If nothing else, the secret lives of the movers and shakers have always provided us with a voyeuristic interest. On the TV, fans sat riveted in front of episodes of "Dallas" and "Dynasty." In the real world, the web of political influence and family connections continues to expand. And we're not immune in the northwest.

In November's Washington CEO Magazine, we head east of the mountains to look at the Cowles family, owner of the Spokesman-Review, the Spokane Journal of Business, six TV stations, a paper and forestry company, an insurance firm, and numerous real estate holdings in Spokane, including new 1,000-acre River Crossing development. William Stimson, a professor of journalism at Eastern Washington University and author of A View of the Falls: A History of Spokane, introduces us to the newest generation of the family that, in the parlance of the locals, "owns Spokane."

Also in the new issue, now arriving in mailboxes and on newsstands statewide,  Senior Writer Aaron Corvin takes on the video game industry.  In short, it isn't just for kids, and the numbers now show that electronic entertainment is turning the Puget Sound region into one of the hottest game development markets in the nation.

Senior Writer Bryan Corliss then gets inside the mind of the serial entrepreneur, in this case Jeremy Jaech, who has launched, grown and sold two successful companies. Not content to just retire (he did very well with both Aldus -- sold to Adobe -- and Vista -- sold to Microsoft), Jaech is now on Startup No. 3, Trumba. Bryan gets us close to the engine of creativity in a man who just can't sit still.