From the book shelf: recent how-to releases:

FEATHER LEI AS AN ART (REVISED EDITION) BY MARY LOUISE KALEONAHENAHE KEKUEWA AND PAULETTE NOHEALANI KAHALEPUNA, WITH KAREN A. EDLEFSEN, MUTUAL PUBLISHING, PAPER, $15.95

Among many Islanders' most treasured possessions is a lei hulu for their papale — a feather lei band for their hat. This book, by a mother and daughter widely recognized as "the feather ladies" (with Karen Edlefsen, a student of feather lei-making and an expert in technical writing), is a revised edition of the 1976 classic. It begins, as any Hawaiian endeavor does, with acknowledgement of the kupuna — including Auntie Mary Lou's teacher, the late Leilani O. Fernandez, as well as the ancestors who were recognized as having taken this traditional Polynesian art to great heights before contact. It carries on in Hawaiian cultural fashion with an explanation of the custom of praying before beginning featherwork, and then gets practical, examining the two primary types of feather lei work (traditional and contemporary), describing supplies and types of feathers, preparation techniques, lei-making procedures and how to store and clean feather lei. Photographs aid the student throughout and there's even a form at the back for ordering lei supplies. (Available in local bookstores.)

HAWAIIAN LOMILOMI: BIG ISLAND MASSAGE BY NANCY S. KAHALEWAI, IM PUBLISHING, PAPER, $18.95

Nancy Kahalewai is a licensed massage therapist and longtime teacher who has lived in Hawai'i more than 30 years. She brings to this work both an analytical and intellectual understanding of manipulation and anatomy, and a respectful and intuitive knowledge of the very right-brain art of Hawaiian massage, called lomilomi. While respectfully acknowledging that lomi was never a textbook affair, and that many teachers chose not to advertise or share beyond a chosen circle, the goal of this revised second edition is to document lomi as it has been passed on and is being practiced today. The author introduces the elements of lomilomi — massage, cleansing, ho'oponopono (putting things right through talking circles), la'au lapa'au (herbal medicine) and pule (prayer) — and describes the process of "touch with love." The chapter that includes "talk story" sessions with 10 lomilomi elders, including the legendary Auntie Mary Machado, Hilo's Auntie Mary Fragas and the late Papa Henry Auwae, is alone worth the price of the book. (Available in local bookstores, on amazon.com or at www.islandmoonlight.com.)

THE WRITER'S BOOK OF WISDOM, 101 RULES FOR MASTERING YOUR CRAFT BY STEVEN TAYLOR GOLDSBERRY, WRITERS DIGEST, HARDBACK, $19.99

Writer and University of Hawai'i English professor Steven Goldsberry here shares his collected wisdom in 101 compact essays on three broad topics: "approach" (adopting a writerly frame of mind), language and craft. Goldsberry, author of the classic "Maui the Demigod," follows his own advice (Rule No. 45, "Be brief."; Rule No. 55, "Write like you talk.") and suffuses the text with humor (Rule No. 17 "Stop reading this book. Write.") and empathy (when he advises you to "Get used to despair" in Rule No. 6, you know he is applying the all-important rule about writing what you know). Though he is writing for people who probably have heard all of this before, he knows how much we need to be reminded, and how refreshing it can be to encounter the familiar in a different form — in this case, packaged in splashy graphics and ruthlessly edited down to the essence. Thanks, Steve, I needed that. (Available in local bookstores.)

HAND BUILT CERAMICS: BASICS AND PROJECTS, WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY RAMONA YOUNG, DORRANCE, PAPER, $10

Ramona Young, who trained as an artist and teacher, is the founder, with her son, Dean, of the Ceramic Hobbyist, Hawai'i's largest ceramics outlet, offering classes and supplies. While you'll still need a lot of help to actually become a ceramicist — having a place in which to throw pots and access to a kiln in which to fire them — this magazine-size book with its step-by-step directions and simple sketches can give you an idea of what you're getting into and a head start on trying your hand at this pursuit that is craft and art. (Available at the Ceramic Hobbyist, 1204 Kona St., Honolulu.)