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| Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific in a Raft | 
 enlarge | Author: Thor Heyerdahl
Publisher: Pocket
Category: Book
List Price: $5.99
Buy New: $0.01
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (58 reviews)
Sales Rank: 93973
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 4.1 x 1
ISBN: 0671726528
Dewey Decimal Number: 910.09164
EAN: 9780671726522
ASIN: 0671726528
Publication Date: May 1, 1990
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Rightful classic December 5, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is an excellent morale boosting story for anyone with a wacky idea that just won't quit, and has been dying their whole life to say "Ha, I told you so!". It's also a great travel epic complete with the quirky locals, the gadget guru, and a group of men willing to risk their lives for an ultimate adventure.
Parts of the book did read like a 1960's documentary. I could almost envision the "exciting world of color" technicolor intro and Thor narrating over the action. But I think it all adds to the ambiance of the book. It makes you realize in days before GPS and sattellite radios how crazy this band of pioneers really were. Also Thor doesn't really get into the emotional implications of first signing on to the expedition, then being at sea with a handful of men for three months. Instead he spiced up the day to day desciptions with detail about sea life and what the crew did to entertain themselves. I would have imagined the trip to be much more monotonous and morale killing then he makes it out to be, but it definitly makes a much more exciting read.
I woudl recommend this book to any travel book lover. It a classic of it's genre and a must read.
 Remarkable October 11, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book was an incredible gripping tale of Thor Heyerdahl's adventurous travel to Polynesia to prove that such travel was possilbe years ago. Thor Heyerdahl was not only an entertaining writer but an avid adventurer. He writes in a way that allows you to take the journey with him on the balsa raft that he uses with six others to travel from Peru to Polynesia. He definitely proved his point.
Riveting Trans-Pacific Adventure! September 10, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is one of the few books I could not put down.
How did people populate the polynesian islands way out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? Can a balsa wood raft built today survive the journey? Can large enough balsa trees be found to create the raft of the past? Can they accurately recreate a raft like the once used so long ago? Can they recreate the ancient navigation techniques? Can they crash land on a reef while blazing in the equatorial current?
This book takes you though the whole great adventure. Join Heyerdahl and his mates - build the raft, smell the sea, feel the mist, dine one abundant free fish and marvel over the glorious glowing kingdom below!
Awesome Adventure August 31, 2006
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I read this book and its companion book, "The RA Expeditions" several years ago and enjoyed them both very much. They are both true adventures of expeditions that were conducted to prove that travel over long ocean distances could have been accomplished on raft type vessels. Very interesting reading and brings in some interesting ideas as to how some of the islands came to be inhabited. The author shares some of the most amazing experiances that he and his group encountered in the preparation stages and then the actual voyage.
Timeless Adventure June 5, 2006
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I finished this book a few months after Heyerdahl's grandson completed his own Kon-Tiki adventure taking the path of his grandfather from Peru to the South Sea Islands on a balsa wood raft. Will a book be the result of this most recent Heyerdahl excursion? Time will tell.
It will be hard, however, for the younger Heyerdahl to top his elder's classic saga. This is a wonderfully clear read for all ages and a self-portrait of a good, decent, brave man who did something because he knew it could be done.
The highlights for me are the descriptions of the marine life Heyerdahl and his five compatriots encounter on their trip, including the massive blue shark whale, the dolphins, and the playful flying fish. The "homecoming," in which the six Scandinavians are welcomed by the Polynesian people in an elaborate ceremony, is also delightful and a wonderful way to conclude the adventure.
KON-TIKI deserves its classic status and should be read by anyone looking to see how resillient the human spirit (and body, for that matter) really is.
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