Lifestyle News

Living It Up In Warsaw
Since emerging from communist rule more than a decade ago, Poland has become a draw for history-hungry tourists. Its capital, Warsaw, saw the debut last month of its first boutique hotel, the Rialto, situated in a prewar neighborhood just a few hundred yards from where Wladyslaw Szpilman, the hero of The Pianist, hid out after the 1944 uprising (the area is now a busy shopping district). The Rialto is lavishly outfitted, with black-and-white Art Deco furnishings from Warsaw's heyday in the 1920s. Its elevator is modeled on an Orient Express compartment, with red leather seating. There are only 45 rooms, and no two have the same design. -- Andrew Purvis and Tadeusz Kucharsk/Warsaw

Best-Selling Life Lessons For Kids
Back-to-school time may be weeks away, but the season's surprise on the best-seller lists is a how-to for academic success. Ron Clark, 31, author of The Essential 55 (Hyperion), is an earnest Atlanta-based grade-school teacher who has come up with 55 rules for "discovering the successful student in every child." What magical formula has the educator discovered? His core philosophy is that if you teach basic behavioral lessons first, they will lay the foundation for academic education later. Among his tips for kids: make eye contact when in conversation, meet your deadlines, learn the names of all the teachers in your school and greet them, say thank you within three seconds of receiving something and accept that you are going to make some mistakes. Clark, who has taught in poor neighborhoods in North Carolina and New York, also gives a primer on basic etiquette, such as how to conduct yourself in the school cafeteria (do not save seats) or a movie theater (do not talk). Clark's book is a handy blueprint for parents who want to equip their elementary-and middle-school children with the ABCs of mature behavior. -- Andrea Sachs

Checking The Sun
Want the latest in sun protection? Kiehl's, the iconic New York City apothecary whose skin-care products have served Everest climbers and other rarefied clientele, has a superb line of lightweight, nongreasy Vital Sun Protection ($18). Also hot: UV monitors, left, from SunCheck.com that turn blue as sunscreen wears off (seven for $7.95) -- Julie Rawe