From the mountains to the ocean, from the windward to the leeward side, National Great Outdoors Month is a designated time for appreciating and preserving our natural places. And this month citizens will be enjoying the great outdoors from the back yard to the wilderness. This week’s Book Buzz samples a few titles available at libraries to help plan, experience, learn from and appreciate the outdoors in the way that suits one best.
Happy reading!
The Alaka‘i: Kaua‘i’s Unique Wilderness
By Fernando Penalosa
H 578.734 Pe
This simple book brings us a much-needed guide to the emerald world on the top of our island. It covers history, flora and fauna, traditions, and suggestions on how to enjoy and protect the area. You may also be interested in “Hawai‘i’s Botanical Gardens” by Kevin Whitton or “A Hiker’s Guide to Trailside Plants in Hawai‘i” by John B. Hall.
A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawai‘i and the Tropical Pacific
By Douglass Pratt
H598.2 P
A landmark in the field, this is a guide to identification of birds as well as an introduction for the novice to birding in the region. It contains much previously-unpublished information about bird behavior, vocalizations, ecology, and distribution. Also look for “Why Birds Sing: A Journey into the Mystery of Bird Song” by David Rothenberg and “The Top 100 Birding Sites of the World” by Dominic Cousins.
Hiking and Backpacking: A Complete Guide
By Karen Berger
796.51 Be
Berger offers a clear and helpful compendium of information and tips for planning, outfitting, packing, enjoying, and living the hiking experience. Also look for Berger’s “Hiking Light Handbook: Carry Less, Enjoy More,” “Classic Hikes of the World: 23 Breathtaking Treks with Detailed Routes and Maps for Expeditions on Six Continents” by Peter Potterfield, “Hiking Kaua‘i” by Robert Smith, “Halfway to Heaven: My White-Knuckled Knuckle-Headed Quest for the Rocky Mountain High” by Mark Obmasick or “Hiking the Gobi: A 1,600 Mile Trek across a Desert of Hope and Despair” by the tenacious Helen Thayer.
Islands in a Far Sea: The Fate of Nature in Hawai‘i
By John L. Culliney.
H 508.969 Cu
This updated classic offers a comprehensive environmental history of Hawai‘i beginning with the geological formation and shaping of the islands, to their colonization by plants and animals and the patterns of ecology and evolution that unfolded here. See also “By Wind, By Wave: An Introduction to Hawai‘i’s Natural History” by David L. Eyre.
The New Complete Sailing Manual
By Steve Sleight
797.124 Sl
This essential reference for instructors and students is a clearly-organized guide to the basics of sailing, navigation, boat care and water safety. For other books on getting wet try “The Certified Diver’s Handbook” By Clay Coleman, “Kayak Fishing” by Scott Null and Joel McBride, “The Paddler’s Guide to Outrigger Canoeing” by Steve West and “The Sea Survival Handbook” by Keith Colwell.
Reef
From Scubazoo
577.789 Re
This book illustrated with dazzling photography introduces the ecology of temperate and tropical oceanic reefs. For more on the sea around us try “Smithsonian Ocean: Our Water, Our World” by Deborah Cramer, “Shore Fishes of Hawai‘i” by John E. Randall, “The Whales of Hawai‘i” by Kenneth C. Balcomb III, “The Book of Honu” by Peter Bennett and “Hawaiian Reef Plants” by John M. Huisman.
The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It: The Complete Back-to-Basics Guide
By John Seymour
630 Se
Many dream of a back-to-the-land lifestyle. This book will teach you how to do it: Harness natural energy, raise crops and keep livestock, preserve foodstuffs, make beer and wine, basketry, carpentry, weaving and much more. For an insightful tale of self-sufficient life try Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life.”
Surfing: The Manual: Advanced
By Jim Kempton
797.32 Ke
An esteemed assembly of the world’s greatest surfers comes together in this book to provide insights and secrets of surfing for surfers. You may also be interested in “Kitesurfing in the Waves: The Complete Guide” by Kristin Boese or “Surf Science: An Introduction to Waves for Surfing” by Tony Butt.
Transient Light: A Photographic Guide to Capturing the Medium
By Ian Cameron
778.7 Ca
Cameron provides a stunningly-illustrated guide to using natural light to enhance your photography. It is part technical craft and part the visual art of being in the right place at the right time. For other outdoor photography titles see also “Magnificent Moments: The World’s Greatest Wildlife Photographs” edited by George H. Harrison or “Diving the Rainbow Reefs: Adventures of an Underwater Photographer” by Paul S. Auerbach.
The Whale: In Search of the Giants of the Sea
By Philip Hoare
599.5 Ho
This moving and thought-provoking biography of the planet’s toughest, yet-most-vulnerable of prehistoric survivors takes us beyond the limits of what we can see, hear or know about whales, and offers a poetic blend of nautical and natural history, literary allusion and personal experience.
More about the gentle giants can be found in “Watching Giants: The Secret Lives of Whales” by Elin Kelsey, “Humpbacks of Hawai‘i: The Long Journey Back” by Paul H. Forestell, “Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound” by David Rothenberg or the incomparable DVD movie “Whale Rider.”
• Carolyn Larson, head librarian at Lihu‘e Public Library, brings you the buzz on new, popular and good books available at your neighborhood library. Book annotations are culled from online publishers’ descriptions and published reviews.
