Customer Rating:  
Summary: The Real Deal
Comment: I can't say enough about the honesty in this book. This book does not sugar coat, living in Paradise. When we decided to move to Hawaii, we bought the book, and read it cover to cover. It gave an excellent summation of cost of living, cultural factors, and the thing that helped us the most to cope when we did move here, was that we were warned in the book about the large centipedes and roaches that fly (both are up to 6" long, and spiders as big as your fist....it's true!! Once you get past that, life is good here, and well worth the move. If you're seriously considering moving to Hawaii, this is a must read book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: 4th Gen Born and raised in the Islands of Hawaii
Comment: It's cute how the new comer wants to know how only they will be affected or inconvenienced when they move to Hawaii, and not how they will affect, Inconvenience
or why most of the people of Hawaii feel or treat them the way they do!
Why not investigate why the Hawaiians and local people of Hawaii no-longer invite or welcome new-comers to Hawaii with open arms and lei?
Could it be because there are already too many that have came here that changed and impacted Hawaii's Aloha life style (that once did exist) for the worst?
In the early plantation days when the Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Puerto Rican and Portuguese came during these hard-times, they worked along-side, blended in-with and learned from the Hawaiian people, their culture and beliefs and were accepted and treated as equals without being a threat of change or being taken advantage of.
Later and present people coming to Hawaii are educated, financially well-off and flexing their U.S. rights, most being arrogant and taking advantage of the situations, resources and the now easy-times for the rich here, making the Hawaiians and local people second class citizens in their own home State.
Most new comers have no respect for the Islands Aloha and life-style and start making changes to Hawaii (by voting or complaints)
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Comment: Wow - My mother purchased this book for my husband and I when we were in Hawaii getting married earlier this year. It is a fantastic book that focuses not only on the good, but also the negatives of moving to such a beautiful place.
I agree with one of the other writers who left a comment - if only every place had a guide book like this!
Customer Rating:
Summary: For a balanced viewpoint.....
Comment: This is a really thorough compilation of information. Ms Polancy has done her homework. Like others, I found the book to be a bit negative, though, almost like the author was trying to convince her readers to look elsewhere for a place to live. The general ambiance of the book seemed to be well characterized by one reviewer, who said, "Hawaii's still lovely, but is fast becoming a crowded place for very rich people, leaving the rest of us to reconsider our options."
This reviewer, like Ms Polancy, speaks mainly about Maui and possibly Oahu. There is another option, where Aloha is still very much alive, people are friendly, employment opps abound and the whole Island is not on its way to being paved. It is covered in another book, "Affordable Paradise," that projects pretty much the opposite attitude from Polancy's book. Reviewers have said that they were disappointed in that it is mainly about the Big Island of Hawaii. Well, it's about "affordable" Hawaii, and that's the only part of Hawaii that still is affordable. Anyway, to read both books will give you a well-balanced view of the reality of living in Hawaii. The author of "Affordable Paradise" also devoted a whole chapter on reasons why not to move to Hawaii, pointing out that Hawaii is clearly not everyone's Paradise. We've seen enough recent transplants turn tail and return to the mainland to know that it's true.
Polancy's book includes lots of charts, statistics and other data you won't find in "Affordable Paradise."
If you add "Affordable Paradise" to your Hawaii collection, be sure to get the Third Edition. It has a lot more info and the real estate prices are fairly current.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Shows both the bad and the good!
Comment: Hawaii is probably a wonderful place that I hope to visit someday like other destinations. I remember somebody I went to college with who told me that she planned to teach English in Hawaii and her husband would work in the construction trades. Once they got there, they learned that their jobs weren't enough. They started a business on the side which took up their evenings and weekends. They don't regret moving for a moment. She never finished her college training to teach and never got her bachelor's degree. As beautiful as paradise is, it is still far away from the mainland. I know people who want to pack up and move there from New Jersey but the reality is that even Hawaiians have moved to the mainland for work and more opportunities. I'm not dissing Hawaii for all it's beauty. It's paradise on earth but I don't think people think things through with such a move. For starters, you have to have money to live there or a job that pays well to afford the high cost of living. Do research in moving there, don't expect that it'll be easy. It won't. Don't think your problems won't follow you there because they will. Most important, you must take classes to be able to find work in any field. Retirement is another story but if you move anywhere, you have to do research. The book describes people who have made the move there. It's like an "aaliyah" that Jewish Americans do when they immigrate to Israel with their families. DOn't expect it to be easy, nothing in life is ever easy. Visting the islands is one thing, moving is quite another drastic step.
As far as negative, the author puts a realistic view of moving to paradise. People uproot and move thinking it would be easy. I knew a postal worker who transferred there from New Jersey only to share an apartment with four other roommates. I'm sure Hawaii is truly paradise but maybe for those who have money to afford to live so far away.
This book gave me a better understanding of the struggles even for those who have white collar jobs for less money. The cost of living in Hawaii is higher than most places. I live in New Jersey and it's just as expensive but you have the choice and opportunity to find products cheaper elsewhere.
The author interviewed over 140 residents for her book. She does not leave out crime, violence, homelessness, poverty, etc. out of this book. You won't find that information in any guide book about Hawaii. Those books are designed for tourists. This book is designed for residents or prospective residents of the islands. I think the author tries to show a realistic point of view rather than an idealistic point of view. Yes, some of us would love to pack up and move and leave our troubles behind.
But the author points out that things are not always easy on the islands.
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