Access Hawaii 8e [Paperback]

Richard Saul Wurman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Access Hawaii | Publication Date: October 1, 1999

The 25 detailed neighborhood maps in this guide will help you immediately locate the hotels, restaurants, shops, and sights of Hawaii."

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

With the publication of his first book in 1962 at the age of 26, Richard Saul Wurman began the singular passion of his life: that of making information understandable. A holder of both M. Arch. & B. Arch. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, he has been awarded several grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Guggenheim Fellowship, two Graham Fellowships & two Chandler Fellowships. In 1991, Richard Saul Wurman received the Kevin Lynch Award from MIT for his creation of the ACCESS travel guides. In 1994, he was named a Fellow of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland & awarded a Doctorate of Fine Arts by the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. In 1995, he received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Art Center College of Design & was Chairman of Graphic Design & Product/Industrial Design of the1995 Presidential Design Awards.

Richard Saul Wurman continues to be a regular consultant to major corporations in matters relating to the design & understanding of information. He is married to novelist Gloria Nagy, has 4 children & lives in Newport, Rhode Island.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Orientation

Like a giant green comet blazing across the blue Pacific, the 132 tropical islands, reefs, and shoals of Hawaii form a graceful archipelago spanningmore than 1,500 miles, yet they are so remote that even the ubiquitous gull is unable to traverse the 2,400 miles from the nearest continent. Moving northwest on the back of a lithospheric plate at a rate of four inches per year, the island chain is in a continual state of eruption and erosion, as vast amounts of molten earth emanate upward toward the surface from a stationary "hot spot" on the ocean floor, only to be beaten back down by the merciless elements. After 42 million years of this, just eight major islands--the Big Island, Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau--remain and serve not only as home to 1.2 million people but also as one of the world's most treasured vacation destinations--Hawaii.

The beautiful, enchanting tropical paradise that is Hawaii has inspired writers from Mark Twain to James Michener; volumes have been written on the majestic volcanoes, golden beaches, captivating sunsets, and lush rain forests. Hawaii continues to enthrall millions of tourists each year with its numerous rainbows, magnificent waterfalls, astonishing lava flows, endless summer days, and warm starry nights. It's the unstaged backdrop for such movie classics as Blue Hawaii and South Pacific, the birthplace of regal humpback whales and playful spinner dolphins, and the home of such world-famous surfing sites as Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay, and the Banzai Pipeline. It's a playground for golfers, scuba divers, hikers, mountain bikers, windsurfers, snorkelers, swimmers, deep-sea anglers, and sun worshipers of all shapes and sizes. In short, Hawaii has something for everyone, whether you choose to sip a cool mai tai under a palm tree or dive into the depths of the turquoise sea. Perhaps most importantly, the slow, mellow pace that characterizes the Hawaiian lifestyle tends to ease stress and anxiety, allowing each visitor to return home with something far more valuable than any postcard or souvenir--peace of mind.

Hawaii is not without its faults. In an already overcrowded island state where indigenous Hawaiians are becoming increasingly rare (pure-blooded Hawaiians make up less than .005 percent of the population), the expanding number of immigrants from the US mainland and abroad has spurred a rise in racial bitterness, occasionally culminating in violence and, more often, targeted theft. This, combined with a huge foreign investment in precious real estate and a recent surge in ethnic Hawaiian pride, has done little to alleviate the interracial resentment that has existed since Captain James Cook set foot on Hawaii in 1778.

A new age is beginning for Hawaii. After more than 200 years of pursuing things new, the people of Hawaii are reassessing the value of things old. AHawaiian renaissance of sorts is emerging, with renewed interest in ancient crafts, rituals, and dances, and a rekindled passion for the values of traditional island culture, including native art and the Hawaiian language. This renaissance is a necessity, because for Hawaii to prosper in the next century, it must learn from past mistakes. As former Governor John Waihee sagaciously observed, "We need to ask ourselves how our ancestors did so much with so little, and why we are able to do so little with so much."

Arguably the closest thing we have to heaven on earth , Hawaii is a priceless resource worth preserving. It reminds us not only how beautiful the world can be, but also how much of that beauty can be found in life's simpler things. Gaze down a mountainside, stroll barefoot along the beach, or just watch the sky change colors as the sun disappears behind the sea--it's not hard to find splendor here.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Collins; 8th edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062772775
• ISBN-13: 978-0062772770
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,241,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hawaii's Best Resource for the "Not So Rich and Famous", August 2, 2000

By 

Judy Valentine (San Luis Obispo, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Access Hawaii 8e (Paperback)

For the last 40 years I have been visiting the Hawaiian Islands, for the last 15 I have been using "Access Hawaii" as my guide. It gives you the tools to have a great day of adventure, sharing the not so common places of interest that some of us find exceptionally interesting. They also tell of all the typical "tourist traps" but give you the inside story on it. From Hotels to dining, excursions, basic island info and the "Best Of" sections, this book is like gold. I have read them all and have yet to discover a better guide to help you have a perfect vacation. The reviews they provide in the book are as accurate as I have ever seen and I have never been dissapointed when arriving at or eating at the locations they suggest. This is definately a "two thumbs up" way to explore the Hawaiian Islands!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Field Guide, September 20, 2002

By 

Jenna-lee Garrett "geckotatgirl" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Access Hawaii 8e (Paperback)

The Access books are always well written, concise, and packed with interesting trivia. My only complaint is that Hawaii hasn't been updated in a while (about 3-4 years) so most of the restaurants we came across weren't listed, which was disappointing. The tourist spots generally don't change, though, and the maps and other factual information is terrific. Whether you are a first time visitor to the islands or a seasoned traveler, you will find these books to be well organized, helpful, and packed with useful information.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Access guides are always good!, November 11, 2001

By 

Zilla's Mom "Zilla's Mom" (Pasadena, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Access Hawaii 8e (Paperback)

I have many in the series of Access guides. I love the color coded key. Blue for Hotels, Green for shopping, Red for food, etc. The numbered maps make it easy to find your hotel and everything nearby! The Hawaii book was outstanding, as expected.