"Hawai‘i State Data Book" (Mutual Publishing, $9.95)
Although there’s no author listed, it’s clear the devil in the details is former state statistician Bob Schmitt, who died in 2006. Editions of the book had been printed annually, and by the time Schmitt added his last column of figures, most of the book had migrated to the Internet, which in some ways is a better and more active arena for this peculiar compendium.
Enough people missed the print editions, however, for Mutual Publishing to issue an updated edition. We’re talking "Refuse and Sewage Statistics for Oahu, 1997 to 2010." And "Characteristic of the Hawaii State Library System, 2005 to 2010." And "Number and Bed Capacity of State-Approved Facilities and Care Homes, by Type of Facility, 2000 to 2007." Oh, look, the number of beds in all facilities dipped in that period. How does that compare with population growth, which is on Page … you can see how this is catnip for journalists, researchers and urban analysts.
The new edition is not only a fun browse for the hard-fact-minded, it’s a fine tribute to Schmitt’s lively, extraordinary and all-inclusive personality.
"Archipelago: The Origin and Discovery of the Hawaiian Islands," by Dr. Richard W. Grigg (Island Heritage, $19.95)
Grigg, professor emeritus of oceanography at the University of Hawaii, has fashioned an entertaining "history" of the islands here, and I put "history" in quotation marks because his starting-off point is about a zillion years ago, when the chain of islands that became Hawaii were just soft spots in the earth’s mantle.
"Archipelago" is a geological and ecological history, and humans don’t show up until two-thirds of the way through — and they find the islands already inhabited by all manner of living creatures.
Grigg avoids being too lecture-ish, and "Archipelago" is an entertaining read for all the Monday morning scientists out there. It’s a handsome book, liberally illustrated and well produced, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this wound up as a favorite textbook in basic geology courses.
"PST!: 50 Practical, Sticky, and Transformational Thoughts to Enhance Your Leadership," by Glenn Furuya (Leadership Works, $15)
Island "leadership expert and business consultant" Furuya has been proselytizing on the subject of effective leadership for decades, and here he’s boiled it all down into bite-size nuggets that feel like a collection of Post-It Notes.
This should sell hand over fist in the lobby after a Furuya lecture; in the meantime it’s available from www.leadershipworks.com.
Will this book make you a better leader?
Couldn’t hurt, and it might open your eyes.
