Holbrooke already enjoyed a reputation for being overbearing and peremptory--qualities that were to prove indispensable at Dayton--and he is forthright about being no shrinking violet, engagingly quoting unflattering references to himself.

CNN: Giving Peace a Chance

United Stationers has helped to stabilize the independent-dealer sector (it's no longer shrinking) with better turnaround speed and more accurate order filling (to 99.8%), so shop owners can reduce their inventories without fear.

FORBES: Paper Tiger

And it will destroy living standards in a country that has no means of financing a current-account deficit and so must eliminate it by shrinking domestic purchasing power.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia

CAP's founding fathers reckoned that as farming was shrinking fast in all member countries, the long-term cost need cause no concern.

ECONOMIST: Europe's mid-life crisis: Eastern approaches | The