Word: master
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...work has been compared to the novels of Evelyn Waugh. There are similarities but only "up to a point," as a subordinate in Waugh's Scoop responded when Lord Copper blustered that Yokohama is the capital of Japan. Wilson's comedy is more tolerant than that of the malicious master. Both authors, however, project intimidating confidence in their styles and possess a technical virtuosity that makes the difficult look easy...
Sajak, the longtime master of Wheel of Fortune, appears amazingly comfortable in his new role. In voice and manner he recalls both Jack Paar and Dick Cavett, and, like them, is striving for more substance in his interviews than the thoroughly programmed Carson. He threw Chevy Chase off balance with a question about his draft status during the Viet Nam War and asked Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth about beer drinking at the ballpark. When actor Charlie Sheen alluded to a past run-in with the law, Sajak politely refrained from pressing ahead but at least seemed aware...
Reagan could never master the arcana of nuclear weaponry or arms control. Even the finer points of economics, one of his majors in college, eluded him. But he understood Middle American folklore and myth very well. After growing up in small-town simplicity and pursuing his first career in Hollywood, Reagan needed no tutoring in symbolism. By 1980 a frustrated, confused America had lost all patience with stagflation at home, impudent adversaries abroad and ambiguity from its leadership. The moment was perfect for a leader who dealt in stark simplicities. When he declared that "government is not the solution...
Leftists come in all shapes and sizes, but few have the foursquare charm of Harry Perkins. A bluff, charismatic ex-steelworker, he has been swept into power as Britain's Prime Minister with the most radical mandate of the century. From the start, he proves himself a master of both style and substance. Instead of the traditional ride to Downing Street on his first day of work, he opts for an egalitarian stroll. To both insiders and outsiders he pledges openness and honesty. "We stand on our own two feet, and we tell the truth," he instructs his press secretary...
...seed money from the National Science Foundation in 1985, Shapiro hopes to correct such misunderstandings. The goal of the program is not merely to teach astronomy to high school students but also to use astronomical examples to instill basic concepts of math and science. Thus students may master the inverse-square law of physics by seeing that when a star doubles its distance from a certain point, it becomes one-quarter as bright. Why choose astronomy for this purpose? "It's not as abstract as chemistry and physics," says Shapiro, "and the sky is always there...