The problems facing the world are substantial. Europe is cracking up. American manufacturing is on its heels. And it can be very hard to find a stylish navy blue suit, especially if you’re looking for details like a Savile Row-style waistband buckle. It would be easy to panic, but remain calm, not because we know the answers, but because we called people who do. We found folks with pretty good ideas about how to fix Europe (Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund), save manufacturing (Dan Akerson, who runs General Motors), and find a suit (Thomas Mahon, who learned his trade on Savile Row, cutting cloth for gents such as Bryan Ferry and the Prince of Wales). We didn’t stop there. Life is far more complicated than a few crumbling continents. We also wanted to know how to network, how to run a meeting, how to spot talent, how to decant wine, and how to hack any website. And we’re particularly happy that we learned how to play basketball with the President. Hint: Do not knock him unconscious.

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