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Download Big Happiness: The Life and Death of a Modern Hawaiian Warrior ePub

by Mark Panek

ISBN 0824834682
ISBN13 978-0824834685
Language English
Author Mark Panek
Publisher Latitude 20 (February 17, 2011)
Pages 336
Formats azw lrf lrf lit
Category History
Subcategory Americas
Size ePub 1434 kb
Size Fb2 1297 kb
Rating: 4.2
Votes: 315

"Big Happiness is extremely important to our community. Mark Panek’s biography of Percy Kipapa speaks to the consequences of the destruction of Hawai‘i’s rural neighborhoods, unchecked development, the ice epidemic, the failures of government, sumo, intricate family and neighbor relationships, and more. What is most impressive is Panek’s ability to weave all of these complex topics together in a seamless narrative that connects all the dots. Part mystery, part investigative journalism, part poignant Island portrait, this work contains an emotional element that binds the reader to the subjects in a dignified yet touching way, showing compassion and even affection for people while revealing their flaws and shortcomings. This book will resonate with an Island audience and with anyone interested in Hawai‘i." ―Victoria Kneubuhl, Hawai‘i writer and playwright

"This book tells of personal triumphs and failures, and also the triumphs and failures of families, communities, organizations, agencies, governments, and churches dealing with the multiple consequences of ‘progress’ in contemporary Hawai‘i. There have been heroes and villains at all levels―frequently, the same individuals and agencies are both at the same time. The story of Percy Kipapa is especially poignant because professional sumo gave him a unique opportunity to transcend Hawai‘i’s culture of colonialism, racism, poverty, and drug addiction, which in the end all brought him down anyway. Mark Panek has done a masterful job of weaving these strands together."―Reverend Bob Nakata, former Hawai‘i state senator

"Spanning the history of Waikane and the brutality of Japan’s national sport, Big Happiness is a remarkably ambitious piece that links one man’s murder to the ice epidemic, land development, and political corruption in Hawai‘i. Mark Panek’s meticulously researched, skillfully written, heartbreaking story, filled with voices that ring true, is an indictment of an entire system that crushed a gentle giant. While other Hawai‘i writers dwell in ‘take me back to da kine’ nostalgia, Panek tells it like it really is." ―Chris McKinney, author of The Tattoo and Mililani Mauka

Mark Panek’s Big Happiness tells the true story of Hawaiian sumo wrestler Percy Kipapa and his tragic murder on May 16, 2005

Mark Panek’s Big Happiness tells the true story of Hawaiian sumo wrestler Percy Kipapa and his tragic murder on May 16, 2005. It’s compelling and raw. Knowing one of the key characters personally, I found it both hard to read and tough to put down

Big Happiness is extremely important to our community . More than this, the book delves deep into the root causes of Kipapa’s eventual slide and murder, shedding a brilliant light on the systemic problems that plague Hawaiians in contemporary society.

Big Happiness is extremely important to our community. Mark Paneks biography of Percy Kipapa speaks to the consequences of the destruction of Hawai˜is rural neighborhoods, unchecked development, the ice epidemic, the failures of government, sumo, intricate family and neighbor relationships, and more. What is most impressive is Paneks ability to weave all of these complex topics together in a seamless narrative that connects all the dots

Mark Panek's biography of Percy Kipapa speaks to the consequences of. .Mark Panek has done a masterful job of weaving these strands together. -Reverend Bob Nakata, former Hawai'i state senator.

Mark Panek's biography of Percy Kipapa speaks to the consequences of the destruction of Hawai'i. This book tells of personal triumphs and failures, and also the triumphs and failures of families, communities, organizations, agencies, governments, and churches dealing with the multiple consequences of 'progress' in contemporary Hawai'i. There have been heroes and villains at all levels-frequently, the same individuals and agencies are both at the same time.

Mark Panek is a Hawaii novelist and scholar. Gaijin Yokozuna: A Biography of Chad Rowan (2006). Big Happiness: The Life and Death of a Modern Hawaiian Warrior (2011). Hawai'i: A Novel (2013). A professor of English at the University of Hawaii, he is the author of two books on prominent Hawaiian-born sumo wrestlers Percy Kipapa and Akebono. His biography of Akebono, titled Gaijin Yokozuna, was called "the best sumo biography in English" by The Japan Times .

Big Happiness is extremely important to our community

Big Happiness is extremely important to our community. Mark Panek’s biography of Percy Kipapa speaks to the consequences of the destruction of Hawai‘i’s rural neighborhoods, unchecked development, the ice epidemic, the failures of government, sumo, intricate family and neighbor relationships, and more. What is most impressive is Panek’s ability to weave all of these complex topics together in a seamless narrative that connects all the dots.

Big Happiness is extremely important to our community We offer the use of a secure server. We offer the use of a secure server. Mark Panek's biography of Percy Kipapa speaks to the consequences of the destruction of Hawai'i's rural neighborhoods, unchecked development, the ice epidemic, the failures of government, sumo, intricate family and neighbor relationships, and more. What is most impressive is Panek's ability to weave all of these complex topics together in a seamless narrative that connects all the dots.

Talk about Big Happiness: The Life and Death of a Modern Hawaiian Warrior

Water

Big Happiness tells three interconnected stories. Two stories the Hawaii board of tourism would prefer you remain ignorant of.
First there is the tragic story of Percy Kipapa, a Hawaiian who goes to Japan to be a sumo wrestler, endures all of the stress, isolation and loneliness of being in a country where he doesn't speak the language and the grueling sometimes sadistic training involved to be in the sumo world.
The book also details how when he comes home 7 years later after accomplishing some truly amazing things in the sumo world, but with a body that is deeply broken, the Hawaii he returns to is not the beautiful ideal he remembers it. There are no opportunities for a 400+ pound Hawaiian in his native state. In fact there are very few opportunities for any native Hawaiians, other than drugs, alcohol abuse and desperation. It details Percy's fall, his murder, and the trial.
The second story details how Ice (meth) has taken hold of the Hawaiian islands, how it happened, and what role government had involved in crating the epidemic abuse of ice, and what little they have done to try and fix the problem.
The third part of the story details the corruption, and pure greed of over land development, kicking native Hawaiians off of their family land, and how everything is for sale to the highest bidder.
The story of the Hawaiian islands is a story of horrible abuse by government, missionaries, big business, and foreign outsiders destroying a set of islands for their own enrichment.
I can not recommend this book enough. The author Mark Panek, doesn't just tell this story well, he becomes part of it, and because he such a great writer, the reader feels they too are intimately part of what is unfolding.

Balladolbine

Mark Panek’s Big Happiness tells the true story of Hawaiian sumo wrestler Percy Kipapa and his tragic murder on May 16, 2005. On the surface, the investigative journalism narrative reads as a mystery, a meditation on what it means to be a modern Hawaiian, and a commentary on the ice epidemic and the tangled Yakuza-Hawaii webs of commerce, money, and prestige. It’s compelling and raw. Knowing one of the key characters personally, I found it both hard to read and tough to put down. For anyone wanting an insider’s view of sumo wrestling or the life of local boys in Hawaii, this book is a must read. Compelling, real, and full of heart and tragedy, it’s a story of sacrifice, privileges of race and class, and the devastating effects of ice and all the vested interests in keeping the status quo.

JoldGold

Epic in scope, but also deeply personal, this book is about the death of a man named Percy Kipapa, or as he was known in the world of Sumo, Big Happiness. It is a tragedy on many levels, but a story worth reading not only to get a glimpse into the life of a popular Sumo wrestler, but to see in vivid detail the entire web of circumstances that led to his violent death. What might appear on the surface as a simple "open and shut" case, is actually something a lot more complex.

Mark Panek brings together the world of Sumo, the local Hawaiian family, relentless land development, the crystal meth epidemic, Hawaiian politics and corruption, Japanese organized crime, and even the questionable tactics of a popular bounty hunter, showing how every single one of these things are connected to Percy and his tragic death. Even though it is a work of nonfiction, the book reads like a well-crafted novel. From Percy's rise in the world of Sumo, to the struggle of the community to deal with the drug problem that has invaded their lives, to the dramatic trial of his murderer, the story feels as captivating and larger-than-life as fiction. I was never bored, not even during the parts of the book that deal with the political scene in Hawaii (something that would usually interest me very little). Why? Because the author makes the reader feel that the decisions of distant politicians and rich land developers are affecting real live people. They certainly affected Percy. And that is, to me, the real triumph of the book: it ties every thread of society to the life and death of a single precious human being, and makes you feel that all of it matters.

Final Grade: A

Arthunter

So many different thoughts coursing through my mind after finishing the book. It's expertly written and the topic and protagonist are worthy subjects. I read the prior reviews and felt I might not "get it" since I didn't grow up in Hawaii. That was not the case. This could be about a young man (football star) from Nebraska or California with similar plot lines and conclusion. The writer does an excellent job framing Percy's life -his personality, the gift and cross of being a Hawaiin and the life of a sumo. So what's wrong with the story? Nothing really, it's a modern day Greek tragedy. Who failed Percy? Was it the community, his family, the Federal government, the State of Hawaii, politicians, the writer? Unfortunately, the answer is yes to all of the above. We all failed Percy including Percy himself. I guess that's why I give it four stars (4 1/2 really). I'm so bummed at the end that I can't give it five. The "justice" is no consolation.

Galanjov

This book hit home as the murder took place right down the street from where I live. My son and in fact all my children and the children that were raised by us and our friends all knew Percy and even Meheula. I couldn't put the book down. I read it in a matter of days. Now I am going to order some hard copies as my nieces and nephews want to read it! Oahu is really a small island and if you meet someone from another part of the island from where you live, you can find people in common you know or even are related to!

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