Season’s readings

SED to be, books were everyday things and you could get whatever you wanted at the corner bookstore or the neighborhood library. Nowadays, books are special and rare, and therefore, make ideal Christmas presents. We’ve surveyed what’s new and cool with a local flavor to help with your shopping.

"The Painted King: Art, Activism and Authenticity in Hawai‘i" by Glenn Wharton (University of Hawai‘i Press, $19)

We tend to think of statues as lasting forever; in reality, they crumble under the ravages of time like anything else, just slower. This has created an unusual job niche, that of sculpture conservator, and Wharton is one of the nation’s expert practitioners. A decade ago, his skills were set in motion with an unusual project: stabilizing the statue of Kamehameha I in Kohala on the north end of Hawaii island. The statue is actually the mate of the one in downtown Honolulu, but it was lost at sea, then dredged up in salvage while a replacement was cast. Repaired and painted to cover the damage, the original was plopped down in Kamehameha’s childhood home and pretty much forgotten about. Technically, no one knows who owns it. The Kohala community, however, had boisterous views regarding Wharton’s historical approach to conserving the statue, and so he created a neighborhood dialogue to help guide the work. This is a fascinating and well-told mix of science, history and only-in-Hawaii activism.

"Links To The Past: The Work of Early Hawaiian Artisans" by Wendy S. Arbeit (University of Hawai‘i Press, $75)

Without a written or pictograph history, what we know of ancient Hawaiian life is passed down through generational lore and by looking at the things left behind. Arts historian Arbeit has amassed a tremendous compendium of examples of ancient Hawaiian craftsmanship, distilled down into description and line drawings made to scale. More than 1,400 objects are described, divided into categories such as helmets, decorated gourds and wooden bowls. It’s an encyclopedic approach, albeit a well-organized one, and a most useful reference for anyone interested in ancient Hawaii.

"1894-2010: Hawaiian Pineapple Entrepreneurs" by Jack L. Larsen with Dr. Thomas A. Marks (Creative Co., $95)

This big book is no less than a comprehensive overview of the enormous pineapple industry created in the islands, a crop that defined Hawaii for the rest of the world and yet barely exists as an agribusiness here after a century, victim of shifting patterns of labor, shipping and managerial whim. Larsen worked in the industry himself and interviewed hundreds of people to tell the story, illustrating it with interesting photographs and advertising samples. Even though this is a large and heavy book, this is no dry text; Larsen does an excellent job of personalizing the characters involved. Available directly from the publisher at www.creativeco.com/pineapple/hawaiian-pineapple-entrepreneurs.html.

"Acts of God While On Vacation" by Richard Tillotson (Arlington Avenue, $14.95)

This is a rollicking page-turner of a novel by Honolulu adman Tillotson, in which four wildly disparate characters — and lifestyles — are drawn together, like magnetic attraction, across the Pacific and wind up at a theosophical seminar in a Waikiki hotel threatened by a hurricane. Even though the tone is disarmingly flip and fast-paced, the deeply human themes at the heart of it give the book terrific resonance and generosity of spirit. This is Hawaii’s best fiction book of 2011 and establishes the author as a Pacific Kingsley Amis.

"Ukulele: The World’s Friendliest Instrument" by Daniel Dixon (Gibbs Smith, $15.99)

A cheerful book that matches its subject in sheer cuteness, this survey of the tiny stringed instrument illustrates why uke fans are so devoted to it: It’s portable, creating a movable feast of melody, doesn’t demand a lot of the artist and, at the same time, it’s capable of amazing feats of musical artistry. Plus, all those happy little bell-like notes put the listener in an upbeat mood. This book is pretty much the same, drawing on old-timey uke lore and modern reminiscing to set the tone, and it’s an attractive package with lots of detail.

"Don’t Look Back: Hawaiian Myths Made New," edited by Christine Thomas (Watermark, $17.95)

Partly inspired by a British publisher’s clever campaign to reinvent Anglican mythologies into modern tales, and perhaps by author Steven Goldsberry’s reimagining of the "Maui the Demi-God" legend, editor Thomas (a Star-Advertiser contributor) challenged several Hawaii writers to do the same, create new works of literature that have the current of Hawaiian mythologies sparking new life into the themes. This is a high-concept writers’ exercise and a thoroughly enjoyable cruise. If you can imagine Pele in psychotherapy, then you’re already on board.

"The Hula, Revised Edition," by Jerry Hopkins (Bess Press, $34.95)

Rolling Stone writer Jerry Hopkins, author of best-selling biographies of rock’s seminal figures, moved to Hawaii in the 1970s and was a wide-eyed witness to the burgeoning Hawaiian Renaissance. He wrote about it, trying to distill what was special about Hawaii performing arts into terms that could be understood elsewhere, and one result was a history of hula that has yet to be equaled. He was aided in this by scholar Rebecca Kamili‘ia Erikson. Long out of print, "The Hula" has been brought back to life with new photographs, redesign and editing by Amy Ku‘uleialoha Stillman and Bess Press. This is one of those books that belongs on everyone’s shelf.

"Absolute Maui," by Tom Stevens, photographs edited by Douglas Peebles (Mutual, $45)

Proof there’s still life in the gorgeously printed coffee-table pictorial, this collection of beautiful photographs of the Valley Isle is cheerful visual propaganda. Stevens’ text imparts a lot of good data and insightful impressions, but frankly, the photographs alone are worth the price of admission. And you know something else? This book and its glossy glory wouldn’t have the same effect on an iPad or Kindle.