Book Review . . .

Men on a Raft

Thinking of taking a luxury trip by air or steamer? Why bother?—much better to go on a raft, and cheaper, too! If you haven't been on that adventure with Kon-Tiki and Thor Hyerdahl, you should go at once.

The supreme quality of "Kon-Tiki" is that it includes you. While you are reading it the room becomes a bamboo cabin, and you are under the guidance of "Kon-Tiki," the god of the sun, tossing about on the Pacific, with unknown fish in your bed. You haul in sharks by their tails, and greet your other fishy friends from your observation basket.

The writer and originator of the expedition is a scientist studying ethnology, and is specially interested in the problem of the origin of the Polynesians. He does not forget that many of his readers are interested in his observations from scientists' point of view. At the same time his story is so alive with adventure that on one, however much or little they know about his subject, can resist its appeal.

"Kon-Tiki and I," written by another member of the party, Erik Hesselberg, is entirely different. This picture story book is personal, which perhaps endears it to us even more than Kon-Tiki. It changes with the moment, to give us comments on the gravest situations, and light-hearted chatter, with a good laugh over a Hula dance.

I would not recommend "Kon-Tiki and I" for those who have not read Kon-Tiki; it is more a book to keep and bring down to revive memories of your trip across the Pacific.

As for the scientific side—I have not attempted to deal with it here it deserves a full volume, and will get it when Thor Hyerdahl's book on it comes along. Meanwhile, hurry to Peru.