Hawaii Books

Most of us yearn to travel, and the preliminary to travel is to choose a place that others, people or books, say is interesting, then find out more about it.

This guide is to help you find out more about Haleakala. It is neither a reference book nor a treatise. It sums up what many have studied and observed. It skims over the myths that the mountain itself created in the imagination of old Hawailans. It reflects also the labor and thought of the compiler. Its aim is to satisfy your interest while you are here on the brim, or at some other point. For some of you it may be the start of a deeper curiosity, to be satisfied by further reading elsewhere.

Think of this booklet as a chatty companion along the way, and a ready reminder after you have left, of your pleasant experience at Haleakala.

This is a very informative book on ShinHanga. The signatures are
a wonderful bonus to have included in the book

I found the guide to be "to the point" informative without overburdening the reader with useless commentary. The clear and precise photos are well chosen to show samples of what to expect in each park. The "National Geographic" maps are simple and easy to read showing park highlights along with well-defined topography, but again, without overburdening the reader with too much detail. These guides are especially good for travel planning when time is of the utmost and there is only a short window with which to enjoy the park(s).

Very thorough disussion of the local history of Kona, Hawaii. Easy to find on this site. Made my Hawaiian experience that much more interesting. Recommend this book to anyone who plans to visit the islands of Hawaii.

Guy Buffet was born in Paris on January 13, 1943. His parents were in the restaurant business and were fond of art. Guy Buffet learned early that his neighborhood had once been the home of such artistic figures as Chagall, Matise, Picasso, and Modigliani. "At home there was always talk about these famous painters," he says, "and I used to listen to these conversations while doing my homework at the kitchen table. I remember drawing on napkins and the linen tablecloths while my brothers were busy with kitchen preparations."

On his twelfth birthday, his mother gave him his first box of paints, a couple of brushes, a wooden easel, and several canvases. The young Buffet was soon displaying paintings on the walls of the family restaurant. He sold his first watercolor painting to an American who was visiting the family restaurant that next year.
At age 14 he was transferred from public school to the famed Beaux Arts de Toulon and later studied advanced painting in Paris. By age 18, he joined the French Navy where his artistic abilities were so distinguished; he was named the official artist of the French Navy and given the prestigious assignment to "paint the world."

"In the South Pacific, while I was on shore leave and hitchhiking with some fellow sailors," Buffet says, "we were picked up by a motorist who was the mayor of the city. After visiting the ship and seeing some of my paintings, the mayor talked to the captain and got permission for me to put on an exhibit in town." From this came a series of one-man exhibitions in exotic Tahiti and New Caledonia. Afterwards, the French Navy helped organize his first exhibition in the Hawaiian Islands introducing Buffet to what he called "Paradise." The year was 1963 and the rest, as they say is history.

Guy soon settled in this "Hawaiian Paradise" after the prominent Cooke family offered to provide him living and studio space after his Navy discharge. What followed were several commissions from the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, which emblazoned major murals at libraries across the state of Hawaii.

Of his paintings, Buffet says, "I invite the viewer to share my experience. I take you into my world like a guest into my home. I want you to be comfortable, relaxed, and happy; to forget about problems and sorrows. If you like it and want to come back, my world is yours."

Guy has also been commissioned by many corporations including Aloha Airlines, Grand Marnier, Westin Hotels, and Ritz Carlton Hotels. He has literally toured the world with one-man shows and exhibitions.

One can feel the international influence of his Hawaiian creations, reminiscent of the French master Gaugin who depicted Polynesia from Tahiti generations earlier. Enthralled with the history and culture of the islands, Buffet continues to create famous images depicting the folklore of the Hawaiian people, animals and events. Buffet's whimsical Hawaiian world is where cows wear flower leis and bellow, "Amoo-ha!" and road signs bear, "Baby Pig Crossing" to allow mama piglet and her babies to cross a country road. His vibrant color palette helps evoke a playfulness that brings out the child in every aficionado.

While some of his other works are positively Polynesian, a great deal of it is decidedly derived from his French heritage. Depicting French sommeliers, chefs, and waiters mid-shift, Guy consistently captures the spirit and passion of the French people and their love of fine cuisine.

Guy's images are now commissioned for a wealth of items from men's dress ties and shirts, to dinner plates, coffee cups, postcards, calendars, and women's wear. Buffet is also the official artist for Champagne Perrier-Jouet with his work gracing each decorative gift box.

Guy Buffet original acrylics and limited-edition graphics have been represented by Lahaina Galleries for more than 19 years and can be viewed in each of our five galleries. Locations include both Lahaina and Kapalua on Maui, The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel on The Big Island, San Francisco, and Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

Like its subject, this book combines art and literature in a wonderfully unpretentious yet tasteful fusion. The artwork in this book, like haiku itself, is deceptively simple, evocative while minimalist, and humorously serious. Very down-to-earth, it yet has the uncanny ability to uncover the magic and enchantment of what we usually take to be mundane, humdrum everyday reality.

The title is just a bit on the deceptive side. A good number of Takebe Socho's haiga artworks are included and he is indeed a significant focus of the book, but the works of many other haiga artists/haiku poets are included as well. The first work is in fact by the great haiku master Basho himself in the 1600's, and the last by Shimomura Izan in the mid-twentieth century. And in between we have a number of Basho's followers, Yosa Buson and his followers, and then Kobayashi Issa and later poets up until the modern period--including such major Buddhist monks as Hakuin Ekaku, Sengai Gibon, and Nakahara Nantenbo.

The introduction does a fine job of discussing the relation between this art form and haiku, touching on the influence of Zen in a clear-headed manner that acknowledges their common ground while distinguishing them with care. The history of haiga and its characteristics are also explained well, and Yamamoto Fumiko gives us a good short study of Takebe Socho. Furthermore, all of this is helpfully keyed to the artworks included in the book, of which there are roughly fifty-two, plus some reproduced in color as well here and there. Each illustration also comes with a short commentary discussing the different elements of painting, poetry, and calligraphy along with their interaction--sometimes this discussion verges on the fanciful and flighty, but this is no great sin.

To put it simply,
This is a really nice book.
You'll like it a lot.

I bought this book for my kids ages 3, 6, & 9 in preparation for our trip to Hawaii. Each one of them has enjoyed it and now they have a better idea of what they will be seeing in the national park. It's well-written with lots of pictures and keeps their interest. I highly recommend it.

This is THE guide to Hanauma Bay. Written by "Dr. Fish," this guide really complements Hoover's guides to Hawaiian fish. You'll notice in his Hawaii fish identification books that a lot of photos were taken at Hanauma Bay. Hence, his familiarity with the bay, its environs, and inhabitants.

Here's a little pointer that really makes the book work for me. John Hoover invites readers to make a color copy of the detailed underwater map of the bay, laminate it, and take it snorkeling or diving. I use it as a SCUBA map, with the coral reefs marked and the old telephone lines identified. Very useful.

I'd recommend this book for those who want an in depth understanding of Hanauma Bay.

Author Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi certainly did her homework with this spiral-bound book, Hanauma Bay: Hawaii's Coastal Treasure. If you want to know about Hawaii's first marine conservation district, this book rivals the others on Hanauma Bay for quality information.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure what to do with it.

The reason I say that is because there are better books on fish identification. Hoover's book on Hanauma Bay (and on Hawaiian fish and invertebrates) is the one for snorkelers and divers. Susan Scott has a nice natural history book based on "zones" for the visitor.

But Hanauma Bay: Hawaii's Coastal Treasure has a niche. It should be in all Oahu libraries, and a required textbook for those going through volunteer training for the Bay's education programs. It also is a great book in the home of Oahu residents, so that their visitors can prepare themselves for a worthwhile trip.

This book does a really nice job reviewing the history of Hanauma Bay (pre and post human settlement), the management changes over the past 50 years, and the various programs, policies, and, yes, politics involved in the management of the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve.

It doesn't discuss that important lawsuit about charging non-residents a fee for access while residents get in free. Perhaps the case wasn't resolved at the time of publication (it was resolved by ruling that it was legal as long as all fees collected stayed in the park's budget).

I wish it covered more of the "disturbed" period. I realize that beautiful pictures of fish, coral, and scenery sells. But it is difficult to conceptualize the impacts of 10,000 visitors in a day, hundreds of cigarette butts in every square meter of sand, the swirls of fish being fed, and the folk who lugged out chucks of coral.

Notice that none of this stopped me from getting my own copy! And I got Tsutsumi and two of the photographers to sign it!

This is a required book for the Hanauma Bay aficionado.

I read the second edition of this book before moving to Honolulu three years ago, and still find it a very useful reference. Joe Bisignani gives you tons of interesting and useful information in an enjoyable writing style that captures the mood of the islands. Anyone who is the least interested in exploring Oahu beyond Waikiki Beach will find this book useful. Unlike the writers of some competing guidebooks, Bisignani is honest about labeling expensive tourist traps as such (it is telling that most of them have also shown up in the "Honolulu Weekly" annual readers' choice of "Best place to cruelly misdirect tourists"). Inbetween all the hard facts, Bisignani also manages to give the reader an accurate portrayal of the social climate of Oahu. Unlike most guidebooks, this one has an extensive and excellent history section, and there are also many references to fascinating Polynesian legends throughout the book. Warmly recommended!