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Discusses how Enron Corp. helped spark reforms that have saved businesses and consumers billions of dollar in energy bills. Role of former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay in championing deregulation; Impact of the Natural Gas Act of 1978, which granted only partial deregulation; Strategies of Lay and other Enron executives for how to cut prices, build gas-fired electric plants and sell the power to big business.

Focuses on billionaire Paul Allen and how he has been building his empire since 1994. The initial public offerings he is staging for his Charter Communications; How this offering provides the blueprint for his emerging strategy; His playboy reputation; His relationship with former business partner Bill Gates of Microsoft Corp.; Allen's faith in bandwidth technology; A sampling of his stakes in the technology sector. INSET: The Executor.

Discusses how a market segment that had been previously scorned can sneak into an established market and threaten it with low-cost products or services. The example of Western Union and AT&T; How the Internet has gone from a cumbersome device to a high-technology tool; How Microsoft could succumb to an attack. INSET: Gentle giant.

Features James Crowe, chief executive of Level 3 Communications company. The potential of Level 3 to become a powerful world telecommunications company; The use of packet switching or circuit switching technology; His plans to network fiber-optic cables on three continents; Investment of Walter Scott, chairman of Peter Kiewit Sons' and Level 3; The importance of XCOM Technologies software company; Background and career highlights; Comments from Crow. INSETS: Telecom in the 21st century: The un-Bellheads;Rich rebel;The smell telephone system;The next-generation gearheads

The article offers travel tips for businessmen visiting Houston, Texas, known for its oil industry, as of 1983, and includes recommendations for automobile rental services from Quantum Car Rental, a hotel called Inn on the Park, and restaurants including Primo's and Captain Benny's Half Shell.

The article looks at various U.S. small business enterprises and their performance as of September 1983. These include electronics company Texscan Corp., electronic aircraft gear manufacturer Base Ten Systems, Inc., and stereo retailer Tech-Hifi. Comments from Texscan chairman Carl Pehlke, Base Ten chairman Myles Kranzler, and Tech-Hifi co-founder Sandow S. Ruby are included.

The article looks at some of the well managed oil service stocks that U.S. investors seem to ignore both in the oil glut and in the oil boom. It discusses the strong market positions of small to medium-sized companies such as Parker Drilling Co., oil tools manufacturers Cameron Iron Works and Smith International, and offshore drilling company Rowan Co. The companies' management and operations, flagship products and technology, and prospect for earnings growth are also mentioned.

The article presents information on the plans of the administration of the University of Texas (UT) to compete with top U.S. universities, like Harvard University and the University of California. It discusses the endowment of UT and its comparison with Harvard and the uses of the endowment income of UT under the plan. INSET: Wholesome.

The article looks at developments in the energy industry in 1981 and outlook for 1982. Topics discussed include reduction in the production of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) producers and discounting of their crude prices and demand for oil in the developing countries. A chart is presented that shows the financial and management performance of oil companies in terms of profitability and growth.

The article focuses on Pro-Lines, a manufacturer of hair products targeting African Americans founded by brothers Comer and Jim Cottrell. It cites the opposite characteristics of the brothers that complement each other and enabled them to form the company. Also discussed are the marketing strategy used by the brothers to improve the company, their use of point-of-sale advertising and the introduction of Curly Kit, a do-it-yourself curling process, in 1980.

The article features Bernard Rapoport, founder of American Income Life Insurance Co. Topics discussed include his involvement in a U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) extortion and racketeering case against Texas House Speaker Billy Clayton, Rapoport's family and career background, and his business dealings with labor unions.

Bruce Hoffman makes many valid points regarding the situation in Iraq ('Plan of Attack,' July/August Atlantic). However, his claims--that 'the vigorousness of the insurgency ... stems directly from the fact [...]

Focuses on telecommunications company Qwest Communications and its Chief Executive, Joseph Nacchio. Nacchio's worth; Brief biographical details; The company's finances; Founder Philip Anschutz; Comments of Nacchio; Competitors IXC Communications, Williams Cos and Level 3 Communications; Carriers MCI WorldCom, GTE and others paying Qwest's construction company to lay fiber-optic cables. INSET: The money race.

Provides information on activities in the electric utilities business. Special concerns in the states of New York, New Hampshire and California; Deregulation issues; Merger fever; The costs of moving to a free market. INSET: Deregulation power play (Nipsco Industries), by T.M..

The article focuses on the takeover threats surrounding the oil refinery Chevron Corp. and how Chairman Ken Derr is dealing with it. Since these speculations, the stock has made the Big Board's most active list nearly every day and has risen 18% to a recent 68.62, an all-time high. More than 15% of Chevron's 342 million outstanding shares changed hands in little over a month. A 29-year company veteran, Derr, 53, succeeded George Keller, who ran the company for nearly eight years but never acknowledged that anything was wrong with Chevron. Chevron, with nearly $35 billion in assets, is the third-largest oil company in the U.S., after Exxon and Mobil. However, in no respect does its performance rank with the industry's best. Chevron is the nation's biggest refiner, but its profit per barrel of refined product sold ranked eighth in the industry in 1988.

The article discusses the developments in the business operation of Mobil Corp. under the supervision of Mobil chairman, president, and chief executive Allen Murray. Murray has been the company's chief executive since 1986. According to the author, with Murray, the company will be experiencing the spirit of openness in the operation by generating discussions of various ideas and alternatives at company meetings. INSETS: Overclosed on overhead;Is Mobil undervalued.

The article reports on the status of the U.S. petroleum industry in 1987. Topics discussed include steps taken by the industry to prevent a repeat of the 1986 oil price crash in 1987, reasons behind the profit decline of most petroleum companies and factors behind the strong performance of the petrochemicals segment. Also discussed are the profitability and growth performance of individual companies, such as petroleum company Exxon and oil and gas producers Holly Corp. and Coastal Corp. INSET: Offshore treasure seeker.

The article focuses on the impact of the Texas Medical Center located in Houston, Texas to the overall economy of the sates. It looks at how the medical center can diversify the state's economy that mainly focused on oil manufacturing. According to several oil investors in the state, they are interested to invest on various biotechnology projects to diversify economy.

The article assesses the bank industry in Texas. According to the author, Texas banks grow worst, where a nonperforming asset is one of the questionable worth, like loans in serious default and foreclosed real estate. At 1986's end, the nine largest bank holding companies had an accumulated $6 billion in nonperforming assets. However, two of the huge bank holding companies are taking cover in stronger, out-of-state arms, Texas Commerce Bancshares Inc. and Allied Bancshares Inc. INSET: Behind the times--and glad of it.