Post #595189 by bigbrotiki on Mon, Jun 27, 2011 1:00 PM

I know of the fact that JonPaul Balak, house photographer for TIKI MAGAZINE, has been working on a Tiki Home Bar book for quite some time now. His decade-long connection to the Tiki Revival scene and his trips to American and European Tiki hot spots, coupled with his profession as a photographer make him the ideal author for such a tome. He is friends with many of the owners of the great backyard and basement Polynesias around the country. Plus JP's knowledge of classic Tiki history would ensure that the home hideaways would be presented in the proper context of the design sources that inspired them, down to the very detail.

I am very hesitant to believe that Schiffer would do a good job with such a book. They are a "Collectibles" publisher, and many of their books are poorly edited and badly art directed. Two examples for that are their "Hawaiiana" and "Hula Girls and Tiki Gods" books. I feel that ultimately those type of books do not fulfill the promise of Tiki culture, relegating it to collectible nerd territory. A simple showing off of how many toys you have does not inspire creativity. But a book on Home Tiki Bars should do exactly that.

Sven Kirsten, author of the "Book of Tiki" and "Tiki Modern"