The Book of Tiki (Midsize) (Paperback)

~ Sven Kirsten (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Irreverent, fabulously fun, and packaged, as always with TASCHEN, beautifully. -- LA Weekly, 12/22/00

Sven Kirsten’s loving look at the post-war craze for all things Polynesian is filled with photos ... -- Travel Etc. Magazine, December 2000

The amazing world of Tiki has never been more lovingly and thoroughly documented. -- Paper Magazine, December 2000 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

Tiki is the manifestation of exotic visions of island culture borrowed from tales told by American soldiers stationed in the South Pacific during World War II: trees loaded with exotic fruits, sleepy lagoons, white-sand beaches, and gorgeous people wearing grass feathers as they danced half-naked during all-night orgies of food and music. Americans seized these visions and incorporated fantasy into reality: mid-century fashion, popular music, eating and drinking, and even architecture were influenced by the Tiki trend.
This enlightening and hilarious guide casts the reader as an "urban archaeologist," exploring the lost remnants of the Tiki culture across the United States and discovering relics from this forgotten civilization in thrift stores, yard sales, and used book and record emporia. A combination of nostalgia and fascinating pop cultural study, this volume is a long overdue investigation into the cult of the Tiki. Almost makes you want to dig up those old grass skirts and throw luau

See all Editorial Reviews

---

Product Details Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: Taschen; illustrated edition edition (June 1, 2003) Language: English ISBN-10: 382282433X ISBN-13: 978-3822824337 Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #679,428 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

---

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's Sven A. Kirsten Page

---

Look Inside This Book

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover

---

Citations (learn more)

10 books cite this book:

• Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture by Alan Hess in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
• Beachbum Berry's Intoxica! by Jeff Berry on page 35, and Back Matter
• How to Be Idle by Tom Hodgkinson on page 120, and Back Matter
• Night of the Tiki by Doug Harvey on page 94, and Back Matter
• Doo Wop Motels: Architectural Treasures of the Wildwoods by Kirk Hastings in Back Matter

See all 10 books citing this book

---

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	53% buy the item featured on this page: The Book of Tiki (Midsize) 4.8 out of 5 stars (34)
	27% buy Tiki Modern 4.8 out of 5 stars (17) $26.39
	9% buy Tiki Style (Icons) 3.8 out of 5 stars (4)
	6% buy Trader Vic's Tiki Party!: Cocktails and Food to Share with Friends 4.5 out of 5 stars (8) $13.57

Explore similar items

---

Tags Customers Associate with This Product  (What's this?) Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people. Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below.  tiki(2) art(1) cocktails(1) exotica(1) hawaii(1) luau(1) mixology(1) pop culture(1) retro(1) See all 10 tags... Your tags: Add your first tag

Search Products Tagged with   See most popular tags

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

---

 

Customer Reviews

34 Reviews 5 star:  (29) 4 star:  (4) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.8 out of 5 stars (34 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 13 of 13 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars it's tiki-tastic!, January 3, 2001 By  "whizgirl" (mt holly, nj) - See all my reviews This review is from: The Book of Tiki (Hardcover) What a fabulous book! The definitive book on tiki culture! I can't imagine that anyelse could ever surpass the excellent work done by Sven Kirsten. This book is truly a joy. I'll often rush through a new book but I took my time with this beauty. Entertaining, absorbing and stylish, it's just as much fun to merely look at as it is to read it. Each page is an adventure. I was impressed by the scope of the book - it deals with not just restaurants but with motels, apartment buildings, home entertaining, etc. Sven Kirsten also profiles the major innovators and originators of tiki culture. The best part is that the book is presented (tongue in cheek) as a guide to the urban archaeologist, interested in uncovering the remmnants and traces of the now-extinct tiki culture. A must-have book! 9 of 9 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A much needed effort, October 12, 2000 By  "bookhaus" (Geneva, IL) - See all my reviews This review is from: The Book of Tiki (Hardcover) Tiki worshipers -- we are not alone! Our friends at LuxuriaMusic.com live and breath Tiki, and the Millionaire has kindly written a thoughtful review on "The Book of Tiki." A notable excerpt from this is: "Possibly the most difficult aspect of reviewing this comprehensive study of Polynesian pop is that it stands alone, unassailable. It's difficult to apply any critical distance to a work like this, and it's not that nothing else approaches its thoroughness or insight: the fact is that there is simply nothing else of the sort available. Whatsoever. Anywhere. Kirsten has literally "written the book" on a phase of pop culture that once encompassed architecture,interior design, clothing, music, food, entertainment and much more, yet passed from a ubiquitous vogue to decay and disregard without ever having enjoyed critical respect or even any substantial recognition. 8 of 8 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and educational, November 1, 2001 By A Customer This review is from: The Book of Tiki (Hardcover) It does not happen often that a new facet of American pop culture that has not been recognized before gets discovered. With his Book of Tiki Sven Kirsten succeeds in establishing a style that has been overlooked by art critics and historians alike. Through an amazing amount of visuals Kirsten proves how Tiki in it's heyday influenced every walk of American life, from architecture, design and graphics to food and drink. In addition to the rich imagery (which affords the viewer an almost physical experience of the phenomenon) Kirsten's writing traces back the origins of the style to the Western fascination with Polynesia and, without becoming too analytical and dry, enlightens the reader on the motives for this escapism. The chronicler's ironic enthusiasm for his subject saves him from becoming judgmental and falling for easy, politically correct conclusions. We are guided through the history of Polynesia as an eternal metaphor for an earthly Eden up to the point where Americans fell in love with this vision. Here Kirsten conveys how the post-war need for more moral freedom coincided with the tales of Pacific war theater veterans and the 50s idealization of Hawaii as a dream vacation destination. In taking the guise of an urban archeologist who (as is done in classic archeology) discovers a lost culture through it's objects and artifacts, Kirsten accomplishes to throw light on a fascinating chapter of American pop that has so far lingered in obscurity.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars TheParrotTalksinChocolate.com SAYS YES! this book is one of the best ever on TIKI. In fact it inspired the author of the new book, The Parrot Talks in Chocolate - the Life and Times of a Hawaiian Tiki Bar... Read more Published 5 months ago by Della Peacock 5.0 out of 5 stars THE Classic On The Subject! 'Nuff Said. Well... not QUITE 'nuff! On assignment from Tiki Magazine, I had the pleasure, last year, of interviewing Sven at his spectacular mountaintop retreat in Silverlake... Read more Published 7 months ago by PDC 5.0 out of 5 stars A key piece of tne new Tiki Culture This book is important. It's one of the things that can be noted as part of the neo-tiki culture revival. It got the word out there. Read more Published 9 months ago by Old Man Parker 5.0 out of 5 stars Lives up to the title This book is such a great collection of tiki decor and knick-knacks that you don't even need to read the captions to enjoy it. Read more Published on March 26, 2005 by M. Capps Jr. 5.0 out of 5 stars Jimbo If you have the slightest interest in the subject, you have to have this book. it is an amazing piece of work, and a visual feast. Read more Published on March 5, 2005 by J. Hanson 5.0 out of 5 stars Sven Kirsten defines an era! Truly a wonder of nature this Book of Tiki. Chances are, you might so your parents or grandparents in the pictures, from the days before you considered them old. Read more Published on March 2, 2005 by Alouicious Abernathy 5.0 out of 5 stars More Tiki Than You Can Shake A Torch At Like all Taschen books, this book is visually STUNNING! Just leafing through the pictures never gets boring. Read more Published on December 23, 2003 by FKC 4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on Tiki, though a bit artsy This book is a must have for anyone interested in Tiki or kitsch art. Describing themselves as "urban archaeologists" seeking remnants of Tiki culture, the authors provide a fun... Read more Published on March 14, 2003 by Trader Mort 5.0 out of 5 stars This is the start of things to come This is an excellent picture book filled with great stories about the good old days. It will bring back memories of a tiki age gone. Read more Published on January 28, 2003 5.0 out of 5 stars A Tiki Treasure! This book is full of photos of different tiki establishements and tiki memorabilia, not to mention loads of information on those items and the people who created them. Read more Published on December 30, 2002 by Kara Hendricks Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

---

Customer Discussions

This product's forum Discussion Replies Latest Post No discussions yet Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   Guidelines Search Customer Discussions Search all Amazon discussions

The Retro community Latest activity 1 hour ago 1,222 customers have contributed 1,365 products, 57 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The Pop Culture community Latest activity 8 hours ago 1,218 customers have contributed 829 products, 83 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community Related forums hawaii (3 discussions) pop culture retro tiki (1 discussion) Explore more › See all Customer Communities › Your communities

---

Listmania!

Tiki retro exotica on the half shell: A list by Michael A. Duvernois   DrinkBoy Recommends: A list by Robert Hess   TheFrikiTiki Media Store: A list by Dale Jin Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

So You'd Like to...

Get Your Tiki On Without The Alcohol! Polynesian Pop!: A guide by Philip L. Ringler "who's to say what Zen is anyway?"   go back in time to the Space Age (Part 1): A guide by Huntan Peck "HuntanPeck"   cook up a surprise dish for a special someone.: A guide by Janet "Janet Sue Terry author of Possibilities, Resolutions, Just Our Best Short Stories 2005, A Rich, Deliciously Satisfying Collection of Breakfast Recipes" Create a guide

Search Guides

---

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > Arts & Photography > History & Criticism
• Books > Entertainment > Pop Culture > Art
• Books > Nonfiction > Foreign Language Nonfiction > French
• Books > Nonfiction > Foreign Language Nonfiction > German
• Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Popular Culture
• Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Sociology > Culture

---

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:
Cultural studies
History of art / art & design styles
Popular culture
Decorative arts - United States - History - 20th century
Art
Pop Arts / Pop Culture
USA
Popular Culture - General
Social Science / Popular Culture
Popular Culture & Media: General Interest


i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Ad feedback

 

Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to all feedback submitted via this form, but we'll ask you to sign in so we can contact you if needed.

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

› View and edit your browsing history

Get to Know Us Careers Investor Relations Press Releases Amazon and Our Planet Make Money with Us Sell on Amazon Join Associates Self-publish with Us › See all Let Us Help You Shipping Rates & Policies Amazon Prime Returns Help

Canada | China | France | Germany | Japan | United Kingdom  And don't forget: Amazon Windowshop | AmazonWireless | Askville | Audible | DPReview | Endless | IMDb | Shopbop | SoundUnwound | Warehouse Deals by Amazon | Zappos Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Taschen; illustrated edition edition (June 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 382282433X
• ISBN-13: 978-3822824337
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #679,428 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars it's tiki-tastic!, January 3, 2001

By	"whizgirl" (mt holly, nj) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Tiki (Hardcover)

What a fabulous book! The definitive book on tiki culture! I can't imagine that anyelse could ever surpass the excellent work done by Sven Kirsten. This book is truly a joy. I'll often rush through a new book but I took my time with this beauty. Entertaining, absorbing and stylish, it's just as much fun to merely look at as it is to read it. Each page is an adventure. I was impressed by the scope of the book - it deals with not just restaurants but with motels, apartment buildings, home entertaining, etc. Sven Kirsten also profiles the major innovators and originators of tiki culture. The best part is that the book is presented (tongue in cheek) as a guide to the urban archaeologist, interested in uncovering the remmnants and traces of the now-extinct tiki culture.

A must-have book!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A much needed effort, October 12, 2000

By	"bookhaus" (Geneva, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Tiki (Hardcover)

Tiki worshipers -- we are not alone! Our friends at LuxuriaMusic.com live and breath Tiki, and the Millionaire has kindly written a thoughtful review on "The Book of Tiki." A notable excerpt from this is:

"Possibly the most difficult aspect of reviewing this comprehensive study of Polynesian pop is that it stands alone, unassailable. It's difficult to apply any critical distance to a work like this, and it's not that nothing else approaches its thoroughness or insight: the fact is that there is simply nothing else of the sort available. Whatsoever. Anywhere. Kirsten has literally "written the book" on a phase of pop culture that once encompassed architecture,interior design, clothing, music, food, entertainment and much more, yet passed from a ubiquitous vogue to decay and disregard without ever having enjoyed critical respect or even any substantial recognition.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and educational, November 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of Tiki (Hardcover)

It does not happen often that a new facet of American pop culture that has not been recognized before gets discovered. With his Book of Tiki Sven Kirsten succeeds in establishing a style that has been overlooked by art critics and historians alike. Through an amazing amount of visuals Kirsten proves how Tiki in it's heyday influenced every walk of American life, from architecture, design and graphics to food and drink.

In addition to the rich imagery (which affords the viewer an almost physical experience of the phenomenon) Kirsten's writing traces back the origins of the style to the Western fascination with Polynesia and, without becoming too analytical and dry, enlightens the reader on the motives for this escapism.
The chronicler's ironic enthusiasm for his subject saves him from becoming judgmental and falling for easy, politically correct conclusions.
We are guided through the history of Polynesia as an eternal metaphor for an earthly Eden up to the point where Americans fell in love with this vision.
Here Kirsten conveys how the post-war need for more moral freedom coincided with the tales of Pacific war theater veterans and the 50s idealization of Hawaii as a dream vacation destination.
In taking the guise of an urban archeologist who (as is done in classic archeology) discovers a lost culture through it's objects and artifacts, Kirsten accomplishes to throw light on a fascinating chapter of American pop that has so far lingered in obscurity.