Customer Reviews

Cultureshock! Hawai'i: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Cultureshock Hawaii: A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great book to learn about Hawaiian culture, if you live on O'ahu. We moved to the Big Island from Colorado and we noticed that there is a big difference between the islands as to how you are treated by the locals. Probably due to the fact that Hawaii is a bigger island and doesn't have the high concentration of tourists so the local population is a bit more friendly and really has the Aloha Spirit. It would be nice to have a book written just about the Big Island. All in all it is a good resource to get you started if you plan on living or visiting here.

There is a great deal of excellent information in this book. The author illustrates ideas with anecdotes, then backs them up with statistics, an interesting and informative approach. As a 10-year resident of Hawai`i, I appreciate the author's interest and agree with almost all of his perspectives.

Unfortunately, his writing leaves much to be desired. He could have benefited by submitting his manuscript to any high school English teacher for editing. His sentence structure and usage are "pretty average poor."

On balance, though, the advice for someone wanting to really understand Hawai`ian culture and society is solid. If you're seriously thinking of living in Hawai`i, this book will offer some very good advice.

I liked the inclusion of things like getting your drivers license changed and he gave good info on what to expect from the multitude of cultures coexisting on Oahu. I also liked that, unlike guidebooks, there were no wasted space reviewing places to eat or stay. However, the few bright points in this book were overshadowed by the clear disdain that the author has to main-lander Americans. The author included comments like "the Berlin wall" when referring to the fence on the Mexican-American line. (What does that have to do with Hawai'i?) As well as other comments throughout the narrative that were political in nature and added nothing of value to the book.

I was also bothered by the grammar and structure of this book. There were paragraphs that contained unrelated sentences, and just generally poor word choices throughout. I feel as though this was a rough draft that forgot to be proofread.

I could not recommend this book, as the poor grammar and political musing ruined the author's credibility for me.

As a mainlander moving to Hawaii, I found this book to be very informative and very helpful. It covers everything from the history, getting your driver's license, customs, stereotypes, "unspoken rules," and the list goes on. Having been to Hawaii a number of times, I already knew it's an entirely different culture than on the mainland. Hawaii isn't just like "any other state," as a friend of mine thought. I really appreciated the author's honesty and candid explanations of the ins & outs.

I loved this book! I ordered it as soon as I booked our 9-day vacation to Hawaii. It really helped me understand a lot of the customs and etiquette of the islands. It made our sort time there more enjoyable. Can't wait to go back!

This has some good info, but is also kind of skewed from one person's perspective, as are all these kinds of books. It doesn't apply to all the people, all the islands, all of anything. In Hawaii you will probably find what you expect to find, because like everywhere, Hawaii has all kinds..... There is some great historical information and from that aspect when they stick to the facts it is very good, I just would have rather not had their "impressions" or "opinions".

There is some information on Hawaii in the book but mostly random thoughts. The author spends a good portion of the book psychoanalyzing the different races in Hawaii then delves into a individualism versus collectivism tangent. One bit of interesting information was the ethnic breakdown of the different islands. There are additional bits of useful information but they are few and far between.

The best advice anyone can give you is to "study up on the culture". Next, the locals are happy to tell you about the Heritage and Culture, if they know you want to learn. Learn to listen when they "talk story", you will learn more. Culture Shock, It can be...but it doesn't need to be. Have an open mind ! !