FEATURES
COVER STORY
Fortunate Son | 56
Tim McGraw grew up dirt-poor without a real dad. But hard work has a way of making tough luck turn. Today he's country music's biggest star -- and he sleeps with Faith Hill. Not bad for a good ol' boy from Louisiana. BY RICK BRAGG

The 2004 Anti-Terror Awards | 62
After the world changed on September 11, 2001, a handful of men marshaled the courage to lead the most important battle of our time. A tribute to the true heroes of the war on terror.

The 62-Mile-High Club | 76
Meet Brian Binnie: fighter jock, test pilot -- and the man who will be at the controls when SpaceShipOne launches into space in the upcoming attempt to win the $10 million Ansari X Prize. BY DANIEL DUANE

The Ultimate Guide to SUVs | 80
Rugged off-road machines, smooth luxurymobiles, and powerful haulers -- we tested them all. Dig into our guide and discover the year's 10 best sport-utes. BY JAMIE KITMAN

Dreads and Shaved Heads, Yo! | 90
Ballin', sweatin', and fightin' with college basketball's black and white giants as they shoot for the NBA. An exclusive excerpt from the new novel by an American master. BY TOM WOLFE

Leading Men | 100
Let the guides of Lake Tahoe show you the good life. They call it work. We know better. BY GWEN KILVERT

ADVENTURE
52 Great American Weekends Under $200 A whole year's worth of perfect, affordable getaways, with at least one in every state in the union: Everything from shredding slopes in Alaska to spelunking caverns in Illinois to kiteboarding on the Jersey shore. So check your calendar, then get out of town. 18
News A record number of climbers summit K2, and Intel builds the surfboard of the future. PLUS: The month's best travel deals. 38
Books The enduring wisdom of Teddy Roosevelt, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s case for saving the environment. PLUS: Crazed 'Bama fans and other joys of college football. 40

PEAK PERFORMANCE
How to Live Forever Secrets of longevity from the centenarians of Sardinia, men three times as likely to reach 100 as the rest of the Western world. Secret number four: drink more red wine. 43
Paging Dr. Bob The doc in our house answers questions on casual smoking, knee pain, beating the flu, and curing bad breath. 54

STYLE
Trail Mix Jackets, boots, and watches for weekend warriors and backcountry pros. 108

GEAR GUIDE
Digital Cameras A new, faster breed of digitals lets you snap the action as it's happening. 112
High-Definition Hits Catch all the bone-crushing action this football season on your new HDTV. 114
Pro Secrets Peter Reid on the gear that made him a three-time winner of the brutal Ironman triathlon. 118
Surround Sound Pair these state-of-the-art audio systems with your HDTV for the ultimate home theater. 120
Audio Files Portable speakers and wireless network connections unleash the power of your home MP3 library. 124

MISC.
Real Heroes When Tyler Grimm came upon a man trapped in a burning car, he didn't wait for the paramedics to arrive. 144
Mail 10
Contributors 12