Hawaii Books

Who brought surfing to Australia? Who invented the Hawaiian flutterkick? Who was the first Hawaiian to win an Olympic medal? Who was sheriff of Oahu for over two decades? Who championed the use of a paddleboard for ocean rescues?

Duke Kahanamoku, that's who.


Ellie Crowe describes Kahanamoku's accomplishments in her book, Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku. The writing is concise, and the illustrations by Richard Waldrep are very complementary to the text. By its very nature, this book is a summary, meant as a general overview of Kahanamoku, probably for kids aged 10-12, but interesting for all who want to know more about Duke.

Kahanamoku is really a "feel good" story, and Crowe makes note of both his insecurities and his extraordinary accomplishments.

Read this one with your keiki.

Duke Kahanamoku was an Olympic gold medalist, the father of modern surfing, and an icon of Hawaiian culture.

Crowe tells the story of Kahanamoku's boyhood in Honolulu where daily swims in the ocean developed his strength and technique. Qualifying for the Stockholm Olympics in 1912, he made friends with another American athlete, Jim Thorpe.

Duke almost missed his first Olympic race because he overslept. In a wonderful display of Olympic spirit, his chief competitor, Cecil Helay, from Australia, refused to swim unless the officials let Duke compete. Such magnanimity is hard to imagine in today's endorsement rich, high-stakes winner-takes-home the-Wheaties-box environment.

He popularized surfing and promoted Hawaii all his life. Duke's Creed of Aloha is a fitting ending to an excellent biography of a man who always exhibited good sportsmanship and Olympic ideals.

Richard Waldrep perfectly illustrates the story with wonderous full color illustrations that evoke vintage art deco travel posters.

This is such an interesting story! My 9-year-old son read it all in one sitting, which is rare! It's about Duke Kahanamoku, the swimmer and surfer who brought surfing to the world. It's fascinating to read about how he went to Australia and the aussies were amazed to see him ride waves on a board. His trials to get into the Olympics as a swimmer are also really interesting- Duke had such an unusual life. The book is very well-written, and each story from Duke's life draws you in. The illustrations are really nice too- lots of blue ocean. It's a very attractive book, with different colored pages where the writing is, which is something I haven't seen in a book before. Gorgeous!

This (true) story is an inspiration to adults and children, alike. And it is beautifully illustrated to boot. I found the book on a trip to Hawaii and fell in love with the images. I was familiar with Duke Kahanamoku, but not with all the details of his life. I was therefore pleased to learn so much from this story, aimed at children. Well written. My friends' kids loved it. I bought two copies for myself; one to keep and one to cut up and frame, as the illustrations are so exceptionally lovely.

*****
This unusual and precious book is a story of wisdom from an ancestor of the authors, a very wise woman and Hawaiian elder. The book contains much of interest about Hawaiian culture, told through the eyes of the authors in a deeply personal way. It is a memoir in a way, including genealogies and historical perspectives, but it's so personal at the same time, and filled with insights and descriptions of the Hawaiian culture from a Hawaiian perspective that is rare. This wise woman (the ancestor who the book is about, and who is the "voice" of the story) lived for well over a hundred years and had the chance to see Hawaii change profoundly, so her insights are very special.

It is the memoir of a family, but the memoir of a culture as well, which to the Hawaiians is the same thing. It's hard to explain how the book is written, because it is written in a non-linear (but not confusing) manner, and the content is told through stories. It includes a glossary for the many unfamiliar Hawaiian words.

Reading this book, like Pali Jae Lee's other book, Ho`opono, felt like a gift and a privilege to me. Again, I felt like the author's culture was being shared with me in a vulnerable and gentle way that gave me so much insight and appreciation for her, for her special husband, and for the Hawaiian people.

Highly recommended.
*****

I am the owner of the copyrights to the book, if you want to purchase from me, my email is taysheart13@hotmail.com. Hurry this run is almost out. Next run wont be available until next year. Hurry ! Aloha!

I am the owner of the NR Publishing Co. for which this book comes from. My father is Koko Willis and stepmother is Pali Lee. I personally have more books in stock and will be reprinting more in June 2004. Need a book? email me at taysheart13@hotmail.com, Aloha and continue the support.

An interesting personal account of Hawaii family traditions that differ from other native traditions already well known or that have been mentioned in earlier works. This is a great book written by an extraordinary man from a wonderfully diverse culture.

This book has become indispensable for my work. Unlike most floras, it attempts to include propagation and cultivation information. George Staples is not only a terrific taxonomist, but, I suspect, a fine horticulturist, too. This work must be included in the canon of botanical reference works.

We have many plant books, but none is as comprehensive as this. It's a big chunk of money, but honestly, after buying FLOWERS AND PLANTS OF HAWAII (Wood), HAWAIIAN HERITAGE PLANTS (Kepler), GARDENING IN HAWAII (Hodge), HAWAIIAN ORGANIC GROWING GUIDE (Nirab - and that's if you can get this out-of-print book, which is good but limited in scope) - every time we bring plants home, we are frustrated in that we are only able to find a small percentage of them in these books.

THIS book, though technical and voluminous, does have most all the plants we are working with in landscaping and food production (fruit trees and the like). It gives information none of the others do about disease prone species and some historical data that is critical to one's decision in planting (where to plant and how it will fare at a given altitude and location. Also wind and exposure suggestions, insect vulnerability, etc.). True, there are no color photographs. But the in-depth information and sheer number of plants catalogued is found nowhere else that we know of.

FYI, we also purchased PLANTS FOR TROPICAL LANDSCAPES - A GARDENER'S GUIDE (Rauch & Weissich) - and this is a great one for photos both of the overall plant as well as a "close-up" of the flower or fruit or leaf it produces. Recommended to us by a grower here on the Big Island. But it does have its limits in the number of plants described.


Bela Johnson
http://www.belajohnson.com

I have just finished writing a review of this book for the West Hawaii Today newspaper. I've looked it over quite thoroughly. It's flawless! And I'm a very picky reviewer. It will be the authoritative classic for many years to come, and I predict it will garner some horticultural book awards during the coming year. The binding is real cloth, a rariety these days. Bishop Museum has produced a deluxe book. I know tropical horticulture books well and review them on my website.

Not full of flashy photos, so this won't be appealing to casual gardeners. If you have some education in botany and understand the taxonomy, this will be a reference book you will come back to time and again. Very comprehensive.

A great book about surfing, people, travel and polynesian history. It's both laid back and pumping at the same time and any kind of surfer would get a good feeling from reading it.

Andy Martin wrote a vey nice book, by interviewing all the world tour pros, you get more knowledge of what goes on On the North Shore of Oahu. I was stoked to see there also was a movie about it. Jeroen Mutsaars

I really enjoyed this book, it left me wanting much more. A well researched and descriptive look at the bizare world of big wave surfers. Particularly suited to those who have not and have no intention of surfing big waves themselves, but would like to get inside the head of the people who do. It has a travelogue style, I think it would appeal to readers of Eric Newby or even books like "A year in Provence". His other book "Coming down the Mountain", takes a similar approach, but to World cup Down Hill skiing. Again a good read, but for me not quite so riveting as this one. Give it a try

I really enjoyed this book, it left me wanting much more. A well researched and descriptive look at the bizare world of big wave surfers. Particularly suited to those who have not and have no intention of surfing big waves themselves, but would like to get inside the head of the people who do. It has a travelogue style, I think it would appeal to readers of Eric Newby or even books like "A year in Provence". His other book "Coming down the Mountain", takes a similar approach, but to World cup Down Hill skiing. Again a good read, but for me not quite so riveting as this one. Give it a try.

I saw a preview for this book on the news, and how it was published very independently. Having a love for aviation, and being in the hospitality industry, I could not put this book down. It was an amazing recollection of the airline industry in Hawai'i which is a cornerstone in the foundation of the islands. Having recently departed Hawai'i to live on the main land, this book tells an incredible tale. Enjoy.

I loved this book!

I must admit a bias, in that that I grew up in Hawaii, and flew as a pilot for some of the airlines mentioned in this book. Forman tells an exciting, accurate story of Hawaii aviation. The book reads like a novel, with not a tedious sentence printed. I highly recommend this book for aviation/airline fans. You'll enjoy it!

Having visited Hawaii a couple of times, I really appreciated this unique perspective of the islands. I had never previously seen the islands from the air (not unless you count the flights to and from)and found the book absolutely breath-taking. Although I am not a history of flight buff, I was still fascinated by the text, and it gave me yet one more reason to love that particular clutch of islands.

Reading the book has motivated me to spend part of my next visit to the islands touring them in the air. Thank you Mr. Forman for this wonderful addition to both history and literature.

When Mark Twain called Hawaii: "The lovliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean," it took him a long time to visit the fleet. Aviation changed that for malahinis (newcomers and tourists) and kamaainas (natives and long time residents). Peter Forman's Wings of Hawaii is both a detailed history of how this developed and an insight into the romance of both the industry and the islands.

From seaplane flights, through new views of the attack on the Day of Infamy, from an exploding airliner to price wars, Forman has us in the pilot's seat. Read this for Forman's knowledge of the business of this business. Read this for his love of the business, the islands, and the people who make Hawaii: "The only delightful place on earth," another of Twain's views.

Chinese proverbs are in many ways the heart and soul of the Chinese language, and Dr. Rohsenow has done a marvelous job compiling so many of them together in one book. I like it's size, its organization, translations and explanations. I have learned a great deal of Chinese going through page after page of the book. I have also inserted a number of them in my letters to friends in China, and they think I am a genius for knowing such proverbs. Should I tell them the truth??? Actually, I did tell them about the dictionary and will mail them copies. In terms of improvements, I would like to have bigger print and possibly different color print for the Chinese, such as large bold blue print for the characters, to make it easier on the eyes. The English can stay small as is. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of Chinese language and its culture. The Chinese really love their proverbs and knowing them is one step closer to understanding their culture. Highly recommended.

Rohsenow has collected and codified hundreds of proverbs from the Chinese peasant oral tradition in this volume. These proverbs are not Chengyu from the great literary works and are seldom seen in written form. The introduction includes an extremely insightful take on the subtle differences between proverbs, idioms and other devices in Chinese language and how they reflect on the culture as a whole.

Reading some neg. comments on this title, well - it's worth a 5 out of 5 for those who really are interested and want to learn something ... from another culture. For those who just need some proverbs to impress on the next meeting, well - I'm not sure if this is the right stuff for you.

Professor Hsu knows well--and understands well--the cultural characteristics of contemporary Americans and Chinese. This is not a history text, but rather an in-depth look at the differences between peoples which is the result of history. I would consider it "must" reading for both societies. The 1981 publication date does not make it outdated. In fact, at the present, the insights it offers are more pertinent than ever. Professor Hsu writes intelligently, humorously, and very seriously about a "meeting of minds." He doesn't pull punches, and at the same time he is fair. Chinese and Americans have a lot to learn about--and from--each other. Begin here--and keep this unique "teacher's manual" on hand.

Professor Hsu knows well--and understands well--the cultural characteristics of contemporary Americans and Chinese. This is not a history text, but rather an in-depth look at the differences between peoples which are the result of history. I would consider it "must" reading for both societies. The 1981 publication date does not make it outdated. Professor Hsu writes intelligently, humorously,and very seriously about a "meeting of minds." He doesn't pull punches, and at the same time he is fair. Chinese and Americans have a lot to learn about each other. Begin here--and keep it on hand.

I came across Dr. Hsu's work during my doctoral research and found his observations of the similarities and differences between American and Chinese thinking insightful--at times profoundly so. Here is an academic who writes with clarity and common sense, yet bases his conclusions on years of firsthand experience and ongoing research. Although its last reprint was nearly a quarter century ago, most of what he describes and explains remains pertinent today. Those conducting cross-cultural studies, or otherwise engaged in international exchanges between these two nations, would do well to read and heed this book. Nothing since approaches this even more timely topic with the same sense of philosophical distance and objectivity.

I bought this book after visiting Pearl Harbor. I toured Ford Island and drove through Schofield barracks. I visited the Arizona memorial and the Utah Memorial. I stayed at the current Marine Corps Base that used to be Kanoehe NAS and also at Barber Point which was the former Ewa MCAS. I saw all the sites of today and this book had chapters and pictures of the same places and ships from 1941. It was so surreal. Many of these pictures I have never seen in all the different books I have read on Pearl Harbor and all the documentaries I have seen. It was amazing. The book is filled with many eyewitness accounts and flooded with a feast of pictures.
This is a must for any Pearl Harbor interest. I appreciate the many pictures and accounts of the aftermath, the incredible salvage of the ships and repair of the airways and the pictures and accounts of all the people of Hawaii, both military and civilian, as they prepare for war. You have to see it to appreciate it. Get it, read it, love it.

This book at the list price ... is an unbelieveable value considering the never before seen photos and documentation of the Island of Oahu and its many military installations. There are photos of Pearl prior to the attack, during the attack and after the attack including interesting salvage photos. Also included are eyewitness accounts of young sailors.. There is also a chapter devoted to photos from the Japanese perspective. This book was formerly published as "East Wind Rain." This book is a definite must have..

This book at the list price is an unbelieveable value considering the never before seen photos and documentation of the Island of Oahu and its many military installations. There are photos of Pearl prior to the attack, during the attack and after the attack including interesting salvage photos. Also included are eyewitness accounts of young sailors.. There is also a chapter devoted to photos from the Japanese perspective. This book was formerly published as "East Wind Rain." This book is a definite must have..

I used this book when doing research for a web site during our one year stay on Maui. It's awesome! The in-depth info on every beach on the island is up-to-date and insightful, with tid-bits of info only locals know, including history, geography, what's offshore, and more!

Scott Supak supak.com

I'm a frequent visitor to Maui, and this book has helped me learn about the beaches not only of Maui, but of Moloka'i, Lana'i, and Kaho'olawe.

If you are looking for plenty of nice large color photos, this isn't the book. There are only two of them, on the front and back covers. But there are a reasonable number of good black-and-white shots. Plus, there are thirty useful maps.

What I like about this book is all the information about so many beaches I never would have known about. I've tried quite a few of them now.

There is more to Maui than just the beaches, but I think the beaches are the best part.

Oh yes, my favorite of the many beaches? Napili.

Being from Hawaii, I found this book to be very true and accurate. It helped me experience beaches I didn't even know about.

Hopefully this will come out in second edition. We need to read how these stories go on! Good anthropology!

This is an amazing book. It is eloquently written, engaging and insightful...one of the best books out there on Indonesian textiles and their recent transformations. Collectors, scholars and students alike will find this book one of their favorites. I've assigned this book in classes and students love it--they tell me it is one they will keep on their shelves. I agree--it is a keeper!

Reads like a novel, but is also scholarly. This is a really unique ethnography! My students have loved it. Highly recommended for scholars, textile people, and Indonesia enthusiasts. Great writing, ethnographic details, and up close descriptions of the lives of an amazing range of characters from a "traditional" eastern Indonesian culture in modern times. The chapter about the intersections of cultures in Bali is priceless and would make a good film. By the end of the book, I felt like I knew the main characters and wanted their stories to go on. Good anthropology!