Hawaii Books

Mimi Herberts book explores deeply the world of the Wayang Golek, weaving scholarly facts and personal accounts into a tapestry as rich as the art it examines. Whether doing research on Eastern puppet traditions or simply pursuing personal interests, her work offers a fully comprehensive tour of one of Indonesias oldest artforms. Students, scholars and even museum book stores would do well to have a copy on their shelves.

I am Balinese and collect and sell wayang golek puppets.

I hadn't been able to find a really good book on the subject - but now I have. I certainly recommend this one - the text is never boring. The author quotes real puppeteers and traces their histories. Unfortunately the art is dying out a bit, but luckily there are some young puppeteers, so there is hope.

The photographs are superb and the background stories of the epics and the characters in them are excellent.

Most of the puppeteers are men - but not all - there is a very impressive American lady puppeteer too.

This is not just a coffee table book. Highly recommended.

Mimi Herbert and Nur S. Rahardjo with Univeristy of Hawaii Press and the Lontar Foundation have produced an excellent and beautiful book on the Wayang Golek of Indonesia. All students of Indonesia and those interested in the arts of Asia should have this book in their library. The photography is superb and the text is well written and comprehensive. If you have an interest in this subject BUY THIS BOOK. You will not be disappointed.

This by far it the best Chinese software I own. Currently I'm a Chinese language student and I use this software daily. I particularly like the fact that I can look up a character and watch the program write it out for me. This has helped a lot in making sure I'm using the correct stroke order.

There are a lot of positives to this program. Many of which have already been mentioned in previous reviews. Yes, the price is up there, but the benefits outweigh the costs ten fold. This software has been invaluable to my studies.

I'm using it on Vista and have had no problems running it.

The Wenlin program is my constant Chinese companion. It is simply the best language software I have ever seen. It contains a large online dictionary with both old and contemporary terms. The online dictonary is a students' and dictionary-lovers' delight. Definitions for words and many common phrases with information on related character combinations, stroke order demos for all characters, pronunciation (pinyin AND sound), written character history and breakdown for each item and ability to search stored literature for examples. Move the mouse over any character and you see pronunciation and meaning for the character or for the common phrase under the mouse. Click on the character and you open the dictionary entry for that character. Type control-L and you get a little dialogue that will let you type in a word to translate from English or pinyin. Type in pinyin with a tone number and hit control-T and you get a list of possible characters, most common ones first; hit return and the highlighted character is entered in the text.

Files saved by Wenlin can be read by MS Word for further word processing (you need Chinese fonts for Word). You can cut and paste from a web page or an email into Wenlin and build a translation with the help of the dictionary. I use Wenlin to help me compose emails to my Chinese tutor, then I put it into
Word as an attachment or just use alt-PrtScr to grab the image of the sentence and paste it into the email -- don't have to worry about email or font compatibility that way.

You can work in either simplified or traditional character mode; both styles are displayed. You can input pinyin or actual characters stroke-by-stroke. Stroke entry is best with a graphic input pad, but I can input characters with the mouse and my very clumsy hand and the program guesses my character more times than any other character entry program (including English handwriting recognizers) I have ever used.

The program comes with a lot of online Chinese literature, graded from easy to difficult.

I own several good paper dictionaries, four Chinese courses (Pimsleur, Ni Hao, Integrated Chinese, Connections) and a couple of PDA programs. Wenlin and Pimsleur are the indispensable ones. Wenlin seems expensive, but it is worth every penny. I hesitated to buy it for several weeks because of the price. But in the end, it turned out to be a bargain because of its functionality and quantity of material. If they ever come out with a PDA version, I will spring for that, too. I have bought several language programs for computer over the years. Most have been a profound disappointment. This and the Oxford superlex 3-language dictionary are the only ones I have kept and continue to use.

Compatibility: Windows, Mac and Linux (under wine or Crossover Office). On linux, make sure you have ALSA drivers for wine sound.

I have been using Wenlin since version #1. It is now up to version #3.2.
I use it daily for when I am doing online-chat with people in China. They say something I don't understand, so I cut-n-paste what they wrote into Wenlin and get a very accurate idea of what words I misunderstood.
It goes into word roots, shows how the strokes are made, gives both traditional and simplified characters, and many other things like that.
While it may seem behind the times with its DOS-like user interface, it is not lacking.
It is a little pricy, but worth every cent for the serious student of Chinese.

There have been many movies about December 7th 1941 and Pearl Harbor. None of them come close to capturing the deep personal essence found in Dick Spangler's great book, West Point to Pearl Harbor. This is a true classic and a must read for anyone with an interest in defining moments in history

I was only four when Pearl Harbor happened but I still remember my parents' concern about the terrible event. I have, however, very clear memories of VJ and VE day. This book by Dick Spangler is a welcome addition to the wealth of books written about the Day that lives on in Infamy. His personal interviews jump off the pages with vivid recollections. Highly recommended not only for historians and military types, but anyone interested in one of the most important events in American history.

WEST POINT OF PEARL HARBOR is military autobiography at its best, telling of a child's memories of the Japanese attack, its effect upon the Spangler family and the survivors of Pearl Harbor, and the lasting lessons from that attack. The private journals of the author's father's life, including letters written between his parents, compliment these eyewitness accounts of surviving soldiers and sailors, making for a vivid presentation liberally peppered with black and white photos throughout.

After reading reviews of Chip Hughes' two novels--Murder on Molokai and Wipeout--I sent for both of them and have just completed reading them both. I love reading mysteries set in Hawaii and these books fit that description to a "T". They're fast-paced, great island descriptions, keep you guessing and eager for more! I understand his next novel will be out in the fall and I can't wait for it to be released. I highly recommend both--Murder on Molokai is his first novel and gets you acquainted with the surfing detective. Wipeout continues the adventures of Kai Cooke (the surfing detective).

As a frequent traveler to the Hawaiian Islands, I enjoy reading well-written novels set in Hawaii. The trouble is that it is hard to find a really good one. Last year, I found one. It was "Murder On Moloka'i" by Chip Hughes. I couldn't wait for another book.
I got my wish this year with the release of his newest book, "Wipeout."
It was every bit as good (if not better) than his first novel. It tells another story of the everyday Hawaiian PI, Kai Cooke. Fans of Dashiell Hammitt and Magnum, P.I. alike will enjoy this character. I won't spoil the story for you, but I will tell you that if you want to read a wonderfully fun and entertaining novel, then Wipeout is for you! I strongly urge you to buy this book!!

As a frequent traveler to Hawaii and a big mystery fan I like to combine the two and read books with Hawaiian settings. So often it quickly becomes clear that the author's use of a Hawaiian setting is a gimmick and/or based on travel brochure myth of what The Islands are like. Not so at all with Chip Hughes' books in the Surfing Detective series, Murder on Molokai and Wipeout. I was recently in Hawaii and was scanning bookshop for local authors and found the first two books in this series. Two days later after reading them both straight through, I was surprised and delighted to find both books rich in Hawaiian flavor and well written with interesting stories and characters. I highly recommend both books for fans of Hawaii, mystery detective PI fiction or just good books to read!

This is the fourth book in the South Seas Adventure series. This series is about the adventures of Abby Kendall, a young teenage girl, and her family and friends as they travel the South Seas in the late 1840s.

It's June of 1848, and thirteen-year-old Abby Kendall, her younger sister Sarah, and their friends Luke and Kini have returned to Hawaii with their gold from California, but they are too late to save the Kendall ranch. Abby's parents and uncle decide to search for a new home elsewhere in Hawaii, so they all sail to the island of Kauai to learn about the sugar business. They find jobs with the wealthy Rees Cutter, who owns a sugar plantation. Rees Cutter seems so kind and generous, but Abby and Luke hear bad things about him from some of the workers. In addition, they begin to suspect he may be involved in business dealings with the cruel and greedy Cap'n Jim Canter. Abby and Luke are determined to find out what's really going on at the Cutter Plantation, and their quest for the truth leads them into another dangerous adventure.

Readers who enjoyed the first three books about Abby will be sure to enjoy this one as well. I highly recommend this series to readers who enjoy historical fiction. I love the unique settings and likable characters featured in this series, and I can't wait to read the rest of the books to find out what adventures await Abby and her friends next.

Abby's family and Luke begin searching the sugarcane business in Kauai when their friends the Kendalls lose their ranch. They are soon offered jobs and a place to live, but shortly after are tossed into a crazy atmosphere. Now it's up to Abby and Luke to find out the truth about Reese Cutter before it's too late.

This is an excellent historical adventure for readers of all ages.

Maui, Lanai & Molokai by Sharon Hamblin is one of the Hunter Travel Guides and is a necessity for planning a trip to Hawaii. The book is pleasant to read and gives valuable information from hiking, points of interest, accommodations, dining, to shopping and much more. This is the most complete guide to these islands that you'll find for walking trails, dive sites, boat trips,waterfalls,snorkeling, surfing, and a pony tour to Haleakala Crater.The book is enjoyably readable and well indexed, so it is easy to find information you need, from phone numbers and addresses to websites and prices. This is an excellent value to make your trip perfect.

Outdoors and adventure-oriented travelers will find Adventure Guide: Maui, Lanai & Molokai the perfect item of choice for determining where to stay, what to eat, and how to best see these Hawaiian islands. Here are in-depth descriptions of accommodations - both good and bad points - and the best deals on everything on the islands: an especially important focus given how expensive the islands can be for visitors. Whether you're diving, shopping, dining or driving, Adventure Guide: Maui, Lanai & Molokai is the perfect advance planner, and a good on-site tote, too!

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book describes the true meaning of "Aloha" - it more than a greeting or a word it is a way to live your life by being polite, considerate, thoughtful and telling those you love that you care about them!

This is a wonderful book to read with very young children. The story is simple and written in rhyme. The very vibrant colors really draw the attention of our twins as we read the book. My kids simply love it. I am certain your children will as well.

Aloha Summer is very good. Actually, I think Bill Wallace is good. In fourth grade, I met Bill Wallace at the Belle Isle Public Library. I think Bill Wallace is very funny. He had some funny stories to tell. Bill Wallace is also a very nice man. I also got to see Bill Wallace's wife, Carol Wallace. I understand that Bill Wllace lives in Chickasha, Oklahoma. I also live in Oklahoma. I think Aloha Summer is the best book Bill Wallace has written.

I bought this book for my daughter before we went on a trip to Hawaii and afterwords she couldn't wait to arrive. She is already a HUGE Bill Wallace fan. If you read all of his other reviews you'll soon see why he is so loved by kids. Anyway, I thought the story my daughter told me was very interesting and so when we returned from Hawaii I myself read the book. The book was amazing. It depicted Hawaii as we saw it and related how it had been before all the developement. The characters were very real to life and I could see how my daughter could relate to the story. Hawaii is a magical place and so is this book. I read the Horn review and found it to be completely wrong so I just had to write one from a REAL reader and parent of a beloved fan. Not to mention a new fan-- ME!

Baby Honu (a turtle) doesn't think that he can help Keiki Naia (a dolphin) who is stranded on the beach. He asks many animals to help but all say it is the way of the ocean and tell him to give up. Finally, he gets an idea from a creature even smaller than he is and he realizes that even though he is small he can still make a difference.
We bought this book on a trip to Hawaii and it immediately become one of my 2 year old daughter's all time favourite books. I love that it uses the Hawaiian names for the animals. My daughter uses her favourites, "Kohola", "Honu", and "Keiki Naia", in her usual speech. This book is great for all ages and the illustrations are stunning.
I love the message in this book: perseverance and small actions that bring about big results!
You will not be disappointed with this book!

The Spirit of Aloha is perfectly embodied in this wonderful book.
Akahai: kindness expressed w/tenderness, Lokahi: unity expressed w/harmony, Olu-olu: agreeable expressed with pleasantness, Ha-aha-a: humilty expressed w/modesty, and Ahonui: patience expressed w/perseverance. (yeah, I had to look that up)
Baby Honu is a little dude, but nevertheless learns of his importance to the collective existence of all living creatures.
The use of Hawaiian words helps make the story an important cultural lesson (there is even a glossary in the back) and the illustrations are artfully detailed and colorful.
My son loves this sweet story as much as I enjoy reading it (and if you love reading out loud as much as I do, there are a lot of fun voices to "do").
We bought this book on a trip to Hawaii and I was so happy to see it on Amazon - it's my favorite gift to give for kids of all ages.
Thank you Tammy Yee for one of my favorite children's books!

I have several uncles who fought in WWII, including my father. My living uncle is proud of the way this book was presented, through the eyes of the Marines. In addition, his brother, my uncle, is found several times throughout the book with accurate accounts of the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. It is a very fascinating read even if you are not a war buff.

I bought this for my husband who is a USS Arizona historian, and he loved it. Picture quality is good, book put together well, etc. When I hear no complaints from hubby, its a VERY good sign. I would say that its worth the money