Monopolies, mismanagement, app development, Google delivery drones, trouble in the retail sector–2015 was another year of profound changes in the world of business and finance. Featuring articles that range from clear-eyed assessments of new developments in business and finance to muckraking reports on corruption, these incisive stories are a must-read for those interested in the surprising ways business influences economics, politics, and culture. Selections include Fortune ’s fascinating autopsy of the failed JCPenney makeover, Associated Press’s shocking account of the slave labor used to harvest the world’s seafood, Medium ’s exposé of tech software’s vast vulnerabilities, and Peter Osborne’s condemnation of the cozy relationship between news journalism and corporate interests, articulated in his famous resignation letter from the Independent . Profiles include the amusing portrait of a young investor who made a fortune betting on penny stocks; the inspiring story of an undocumented immigrant who became a star trader at Goldman Sachs; and a detailed account of the efforts by Philippe Selendy to secure a major settlement from the banks responsible for the 2008 financial crisis. Articles also explore new frontiers in revolutionizing the way we do chores, eat takeout, order online, and dumpster-dive, showcasing the infinite ways that business continues to evolve, along with our ability to tell its stories and tell them well.
