President Daniel arap Moi is a past master at the game of sending confusing signals.

ECONOMIST: Britain and East Africa

At this she is a past master: she sits on the parliament's Conciliation Committee, which hammers out compromise with member states over controversial legislation.

ECONOMIST: Nicole Fontaine: a European conciliator-general

Wal-Mart is a past master at learning from local partners.

ECONOMIST: Mergers and alliances

Mr. McConaughey is a past master of sparkly narcissism.

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He is a past-master at squeezing the maximum of power from the narrowest of margins.

ECONOMIST: Lexington

When she gestured with her hands, she flashed gold and diamond rings with the SM design, part of her Celestial Jewelry collection--available by catalog as well. (Also for sale: Celestial purses, hats, gold dinnerware, chopsticks, inspirational videos, floor lamps.) A petite woman with long, dark brown hair that cascades past her shoulders, the Supreme Master is passionate, earthy (she says she needs a husband) and more fun than the average saint.

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Theodor Heuss, the first president, was considered a master, who spoke often about the Nazi past.

ECONOMIST: Why it has taken so long to fill a ceremonial post

The plan has been followed, more or less, as construction has stumbled forward over the past decade, but, after winning the competition for the master plan, Libeskind never managed to get a commission to design even a single building himself.

NEWYORKER: Shaping The Void