Condé Nast is the name for both a worldwide publishing company and the man who founded it. Condé Nast (1873-1942), the man, was noted for his innovative publishing theories and flair for nurturing readers and advertisers. With the purchase and upgrading of Vogue in 1909, he established the concept of specialized or class publications, magazines that direct their circulation to a particular group or class of people with common interests. By 1998, Condé Nast Publications, Inc. (CNP) held 17 such titles, many of which are the largest in their respective markets. Like its founder, the magazine empire is one of the most powerful purveyors of popular culture, with an average circulation of over 13 million readers a month and an actual readership of more than five times that. The company, now owned by illustrious billionaire S.I. Newhouse, continues to be the authority for many aspects of popular...