Hawaii Books

Very comprehensive guide for those of us who love to haunt used bookstores in CA (et al). Useful information such as inventory sizes, specialities, phone numbers, special services, and more. Organized by state, city, and also several indices.

An invaluable take-along tote for any who consider a used book store visit an essential part of the trip. Choose the revised, expanded Used Book Lover's Guide To The Pacific Coast States if traveling in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska or Hawaii: it includes number of volumes, store specialty, and candid comments if the store was visited.

This newly updated and expanded addition of The Used Book Lover's Guide To The Pacific Coast States continues to insure its preeminence as the most comprehensive and important guide to the used bookstores and dealers in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii. Featured are 1,500 used book dealers conveniently grouped by location and category; a Specialty Index to help locate dealers specializing in a particular area of interest; easy to follow travel directions for getting where you want to go; twenty-four city, regional and state maps to aid in planning book hunting trips; and practical comments about shops based on the David and Susan Siegal's personal visits. If you are a true bibliophile or antiquarian book dealer traveling the area, don't leave home without your copy of The Used Book Lover's Guide To The Pacific Coast States!

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.

Harden has produced a book that is somewhat of a "coffee table" book in style and format; the print is widely spaced and the photographs and the layout are very professionally done. The Hawaiians profiled here are those whose names and pictures you are likely to see in the big Honolulu papers; people whom she definitely considers to be Kupuna. Her book covers such well-known people as Margaret Machado, Winona Beamer, Kekuni Blaisdell, George Na`ope, Herb Kane and Nainoa Thompson. All together, Voices of Wisdom profiles 24 different people.

Harden's format consists of a mix of biographical material, interviews and historical background information, with only a little original material in the form of chants and poems. There are a lot of directly quoted interviews, which is a real plus. It's very interesting and gives the reader excellent insights into the thoughts and feelings of the people interviewed, though at times, the quotations have a little bit of a disjointed feel to them (I suspect that she had to do a lot of editing). Her chapter headings include Nature; Spirituality and Healing; Preservation and History; Activism, Dance, Chant, Genealogy, Music; Arts and Crafts; Canoe and Next Generation.

In contrast to other similar books, which tend to do it the other way around, Voices of Wisdom is a collection of 24 verbal portraits of Hawaiian people that also happens to teach the reader about Hawaiian culture and values. But Harden leaves that task to the people she portrays, and they do it through their own words. This fine book represents a new genre of Hawaiian cultural material and we can all hope that it starts a trend!

THIS IS A FANTASTIC COMPILATION OF INTERVIEWS ABOUT CRITICAL ASPECTS IN HAWAII. IT ALLOWS YOU TO FEEL LIKE YOU JUST SPOKE TO LOCAL HAWAIIANS AND REALLY GET INSIGHT INTO THEIR POLITICS, SPIRITUALITY, CUSTOMS, ETC. IT IS WELL WRITTEN AND A FUN READ. IT HAS HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND IS RECOMMENDED FOR ALL WHO LIVE IN OR VISIT HAWAII (TOURIST, PERSONAL, OR ACADEMIC). AN EXCELLENT REFERENCE.

This book reminds me what it means to be Kanaka maoli esspecially in the current time, It reminds us of where we came form and who we are to be, This book is inspirational and a must have.

Wan-nani: High Chiefess of Hawaii: Her Epic Journey is a novel of awesome beauty and power. It is a moving saga about people, relationships, and the boundaries of love. Linda Ballou's powerful storytelling talents, her understanding of human nature, and her knowledge of Hawaii folklore, take us on an amazing journey into Hawaii's ancient past as she re-creates island life as it truly might have been. Wan-nani is a great summer read. Kudos to Ballou on her first novel.

Wai-Nani, High Chiefess of Hawai'i: Her Epic Journey By Linda Ballou This, the author's first book, is a masterpiece and a fascinating read. The historic novel tells the dramatic and heart warming love story of Wai-Nani. By weaving the ancient legends of Old Hawaii into this compelling story, Ballou captivates the reader with her beautiful descriptions and very real characters, who come alive in your imagination. The first few pages were a bit hard to read because the author has interjected real Hawaiian words into sentences in which the meaning is evident, but once I got the rhythm I could hardly put the book down. It is an excellent read, especially if you have been or plan to go to Hawaii.

I love Hawai'i, so when I found Wai-nani: High Chiefess of Hawai'i - Her Epic Journey by Linda Ballou, I couldn't wait to read it. I was not disappointed. I raced through it, enjoying every vivid moment and cannot say enough about it.

Linda has captured the beauty of Hawai'i and the ancient lore and legend that makes Hawai'ian history so enchanting. Her main character, Wai-nani, is fourteen when the story begins, and we follow her as she becomes the first wife of the soon-to-be high chief of Hawai'i. (based upon King Kamehameha) Her gift is in the water, swimming with the porpoises, befriending them as she catches a fin and flies through the waves with them.

Using her instincts and wisdom, Wai-nani remains her husband's most trusted advisor and one of his favorite wives throughout his life, while he wrestles with change and the impact of the arrival of the white Christian men who bring both the positive ideas and the decadence of the new world.

An important aspect of any book for me is the quality of writing, and Linda is a faulous writer: "The red apple of the ohi'a tree tasted sweet in my mouth as I watched the drifting plumes of Pele, Goddess of the Volcano, cast shadows upon the shimmering sea. Frothy surf reached my ankles then receded, leaving tiny bubbles of foam upon a blank tablet of sand. The crescent sail of an outrigger flared upon the horizon." This is the opening paragraph of the book and it only gets better from here.

Don't miss it!

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.