No comments about Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park: Adventure, Explore, Discover (America's National Parks).

2 comments about Rainbow Kids, Hawaii's Gift to America.

1. 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.



2. 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!

1 comments about A Narrative of an 1823 Tour Through Hawaii: Journal of William Ellis.

1. I would like to comment on two facets of this work: the content itself, and the final proofing by the publisher.
   
   First, we are able to see the island and its people from the viewpoint of someone who has come to save them from their lack of Christianity. His is the epitome of the "holier than thou" attitude. He and several missionary pals (most of whom later became big land owners in the islands) leave Oahu to walk around the Big Island preaching to the "natives". While his comments about the geology, flora, and fauna are interesting and innocuous, his general condemnation of the totality of the Hawaiian culture is nauseating. As he comments on how the Hawaiians treat each other, you are left to figure out, as it proceeds, that Ellis himself has left his own wife, who is extremely ill, with strangers on Oahu, feeling that it is more inportant to convert the "heathens" than to take care of his sick wife, left alone in a strange land, far from home. This is while he castigates the "natives" for not paying enough attention to their ill relatives.
   
   Secondly, I have never in my life read a book with this many typographical errors, verging on the insane and ludicrous. I am not referring to Ellis' errors of spelling/usage which are consistent, but the really absurd ones, that made me wonder if the whole book had been typeset by someone who did not speak the English language. Sections of text were repeated, or just left trailing - and typos that I just couldn't figure out how they were made. It was so bad, I actually called Mutual Publishing to comment on it. I spoke to the production manager, who said she thought it had just been reprinted without re-setting the type. I hope someday, that they send this to a professional for typesetting and proofing.

1 comments about Scenic Driving Hawaii.

1. After borrowing three travel books from the local library, this Scenic Driving Hawaii book was far more complete than the others I read. Directions are easy to follow and look so thorough, I'm confident that this will be the BEST guide we can take along on our trip! The photos in the book are beautiful.... just wish there were more of them!

   The only other thing that I think may be missing from the book are pronunciations of the towns in Maui. We are first-time visitors, and want to be familiar with the correct pronunciations.

2 comments about Rand McNally Oahu/Honolulu Popout Map.

1. 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!



2. 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.

2 comments about Ways of Thinking of Eastern Peoples: India, China, Tibet, Japan (Revised) (National Foreign Language Center Technical Reports).

1. This formidable volume has become a classic of sorts for those interested in Asian/Buddhist Studies. It was written in the mid-1940s by Nakamura, who is a Japanese scholar of Indian Buddhism, and was revised in 1962-3 through a series of conferences with the assistance of Western scholars. The volume is a comparative
   work attempting to outline differences between `ways of thinking` (an ambiguous term throughout the book) in India, China, Tibet and Japan. His means for accomplishing this dubious task mainly rely on linguistic analysis, and the development of Buddhism in each country, as well as an `assessment` of their cultural products. Nakamura`s goal is to debunk the notion of a homogenous `Oriental` or Eastern cultural set of values in opposition to `Occidental` or Western ones. Nakamura feels that this is a misleading dichotomy which needs to be dissolved or problematized, however, his work contains many idiosyncracies and outdated assumptions derived in part from the author`s own historical/intellectual context. It is definitely a more enriching read if one bears in mind that the book was written in Japan during and after the war, and was affected later by the largely Orientalist discourse still prevalent in Western scholarship. Furthermore, with half of the book devoted to Japan, one wonders what Nakamura`s justification or motivation for this might be, as he does not make it explicit in the text. With these considerations taken into account, the book stands on its own as a historical document in its own right. Definitely not for the faint of heart, this volume is recommendable mostly for those interested in the history of Asian studies, being indicative of some of the currents and trends that shaped the development of this area of study in the 20th century.



2. Professor Hajime NAKAMURA (1912-99) of Tokyo University, one of the leading and most productive scholars of Buddhism in post-war Japan, in 1947 completed the first draft of this study, an English translation of which was which was printed under UNESCO auspices in 1960. It was subsequently revised and expanded as a result of Nakamura's interaction with a number of prominent Western scholars such as Yale's Arthur F. Wright (Buddhism in Chinese History, 1959), and Hawaii's Philip O. Wiener, who edited the revised English translation published by the University of Hawaii Press in 1964.
   
   In his preface to the 1960 edition Wright describes Nakamura's project: ". . . No people in the world today is isolated from those world-wide movements of thought and belief which are tending to transform the lives of all peoples. But each people accepts or rejects, adapts and modifies the universal ideologies which reach them. What governs this process, and what is it which produces within each culture an amalgam which is at once part of a world-wide movement and distinctively its own? Mr. Nakamura considers the spread of the universal religion of Buddhism; and in Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan responses to Buddhism -- as well as in the history of Buddhism in India -- Mr. Nakamura finds clues to certain fundamental and persisting characteristics of their differing modes of thought. These characteristics in turn help to explain their fundamental historical and cultural differences one from another and their variant responses to Western culture in our time."
   
   Ways of Thinking is subdivided into four major parts: INDIA, CHINA, TIBET, and JAPAN; and it may be helpful to point out that Professor Nakamura's wide range of interests and study qualified him to attempt such an ambitious project -- as indicated by the fact that early in his career he was awarded a special prize for his four volume history of early (Indian) Vedanta philosophy.
   
   Perhaps some sense of the issues and problems involved in Ways of Thinking can be gleaned from the table of contents for the section on Japan. It must be noted, however, that these not sound-bites to conjure up a social stereotype. Rather, they are serious topics which Professor Nakamura addresses at length with many examples and notes. And we are free to agree or disagree with his conclusions only after we have carefully read what he has to say.
   
   PART IV: JAPAN
   
   34. The Acceptance of Phenomenalism
   The Phenomenal World As Absolute -- This-Worldliness -- The Acceptance of Man's Natural Dispositions -- Emphasis on the Love of Human Beings -- The Spirit of Tolerance -- Cultural Multiplicity (Consisting of Several Strata Still Preserved) and Weakness of the Spirit of Criticism
   
   35. The Tendency to Emphasize a Limited Social Nexus Overstressing of Social Relations -- Social Relationships Take Precedence over the Individual -- Unconditional Belief in a Limited Social Nexus -- Observance of Family Morals -- Emphasis on Rank and Social Position -- Problems of Ultra-Nationalism -- Absolute Devotion to Specific Individual Symbolic of the Social Nexus -- Emperor Worship -- Sectarian and Factional Closedness -- Defense of a Human Nexus by Force -- Emphasis upon Human Activities -- Acuteness of Moral Self-Reflection -- Weak Awareness of Religious Values
   
   36. Non-Rationalistic Tendencies
   Indifference to Logical Rules -- Lack of Interest in Formal Consistency -- Slow Development of Exact Logic in Japan -- Hopes for Development of Exact Logical Thinking in Japan -- Intuitive and Emotional Tendencies -- Tendency to Avoid Complex Ideas -- Fondness for Simple Symbolic Expressions -- The Lack of Knowledge Concerning the Objective Order
   
   37- Problem of Shamanism
   
   For me Ways of Thinking easily deserves five stars: it is a great work by a great scholar. How does it compare with that well-known work on a similar theme, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture by Ruth Benedict (1887-1948)? Check it out.
   
   Professor Nakamura has long since dropped off the best-seller lists, along George Sansom (the great historian of Japan), Edwin O. Reischauer and John K. Fairbank (authors of the solid 2-volume set, East Asia: The Great Tradition), T.R.V. Murti (The Central Philosophy of Buddhism: A Study of the Madhyamika system), and many others who wrote just a few decades ago. Have their ideas and books been superseded and replaced by something better? No, they have just been blown away by the winds of fashion, just as the fashions of today will be replaced in turn. But if you are looking for a good read, they are names to keep in mind.

1 comments about Moon Handbooks Kaua'i.

1. There may be other travel books that offer glossier photos or more detailed restaurant reviews, but for historical perspective, interesting tidbits of information, and honest opinions it is hard to beat the Moon series of travel guides. The accommodations sections include many cottages and B&B's, which we prefer above hotels and condos. My Kauai book has gone on two trips with me; the last time it was the only one of five guidebooks to make it past the packing cut and into the suitcase.

No comments about Hawaii Land of Volcanoes.

No comments about Let's Go Hawaii 5th Edition (Let's Go Hawaii).

1 comments about Hawaii's Natural Wonders.

1. This slightly oversized book (10.9 x 8.2) is a quick and concise overview of Hawaii's "natural wonders", arranged into chapters:
   
   - volcanoes
   - landforms
   - islands and oceans
   - rain forests and vegetation
   - waterfalls, rivers, and streams
   - rocky coasts and beaches
   - sunrise and sunset
   
   The photographs are by Douglas Peebles, with the accompanying text written by Jan Tenbruggencate, a former science writer for the Honolulu Advertiser.
   
   The photos are fabulous, but limited, as you might expect in an 80 page publication. This is really suited as a souvenir book of a Hawaii experience, or a book to wet an future traveler's appetite.
   
   It's not really a hardback book, but rather a "stiff cover" book.
   
   The text and photos complement each other well. However, there are probably better "picture books" for the money.