(FORTUNE Magazine) – Don't be fooled by the bathrobe (one of the perks of working at home): When it comes to writing on business and the law, nobody ranges wider or probes deeper than Roger Parloff. A former criminal litigator, Roger has a rare gift for explaining complex legal issues in ways that both entertain and instruct, which is why he's a regular contributor to FORTUNE. His indictment of America's asbestos litigation, "The $200 Billion Miscarriage of Justice," was selected for inclusion in the latest edition of The Best Business Stories of the Year. In this issue Roger's range is on display in two very different stories, "Killer App"--on how Bertelsmann's bid to back Napster in 2001 has opened it up to $17 billion in lawsuits--and "to B or not to b," a delightful This Just In on the mystery of how Microsoft Word decides what to capitalize. Hmmm. Maybe we should all try working in our bathrobes.

Remember growth? Despite the sluggish economy, the stalwarts on FORTUNE's latest 100 fastest-growing companies list managed to rack up three years of high-double-digit increases in sales, profits, and total returns. It's a sign of our troubled times that the new No. 1, InVision Technologies, makes electronic baggage-screening systems. Even so, some pre--Sept. 11 stars still shine, notably Internet auction titan eBay (No. 8). Don't miss "Meg and the Machine," senior writer Adam Lashinsky's exploration of how CEO Meg Whitman aims to keep her remarkable growth engine purring like nobody's business.

Rik Kirkland Managing Editor