A sample of highlights from Marty Lipton’s annual address, Some Thoughts for Boards of Directors in 2013.

Boardroom threat level rising: A closer look at how vulnerability in cyber space is redefining national security, enterprise risk, intellectual property, and oversight.

The public market is one of several business venues outside of public investment, as Michael Dell demonstrates.

A look at new books from Ed Whitacre, Steve Coll, Roger Donway, and Michael Pocalyko.

Daniel Vasella’s Novartis experience is a classic example of Swiss governance differences.

Ten lockup agreements in 2012 were allowed to expire early.

Activists convinced Apple to shorten Foxconn workers’ days, disappointing workers looking to earn higher wages.

New York Times FiveThirtyEight Blogger Nate Silver provides a thoughtful analysis of why our predictions about the future are often wrong, and what we can do to improve.

Special interest groups are using shareholder disclosure to coerce companies into making policy decisions that may not be in the interests of shareholders.

Boards have joined the ranks of first responders in crisis situations, particularly “behavioral crises” which often have the greatest impact on share prices.

Warren Buffett says it is more important to have one major success along with some failure, rather than avoiding failure altogether.

Former ExxonMobil CEO Lee Raymond is fit to lead the inquiry into JPMorgan’s recent difficulties.

Y-Combinator’s investments are plenty, and its successes few but valuable.

A director candidate’s experience on a board which faced crisis is just as valuable as a pristine résumé.

“Mr. Ruehle, You Are a Free Man” reveals the story of former Broadcom CFO Bill Ruehle’s fight for freedom against an overzealous prosecutor who chose glory over justice. 

How a mathematician turned brand guru and soap opera producer helped pave the way for Microsoft to become the global leader it is today.

Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer fills an engineering void in the CEO office, which the board believes will allow the company to attract top talent once again.

The natural-born contrarian warns of mirror imaging in the Oval Office or C-suite.

A leading economist offers a forecast for Europe and finds similarity between Germany and California.

The Oracle of Omaha considers his annual shareholder letter the same way he does his dealmaking—with consummate skill and a keen understanding of his audience.