Arik: The Life of Ariel SharonBy David Landau (Knopf) Its dust jacket hails “Arik,” published this month, as “the first in-depth, comprehensive biography of Ariel Sharon, the most dramatic and imposing Israeli political and military leader of the last 40 years.”Comprehensive it certainly is, and author David Landau’s timing is fortuitous. Sharon died Saturday at age 85. Born Feb. 26, 1928, in Kfar Malal in central Israel to parents of Russian Jewish descent, Ariel Sharon (originally, Scheinerman

How to Read a NovelistBy John Freeman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)The arts journalists can get a little weird around great novelists. We write for a living. So do they. But that shred of similarity can make us envy and idolize what they do. They’re like us, but bigger, better and more imaginative.I’ve always enjoyed reading John Freeman’s author profiles because he seems entirely comfortable with his corner of the firmament and place in the pecking order. His new collection, the cheekily titled “

Every year, the Corea Image Communication Institute puzzles over the person, place or thing that promoted South Korea’s image abroad the most.CICI awarded the equine dance sensation Psy last year; the group recognized the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games Bid Committee in 2012; and the year before that, it lauded Incheon International Airport.This year’s “Korea Image Stepping Stone Award” went to Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy smartphone for its “enormous contribution toward promoting Korea’s image as

Korean workers are not drinking enough water, according to a survey released Wednesday. The survey was conducted by Job Korea, and asked 769 working Koreans about their water intake. Four out of 10 responded that they do not drink water often. When asked about the reason for this, 45.8 percent said they were not in the habit of drinking water. About 35 percent answered that they were used to drinking other beverages, such as coffee or soda. Koreans are said to suffer from chronic dehydration, dr

Protestant churches stagnate, but passion for evangelism carries on

The quintessential “Me Generation” hotel amenity, the minibar, may be fading away like disco music, transistor radios and bell-bottom jeans.Upscale resorts today seem lukewarm, at best, about providing and maintaining the self-service, in-room liquor caches, where guests can crack open a miniature bottle of tequila or vodka or perhaps even enjoy cookies and soft drinks.Never a huge moneymaker due to chronic petty larceny and the high labor costs of monitoring and restocking liquor supplies, the

MILAN (AP) ― Italian fashion trumpeted its roots during the third day of Milan Fashion Week on Monday. Milan designers emphasized what they do best, showing off tailored silhouettes, highlighting advanced textiles that elevate the looks and putting the spotlight on the artisanal work behind their exclusive wears.Etro, the Milan-based fashion house famed for its paisley prints, went one step further, parading out the men and women who create their garments at a factory in the southern region of A

(Up T-shirt)Meet Up Couture, a Parisian fashion design company, has released “Up,” the world’s first anti-slouching T-shirt, Fast Company reported.The Up organic cotton T-shirt is designed with a patented configuration of elastic bands which are sewn right into the garment.The Up T-shirt supports the shoulders, making the t-shirt feel less comfortable when slouching than when practicing good posture.The posture-enhancing tee is selling for between $175 and $200.By Lee Shin-young (sylee@heraldcor

As the number of people learning Korean rises, the number of schools and books is also increasing, but so too are the number of online resources for Korean learners. There are several websites that provide free content and material, such as “Talk to me in Korean,” which offers regular audio classes and has about 135,000 Facebook likes and more than 33,000 followers on Twitter.Another popular option is “Korean Class 101” which provides structured and very detailed Korean-teaching podcasts. The we