of real-world insights into what business does right--and all too often wrong. Three years ago he teamed up with our Geoffrey Colvin on a cover story, "Why CEOs Fail." Judging from the number of corporate flameouts lately, I guess some folks missed it. Now Ram is back, with senior writer Jerry Useem, to probe an even more timely topic, "Why Companies Fail." Ignore it at your peril.