Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining and educational
Review: It does not happen often that a new facet of American pop culture that has not been recognized before gets discovered. With his Book of Tiki Sven Kirsten succeeds in establishing a style that has been overlooked by art critics and historians alike. Through an amazing amount of visuals Kirsten proves how Tiki in it's heyday influenced every walk of American life, from architecture, design and graphics to food and drink.In addition to the rich imagery (which affords the viewer an almost physical experience of the phenomenon) Kirsten's writing traces back the origins of the style to the Western fascination with Polynesia and, without becoming too analytical and dry, enlightens the reader on the motives for this escapism.
The chronicler's ironic enthusiasm for his subject saves him from becoming judgmental and falling for easy, politically correct conclusions.
We are guided through the history of Polynesia as an eternal metaphor for an earthly Eden up to the point where Americans fell in love with this vision.
Here Kirsten conveys how the post-war need for more moral freedom coincided with the tales of Pacific war theater veterans and the 50s idealization of Hawaii as a dream vacation destination.
In taking the guise of an urban archeologist who (as is done in classic archeology) discovers a lost culture through it's objects and artifacts, Kirsten accomplishes to throw light on a fascinating chapter of American pop that has so far lingered in obscurity.
Rating:
Summary: More Tiki Than You Can Shake A Torch At
Review: Like all Taschen books, this book is visually STUNNING! Just leafing through the pictures never gets boring. The real treat is the book is also jam packed facts, folklore, drink recipies, and so much more. More information about Tiki than I ever knew existed. Plenty of eye-candy in this book, but very well balanced with informative and fun content. A must have for the Tiki enthusiast!
Rating:
Summary: More Tiki Than You Can Shake A Torch At
Review: Like all Taschen books, this book is visually STUNNING! Just leafing through the pictures never gets boring. The real treat is the book is also jam packed facts, folklore, drink recipies, and so much more. More information about Tiki than I ever knew existed. Plenty of eye-candy in this book, but very well balanced with informative and fun content. A must have for the Tiki enthusiast!
Rating:
Summary: Aloha!
Review: My hat is off to Sven A. Kirsten. An amazing amount of work has gone into researching and compiling this book. The result is truly spectacular. The book of Tiki is bright, colorful, entertaining and mine of polynesian pop information. A must for any armchair archeologist.
Rating:
Summary: GET IT- PERIOD.
Review: Sven "Tiki" Kirsten has written the tiki bible. Nothing else compares to this encyclopedia of all that is TIKI. I recommend buying TWO!
Rating:
Summary: a moment of American history frozen in time...
Review: Sven Kirsten's "Book of Tiki" is the first (and I hope not last) serious exploration of American "Tiki" culture. The sheer number of beautiful photographs and Tiki material culture contained here is mind-boggling. A must-have for any Tiki enthusiast, or even if you just love a good Mai-Tai.
Rating:
Summary: The book we've been waiting for
Review: Sven's "The Book of Tiki" is by far the most comprehensive book on the subject of Polynesian pop ever written. It is lavishly illustrated with examples of "modern artifacts" from a time many of us did not, and if not for this book, would not get to see. If you like Tikis, you'll love this book, if you love Tikis, then this is the book you have been waiting for.
Rating:
Summary: Exceeded My Expectations
Review: The Book of Tiki is excellent: jam-packed with pages and pages of drool-worthy photos and amazing graphics, not to mention the painstakingly researched text. The definitive textbook on Tiki culture and a most satisfying purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous excursion into the world of Tiki
Review: The Book of Tiki is probably the best coffee table book ever put together- if your coffee table is made out of Koa Wood and is stained from Mai Tai mix! Beautiful color photos spill off the pages and insightful, humorous text accompany the eye feast. This is a must have for purveyors of kitsch and the lost art of Tiki. It will inspire you to take up the hobby of "Cultural Archaeology" and to save the Tiki from the brink of extinction!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book on Tiki, though a bit artsy
Review: This book is a must have for anyone interested in Tiki or kitsch art. Describing themselves as "urban archaeologists" seeking remnants of Tiki culture, the authors provide a fun and informative look at this vanishing art form. The book does an acceptable job presenting the evolutionary history of Tiki, from the 1920s to the present. Key events, such as the establishment of Trader Vic's, and the Kon Tiki craze of the late 40s, are looked at in further detail. There is also a good look at the "artifacts" of Tiki art and architecture throughout the United States. The book is packed with color photos of Tiki mugs, matchbooks, buildings, and much more. However, the book does lean a bit too much towards making the book eye candy. The Book of Tiki uses intense colors, and ultra-hip page compositions that make it difficult to read (typically Taschen, but I still found it distracting). Also, a consolidation of information would have made it easier to reference, such as a table differentiating the different "Trader" Tiki businesses. Also, some of the text ("Exotica and the Tiki style were denounced as contrived rituals of the imperialist establishment at the same time that the Vietnam war developed into and ugly mistake, with native huts and palm trees burning on TV."), had me wondering if they were being tounge-in-cheek, or were actually serious. Nevertheless, this book is the current bible for Tiki aficionados, and is well worth having on your bookshelf.
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