Portrait of a complex manVan Gogh: The LifeBy Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith(Random House)Vincent van Gogh’s autobiography is painted in luminous, powerful brushstrokes, the supreme portrait of the artist. “As my work is,” he said, “so am I.”“Van Gogh: The Life,” the intricate and panoramic biography by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, is a provocative work about the volcanic man and his art.Van Gogh’s story has been romanticized and mythologized, especially in fiction and on film.

The Tiger’s TaleBy Kim Myung-sooTranslated by Kim Ok-hee and Betty Chung(Appletree Tales)Among many stories available for children, Korea’s traditional folktales offer a unique reading experience for young readers. The fables, myths and anecdotes present humor and life lessons, as well as a glimpse into traditional values and culture.Local publisher Appletree Tales’ bilingual series of children’s books, titled “Monkey Mama,” carries the essence of Korea’s folk tales. The stories are new interpre

The metaphorical bookstore of crime fiction is crowded with best-selling titles and talented writers, few of whom can outgun Michael Connelly.The prolific Connelly, 55, covered crime for the Fort Lauderdale News and Sun-Sentinel in the 1980s (where he was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize), then did the same for seven years at the Los Angeles Times. The insider’s knowledge that came with the territory has served him well.“The Drop,” in bookstores this week, is the 17th title in his police-procedur

Soegogi jangjorim is a dish of beef (rib eye round, shank or top round) braised in soy sauce. The beef is usually ripped or cut into thin slices. This is a fairly salty dish, so it is storable and suitable as a basic side dish. Ingredients ● 200g beef (top round), 3 cups water● fragrant seasoning, 10g green onion, 20 g garlic● 5 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sugar ● 30g garlic, 50g ground cherry pepper 1. Clean beef. 2. Cut the beef into 5-cm wide, 6-cm long and 5-cm thick chunks. 3. Trim and wash

It’s easy to detect the hand of consulting winemaker Dominique Lafon in this lush Pinot from Evening Land vineyard in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The 2010’s ripe fruit, silken texture and underlying minerality channel a Burgundian elegance. Evening Land’s Pinot is a terrific food wine ― perfect with the holiday turkey or roast beef, with comforting stews and braised dishes.A wonderful buy for the quality.● Region: Willamette Valley, Ore.● Price: About $25● Style: Soft and lush● What it goes with

Traditional Korean medicine used in fragrant, health-conscious brewsMany acquainted with traditional Korean medicine tend to associate it with herbal remedies, brewed over long periods of time into generally bitter preparations.Children prescribed those concoctions often resort to all manner of tactics to mask that overpowering taste, using bottles of soda to chase them down, sugar by the spoonful or simply pinching their noses and gulping it down as quickly as possible. Only upon reaching adult

DALLAS (AP) ― Albert Pujols could have been a wealthy Cardinal for life, planning for the day his statue would be erected outside Busch Stadium next to those of Stan Musial, Bob Gibson and the other St. Louis greats.Instead, exactly six weeks after leading the Cardinals to a second title in one of the most thrilling World Series ever, he decided to accept the second-highest contract in Major League Baseball history for a new future in southern California with the Los Angeles Angels.The three-tim

The piercing cold snap will continue to grip the nation over the weekend with snow scattering across the Korean peninsula.The cold will recede after Sunday, recovering the annual average, the state weather agency said Friday. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the cold snap will be worst on Saturday, where temperatures are expected to fall below 6 degrees below zero in Seoul as well as below minus 8 degrees in Daegu and the northern Gyeongsang region.  Snow will blanket wester

The Bank of Korea on Friday dimmed the country’s growth forecast for next year to 3.7 percent, down from its earlier estimate of 4.6 percent, citing uncertainty from Europe’s debt situation as lingering risks for the export-reliant economy.The downward revision narrowed gaps in the mid- to-high 3 percent range at private think tanks, in a sign that Asia’s fourth largest economy will grow at a slower pace than this year under sluggish global trade sentiment and weak domestic demand.The central ba