Each book in this series concentrates on the things that make each state unique. State-specific topics covered include: geography and climate, "Famous Firsts," state symbols, history and poeple, state government, culture, food, folklore and legends, sports teams, businesses and products, attractions and landmarks.

As both individuals and societies, we are making decisions today that will have profound consequences for future generations. From preserving Earth's plants and animals to altering our use of fossil fuels, none of these decisions can be made wisely without a thorough understanding of life's history on our planet through biological evolution. Companion to the best selling title Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science, Evolution in Hawaii examines evolution and the nature of science by looking at a specific part of the world. Tracing the evolutionary pathways in Hawaii, we are able to draw powerful conclusions about evolution's occurrence, mechanisms, and courses. This practical book has been specifically designed to give teachers and their students an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of evolution using exercises with real genetic data to explore and investigate speciation and the probable order in which speciation occurred based on the ages of the Hawaiian Islands. By focusing on one set of islands, this book illuminates the general principles of evolutionary biology and demonstrate how ongoing research will continue to expand our knowledge of the natural world.

Pulitzer Prize–winning author James A. Michener brings Hawaii’s epic history vividly to life in a classic saga that has captivated readers since its initial publication in 1959. As the volcanic Hawaiian Islands sprout from the ocean floor, the land remains untouched for centuries—until, little more than a thousand years ago, Polynesian seafarers make the perilous journey across the Pacific, flourishing in this tropical paradise according to their ancient traditions. Then, in the early nineteenth century, American missionaries arrive, bringing with them a new creed and a new way of life. Based on exhaustive research and told in Michener’s immersive prose, Hawaii is the story of disparate peoples struggling to keep their identity, live in harmony, and, ultimately, join together. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from James A. Michener's Centennial. Praise for Hawaii “Wonderful . . . [a] mammoth epic of the islands.”—The Baltimore Sun “One novel you must not miss! A tremendous work from every point of view—thrilling, exciting, lusty, vivid, stupendous.”—Chicago Tribune “From Michener’s devotion to the islands, he has written a monumental chronicle of Hawaii, an extraordinary and fascinating novel.”—Saturday Review “Memorable . . . a superb biography of a people.”—Houston Chronicle

Hawai‘i is known for its verdant mountains and colorful ocean ecosystems, but few realize the depth and range of the islands’ mushroom diversity. In fact, Hawai‘i is home to over 230 species of mushrooms that are prized by foragers from around the world. In Mushrooms of Hawai‘i, Don Hemmes and Dennis Desjardin present a beautiful and comprehensive guide to the treasure trove of mycological life in the Aloha State. Inside you’ll find information on Mushroom identification; Culinary and medicinal uses of Hawaiian mushrooms; Where to find the best mushroom-hunting spots; The seasonality of Hawaiian mushrooms; And everything else you might need to make your foraging adventure a success. Mushrooms of Hawai‘i also includes beautiful illustrations to help you identify familiar treasures like morels, well-known dangers like Amanita muscaria, and exciting species unique to the islands. Whether you’re hunting Copelandia cyanescens (“magic” mushrooms) in the pasture grasses high in the mountains of Maui, or foraging for Laetiporus (chicken of the woods), an edible mushroom sought after by foodies for its uniquely delicious taste, this book is the must-have guide for fungophiles.

"Sam and Mary Cooke have assembled at Kualii, their Manoa Valley home, a cultural treasure unsurpassed by any other private collection in the islands. This collection of paintings, drawings, and prints of the Hawaiian Islands uniquely reflects the kamaaina appreciation the Cookes have for various locales throughout the islands, including generations-long associations with people and places, and a love of legends and history. In this book, historian and bibliographer David W. Forbes presents a selection of the collection's finest works. Hawaii in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, with particular focus on portrayal of the Hawaiian chiefs, is depicted by artists associated with voyages of exploration and art in the interest of science, including John Webber, Jacques Arago, Louis Choris, John Hayter, Alfred T. Agate, Titian Ramsay Peale, and J. G. Keulemans. Everyday life in mid-nineteenth century Hawaii is captured by August Borget, Enoch Wood Perry Jr., Edward Bailey, Paul Emmert, and George H. Burgess. Landscapes and portraits of emerging multi-cultural Hawaii are beautifully rendered by accomplished late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century artists Charles Furneaux, Joseph D. Strong, Jules, Tavernier, D. Howard Hitchcock, Helen Whitney Kelly, Lionel Walden, Matteo Sandona, and by mid-twentieth century painters Lloyd Sexton and Peter Hurd"-- From book jacket.

An Ocean in Mind poses a number of provocative questions about the ways in which the human mind acquires, utilizes, and transmits different forms of knowledge. Author Will Kyselka has woven an exploration of this theme around the story of the Hōkūleʻa, a re-creation of a traditional Polynesian sailing vessel that completed a successful roundtrip journey between Hawaii and Tahiti in 1980. From this story emerges portraits of two men who played integral roles in that voyage. Nainoa Thompson, a young man of Hawaiian descent, kept the Hōkūleʻa on its 6,000-mile course using only the stars and the sea as his guides. He was inspired by Carolinian navigator Mau Piailug, a gentle, softspoken man with keen instincts and an unlimited understanding of the oceans and heavens derived from his Oceanic cultural past. Thompson also worked with Kyselka to generate a body of information concerning movement of the stars using the Bishop Museum Planetarium as a resource. How Thompson was eventually able to forge these vastly different approaches to knowledge into a cogent wayfinding system uniquely his own, and his rediscovery of an almost forgotten cultural heritage in the process, makes for a thrilling adventure story.

The islands of Hawaii differ greatly from the other 49 states. Formed by volcanic activity in the North Pacific, they burst with rain forests, waterfalls, and beaches. In this colorful title, students will discover the natural beauty and unique traditions of a state far removed from the mainland.