The Superferry Chronicles: Hawaii's Uprising Against Militarism, Commercialism, and the Desecration of the Earth [Paperback]

Koohan Paik (Author), Jerry Mander (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2008

THE SUPERFERRY CHRONICLES is the first book to describe an historically unique, spontaneous, leaderless uprising in the Hawaiian islands. In 2001, an entrepreneur got the idea to start a high-speed, interisland ferry to connect Honolulu with the neighbor islands. Within a couple of years, his idea was taken over by a corporate entity with vast military ties, and the Superferry became prototype for an important piece of America's sea-based military strategy for the 21st century. As the story unfolds, we see this project riding on a wave of deception and corruption-from the governor's office, to the federal government, to the military, to the Hawaii Superferry corporation. The Superferry deal was never approved by the people of Hawai'i, and this lack of democratic process and its profound environmental impacts enraged many. On Kauai, citizens took to surfboards and effectively blocked the vessel from entering the harbor. Governor Lingle traveled there to admonish the people and let them know that if the boat is blocked again, stiff penalties would ensue. Instead, she found an auditorium overflowing with people whose moving, eloquent, spontaneous testimonies told her that the boat would not be permitted to return. THE SUPERFERRY CHRONICLES is a story of personal and political empowerment- thousands of Hawaii's people from all parts of the community taking part in an unprecedented showdown against the latest expression of a centuries-old corporate-tourist-military intrusion into the Hawaiian way of life, landscape, and local sovereignty. This is a grim tale worthy of any colonized banana republic, with just as much double-dealing and intrigue. It is also a story of hope, and love for the land, the sea, and righteousness. Koohan Paik is a media-literacy educator on Kauai, an activist, and an award-winning filmmaker. San Francisco-based Jerry Mander is founder of the International Forum on Globalization and author of the bestselling Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television and In the Absence of the Sacred.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Jerry Mander is] the patriarch of the anti globalization movement." -- Andrew Revkin, NYT, 2007

"[Mander is] the Ralph Nader of advertising."--Wall Street Journal, 1971

About the Author

Koohan Paik's films have won awards at the Berlin International Film Festival, NY Exposition of Short Film & Video, and elsewhere. Her recent work focuses on environmental and cultural issues, including a docudrama of a Hawaiian-language literarary classic, The True Story of Kaluaikoolau, and La Vendemmia, a visual ode to traditional Sicilian winemaking, which was included in the 2007 Mediterranean Environmental Award media festival. Her YouTube film, Discover Kauai, is credited with galvanizing the environmental movement on Kauai. She is a media-literacy educator on Kauai.

Founder and Director of International Forum on Globalization, an international think-tank. Founder and former director of Public Media Center, country's first nonprofit advertising company, working only for nonprofits (Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Planned Parenthood, etc.) Before that had successful career in commercial advertising, president of Freeman, Mander & Gossage (until 1971). Author of several best-sellers, including Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television (500,000 copies), and In the Absence of the Sacred (90,000 copies.)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Koa Books (November 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977333884
• ISBN-13: 978-0977333882
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,423,784 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read This Book!, January 9, 2009

By 

D. Rhodes "3-Chop" (Kilauea, HI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Superferry Chronicles: Hawaii's Uprising Against Militarism, Commercialism, and the Desecration of the Earth (Paperback)

Who would have thought that an issue like a ferry between Oahu and Kauai in Hawai'i would have such global, geopolitical ramifications. Jerry Mander ("In the Absence of the Sacred") and Koohan Paik have given us a comprehensive glimpse into one more small slice of the juggernaut that is the American military-industrial-complex, complete with the arrogance of Bush/Cheney-like power politics, bypassing of environmental laws, and steam-rolling of the entire American democratic system for personal gain. This book has it all, and more.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful Picture of an Indiginous Culture at Odds with Bush's Military Contractors, December 5, 2008

By 

Karen Keauhou Chun (Maui) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Superferry Chronicles: Hawaii's Uprising Against Militarism, Commercialism, and the Desecration of the Earth (Paperback)

The first part of the book really captures the spirit of Hawai'i and the tragic battle between the indigenous culture and "progress" as large mainland companies seek to exploit both the land and the spirit of Hawai'i. The first photo of the lone surfer sitting on his board as the huge Superferry looms over him is reminiscent of Tienanmen square.

The link between the Bush/Cheney military contracting crowd on Hawaii's Republican Governor Linda Lingle is especially eye-opening in how far the Bush corruption extends.

It cracks me up that the context ads are touting Superferry tickets on this website!

5.0 out of 5 stars superferry chronicles, January 11, 2012

By 

richoep - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Superferry Chronicles: Hawaii's Uprising Against Militarism, Commercialism, and the Desecration of the Earth (Paperback)

A one word evaluation of this book is, TRUTH. I was involved and this book describes the chronicle of the superferry debacle. This book describes the Who, What, When, Where, and Why of the superferry agenda. Excellent!