Playboy January 2006

Features 60 The Loves of King Kong - Fay Wray, Jessica Lange and Naomi Watts have all played the beauty opposite the beast in major King Kong movies. Here's how having a relationship with a supersize simian affected their lives. By Kathleen Sharp. 74 The Magical World of Shel Silverstein - Artist, singer, author and bon vivant Shel Silverstien was an integral member of the Playboy family for decades. As a new generation discovers his brilliance, we take a rollicking look at this American Renasissance man. By Steve Pond. 90 Car Wars - For the better part of a century, what's been good for General Motors has been good for America. Now the world's number-one carmaker is about to be eclipsed by Toyota. Our eminent automotive expert went on a pilgrimage to Detroit to discover what went wrong and what's being done about it. By Arthur Kretchmer. 108 Rubbing Elbows - A prominent litterateur shares memories of a lifetime of encounters with some of the world's greatest writers, editors and know-it-alls -- From Isaac Bashevis Singer to Mario Puzo. By Bruce Jay Friedman. 112 2006 Cars of the Year - The Playboy driving team redlined dozens of top models to find one car that rules them all. Drool over the winner, then rev yourself up over the sweet rides that qualify as the most fun to drive, the best supercar and the best car to take to your high school reunion. By Ken Gross. Fiction 80 German Lessons - Ed Trimble leaves his wife, looking for some room to breathe. He finds it - and a second shot at love - inside a foreign-language classroom. By John Updike. 120 Professional Beauty - The author of Bright Lights, Big City takes us to a society where a onetime high roller discovers that his beautiful wife has been making charitable contributions in another man's bed. By Jay McInerney. The Playboy Forum 43 Stepford Nation - America's insatiable appetite for graphic human drama reached an all-time high during the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina. By Frederick Barthelme. 20Q 132 Kate Beckinsale by Jason Buhrmester. Interview 51 Mark Cuban by Diane K. Shah. Pictorials 64 Are You Ready for Some Lisa Guerrero? by David Hochman, photographs by Antoine Verglas. 94 Playmate of the Month: Athena Lundberg - Miss January photographed by Stephen Wayda. 124 The Year in Sex - From Collin Farrell's sex tape to Paris Hilton's encounter to Germany's gay penguins, we've got the year's top stories. 135 Playboy's Playmate Review - Destiny Davis, Amber Campisi, Jillian Grace, Courtney Rachel Culkin, Jamie Westenhiser, Kara Monaco, Qiana Chase, Tamara Witmer, Vanessa Hoelsher, Amanda Paige, Raquel Gibson, Christine Smith. Notes and News 9 The World of Playboy 10 Hangin' With Hef 171 Playmate News Departments 1 Playbill 13 Dear Playboy 17 After Hours 35 Mantrack 39 The Playboy Advisor 106 Party Jokes 155 Where and How To Buy 175 On The Scene 176 Grapevine 178 Potpourri Fashion 84 Lights, Camera, Tuxes Reviews 25 Movies 26 DVDs 28 Music 32 Games 33 Books