Charged by the Royal Society and the British Association for the Advancement of Science to access, observe and collect the fauna of Hawaiʻi, R.C.L. Perkins collected almost all classes and phyla of terrestrial zoology specimens, including one of the best collections of insects and birds from Hawaiʻi ever assembled by one person. His fieldwork and collections are the basis for the masterful Fauna Hawaiiensis volumes. While Perkins' original field notes were lost, in this work Neal Evenhuis has compiled and annotated the surviving notes and correspondence of Perkins and included accounts and anecdotes by friends and colleagues to shed light on the natural history of Hawaiʻi, the collection process in remote areas, and the remarkable naturalist.
Drawn by the mysterious mount Etna, Thomas Meyer sets off on a quest to discover the secrets of the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Stromboli. The Sicilian region is not only famous for the drama of its live volcanoes, but also for its associations with numerous cultural figures – ranging from Cain, Empedocles, Klingsor and the much maligned Cagliostro, through to Goethe and Rudolf Steiner. The author ponders their lives, work and karmic connections, whilst unexpected meetings with cryptic strangers result in discussions that are filled with spiritual insights and pearls of wisdom. Meyer’s travelogue is at once engaging, poetic and deeply esoteric, drawing parallels between the burning lava of Etna and Stromboli and the soul lava through which our spiritual feet must wade in the present day. In meditations on the Guardian of the Threshold and the explosive popularity of football, we are led to the conclusion that today human beings need to develop ‘spiritual feet’ to cross the boundary to higher worlds. The author’s final trip coincides with the recent natural catastrophe in Nepal, which prompts him to ask whether humanity can begin to take inner responsibility for the many such disasters – particularly earthquakes and volcanic eruptions – that take place around the world. For these natural calamities, says Meyer, are intimately related to our untamed passions and emotions.
A busy family and their friends spend a day working and playing on the farm. From milking the cows in the morning to closing the gate at night, learn about a day in the life of a farming family. Enhanced CD includes video animation and audio singalong.
When Honolulu police officer Katrina Ogden lands an assignment at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, her working vacation turns ugly. Caught between two forces--murder and Madame Pele, Goddess of the Volcano--K.O. races against time in her struggle to save lives before the volcano's eruption sweeps them all away. "Victoria Heckman's 'K.O.'d in the Volcano' is a terrific novel. The plot is as fast and hot as the lava that threatens to blow from Kupaianaha and the writing so vivid you can feel the ensuing heat. Katrina Ogden is an intelligent and self-confident protagonist who remains genuine in nature, a refreshing change from so many of the carefully constructed and gimmicky characters that populate so many of today's mysteries. I recommend it highly." --JR Ripley, author of the Tony Kozol mystery series
"Half ingenuous and half wily, winningly hard to pin down. The result is a kind of everyday fantastic. Dalton nails the Walserian trick of evincing a sincerity nearly indistinguishable from irony. The effect is a poised instability, more uncanny than the magic the stories sometimes describe." -Bookforum "Dalton handles her narratives with a deft skill and a keen, distinct, confident voice that never eases up, never ceases to surprise, leaving readers happy to experience her intriguing world up close. Just the way we like it." -Brooklyn Rail "[The stories] feel like brilliant sexual fairy tales on drugs. Dalton writes of self-discovery and sex with a knowing humility and humor." -Interview Magazine "'Pura Vida,' about an emotionally unavailable journalist on assignment to cover a sloth clinic in Costa Rica, is a standout, its final moment between woman and sloth arriving with breathtaking lightness, like the first flower of spring. Other memorable outings include trips to the Missouri Ozarks ("Wet Look"), the Alps ("Shrub of Emotion"), and the Painted Desert ("Baby Geisha"), with men and women on the verge of, but never quite reaching, psycho-sexual breakthroughs." -Los Angeles Magazine Critic's Pick "[Baby Geisha] pokes fun, it's satirical, there's an underlying delicious irony to it, and the telling parts are the ones where Dalton coins names, cuts down trees with her paragraphs, gives us just a touch of the absurd... Dalton's skill as a writer, and above all her expertise in choosing words that play into a darker cultural picture--an offsetting of America's natural high!--are not to be missed here." -Fanzine Baby Geisha is a collection of thirteen sexually-charged stories that roam from the Coney Island Ferris wheel to the Greek Isles. True to Trinie Dalton's form, the stories in Baby Geisha are distinctly imagined while also representing a more grounded approach in the author's style. There's the Joan Didion-obsessed starving journalist of "Pura Vida," struggling to maintain a relationship with her performance artist sisters (or anyone, for that matter), on assignment in Costa Rica to write an article on sloth-hugging. "Millennium Chill" is about a woman who discovers that her body heat is mysteriously linked to that of an elderly beggar. Baby Geisha serves to support Dalton's reputation as a remarkable stylist and a very original artist.
Packed with travel information, including more listings, deals, and insider tips: CANDID LISTINGS of hundreds of places to eat, sleep, and surf like a local RELIABLE MAPS and directions to help you navigate the islands Rewarding VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES in ecological and cultural conservation STUDY ABROAD to learn about volcanology, indigenous languages, and exotic species INSIDER TIPS on saving money and finding aloha EXTENSIVE BEACH COVERAGE, from the sickest surf spots to the most breathtaking sunsets HIDDEN TREASURES, from roadside shave ice stands to deserted beaches
When geologist Dr. Fred Sager transferred to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, he thought it was too good to be true...he was right. Almost immediately, the project he was assigned to turned into a living nightmare when he stumbles upon an unusual plan by the military, under the Clinton administration, that could bring about mass death and destruction if allowed to proceed. Fred and his boss embark on a dangerous field trip on the island ́s active volcano when a freak storm sends Fred on an unlikely journey. It is during that time that he learns the truth. Upon his return, he is determined to prevent the government from unleashing the terrible consequences of their diabolical plan. But how? Fred´s own disdain for the government certainly tends to get in his way. He works for the same government as the military, but how can he over-ride Washington DC? His new sweetheart says she can help. If true, she ́s not been completely honest with Fred about her past.
