Hawaii Books

This book has been passed around our family and from friend to friend. It's a beautiful story that inspires readers to examine their own relationships with their parents and to reconsider what they know of their parents' lives.

Marita Kim is eight when her mother dies. As the eldest she is in charge of her four half brothers and sisters. The father works long and hard days at the plantation and has little patience with his children when he comes home. Through the eyes of each child we learn about different aspects of growing up in a Korean camp in Hawai'i decades ago. While financially not much is possible, thrift and hard work make ends meet. The stories are entertaining with the children's adventures and Marita's coming of age. There is something in this collection of stories for every age group. In the last chapter the long-widowed father (who now lives with his married daughter Marita) reminisces about his life; his coming to Hawai'i, the loss of his wife in childbirth, having to give up their last baby and finally the reunion with this son. While each story can be read as a separate entity, the whole adds up and comes around like a chapter book. The scratch board illustrations are delightful and imaginative.

Excellent non fiction portrayal of everyday life in a true paradise. Written by a great team; Dr. Handy, an emminent anthropologist and authority on religion; and Mrs Puki , the grand old lady of Hawian studies. Both are full time Hawiians and write directly from their own experience in simple, jargon free language. Best of its kind, true, and a pleasure to read!

This is an excellent insight into what traditional Hawaiian life was like, addressing the normal activities in day to day life. Oral history is used throughout the book to bring forth specific stories as instances and examples. If one is interested in Hawaiian history(this is not mythology) this is highly recommended.

Awareness of economic needs as well as a tendency to playfullness make modern religions in Japan (whether Buddhist or Shinto is not important in this case) much more successful than in most other industrialized nations. This book shows by a number of detailled cases and examples how that works and has always been working. At the same time Western observers begin to understand that praying for worldly benefits is not at variance with sincere religious belief, as a Western perception of religion often presupposes. Rather, it is an intrinsic part of religious activity, and the fact that it is not ridiculed in the Japanese context is probably one factor for the still dominant role of religion in this country.

Professors Tanabe and Reader provide a superb analysis of Japanese religion. Tanabe and Reader are highly respected scholars in the field of Japanese and Asianb religions and their collective works could well provide the nucleus for any library on the subject. The authors amply demonstrate that there is a distinct commonality to Japanese religion that underlies the rich varieties and apparent contradictions of Japanese religious practice. They provide a myriad of examples and case studies to demonstrate the this-worldly nature end emphasis on personal gain / advantage aspects of Japanese religious culture.

To put it simply, this is one of those books that make you say: "By Jove, I've got it." The authors cut through the complexities of Japanese religion to clearly exhibit the common core. I used this book as a text for my course on Japanese religion and the students really benefitted from the experience.

I have also read Ian Reader's work on the Japanese sect, Aum Shinrikyo. He understands Aum far better than any other scholar and I commend his Aum books to both the scholar and general reader. Reader's books are written in a clear and lively manner.

I recently read Mr. Wells' book retelling his experiences in the Pacific during WWII. I was very impressed with his story telling ability and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I have known Mr. Wells most of my life and had no idea that he had been, seen and done the things that he described. This book makes you realize just how great the heroes of WWII are, and how everyday "Joes" rose to the occasion that was presented by just being there. They made us all proud of their tencaity, grit and courage. I am an avid reader and highly recommend this book. I read it on a cross country airline flight..I just couldn't put it down. What a wonderful reading experience.

Art Wells, a Marine on the USS Pennsylvania on December 7, 1941 relates his experiences on that day and during the rest of the Pacific War in "The Quack Corps." Included are Mr. Wells Pearl Harbor experience, where he was wounded, his time on the Pennsylvania after her repair, time on the USS New Mexico and the time he spent with DUKW's in the invasions of Saipan and Okinawa. An extremely interesting and informative book, one that is not to be missed!

According to the publisher, this books is now out. Do you have it on order? When will you have it?

What a fine read. It even sounds like radio, which is an accomplishment in itself. And as regards the South Pacific, it's not a bad sound at all. Seward has a great ear, and the book is actually interesting. You learn something about this 'exotic' place at the same time you enjoy learning it!

This is a great book that everyone of all ages should read! (No heavy duty reading, but great photos and descriptive text.) An article about racial issues in a parents' magazine prompted me to find this book, because it -is- possible for children of multi-racial backgrounds to grow up harmoniously together! I grew up in Hawaii with friends of all colors, lived on both coasts of the mainland (Continental U.S.), returned to Hawaii, and realized that while growing up, we rarely had to deal with serious racial issues. As Mr. Fassler and Mr. Frank DeLima so eloquently state in the text and foreword, as kids we acknowledged our differences, likenesses, and even poked fun at each other and ourselves (thanks to wonderful comedians like Mr. DeLima!). We were still able to live side-by-side with each other -- probably from an ingrained attitude that when one lives on an island, you have to get along to survive! There is hope! Aloha and Mahalo for a great book that aptly illustrates this!

The title of this book truly describes Hawaii's children. In no other place in the world will you find the mixtures of races as you do in Hawaii. This book, utilizing pictures of children, show the rest of the world the racial harmony does exist. The pictures of the "golden children", where east meets west, are beautiful and enchanting. Being a "local" made me homesick but also very proud of my heritage as one of these kids. Copies of this book should be placed in school and public libraries across the country as a testimonial that a multi-racial society can and does exist in beautiful Hawaii. Aloha and Mahalo to Mr Fassler who did a wonderful job.

WOW!!! I purchased this popout map before my recent trip to Oahu. The format (small size, popout feature) are great and I found this map useful whether driving around the island, catching The Bus to various Honolulu and island locations, and/or walking around Honolulu/Waikiki. I need one of these maps for every place I visit.

I have used this map extensively while navigating around Honolulu and Oahu. The map is small, fits in your pocket and unfolds as you open it. It is easy to use while driving around the island of Oahu or the city of Honolulu or walking in Waikiki. This is a very useful map!

What a great book. The organization and layout of the entire book worked in a smooth and methodical manner. I could easily find someing if I needed to in a quick and efficient moment. The text covers things from the fairly simply to extremely advanced areas of Japanese grammar and writing.

Most of the information presented is not mentioned in conventional textbooks of the Japanese language, and is rarely found in dictionaries. An absolute must have for any advanced, experienced, or serious student of Japanese. I definitely recommend this book.

The book is a straightforward alphabetized handbook to Japanese grammar. Obviously not used by itself to learn Japanese, it certainly helps with comprehending sentences more clearly. Easy to use and lots of examples for each entry. I think it's great, as I am studying the language myself.

Hatfield and Rapson explore testosterone's parallel universes of sex and power with wit and humor, by way of an endearing heroine and a plot chock full of twists, turns, and surprises.

"Rosie" is lots of fun to read. Part romantic novel, part political drama, part academic story, it does lots of things but still hangs together. There's also a serious discussion of social issues (such as same-sex marriage) mixed with plenty of comedy, lush scenes of Hawaii and the South of France, and lots of knowledgable material about university life. But mostly I just thought it was a good story, well-told. It also has, among its leading characters, a conservative Republican from Texas running for President in the year 2000. Could that ever happen?

I went through many books on Maui before I picked this one up. Lucky me! This turned out to be the best ten bucks invested in my trip to Hawaii. This book is small enough to carry in your pocket, yet is chock full of detail. I was impressed when I took a trip to the southern edge of Maui solely relying on this book. Every shop, corner, and area of Maui matches the description in this book. It is very accurate and upto date. The tips included by the authors were very helpful. When we wanted to mail coconuts from Maui and were really lost, this book helped. A few hints for Maui travelers: some USPS offices in Maui have officers dressed in Hawaiian attire, so do not be confused and doubt if it really is a post office guy when you see him dressed like a Hawaiian beach bum! If you go to the southern edge of the island, you can actually buy coconuts at the post office and mail 'em too. Permanent markers that you use to address coconuts are awfully hard to find, so pack a Sharpie with your stuff! Overall, if there is just one travel guide you'd buy, pick this one. The book's binding is very good, and it held up after all the beating around and abuse that was showered on my copy. Don't let the small size fool you--this one is very detailed, and more importantly, very accurate (verified by us in Jan 2000). Highly recommended.

This little book really helped me get the most out of my Maui trip. It's restaurant and activity recommendations were right on the mark. It gives you a great overview without being overwhelming.