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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
adventurous
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Non fiction historical account of the KonTiki expedition. A bit dated but appropriate for the time it was written
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
An interesting idea and a harrowing adventure story in which we follow a Norwegian biologist who has the ballsy idea to build a seaworthy raft and sail it over 4,000 miles in the Pacific, in order to prove that the Polynesian islands were settled by South Americans. Further research and DNA studies have since proven this theory to be false, (I highly suggest doing further research on this topic and not taking what’s written in this book as fact, cause it definitely isn’t). While an entertaining read, I have too many issues with this book to rate it any higher than 2 stars.
First, I was super uncomfortable with the author’s racist depictions of indigenous peoples in both his descriptions of Peruvians and Polynesians and his insistence on his theory of a white race of red bearded men spreading knowledge and wisdom to the ignorant South Americans and Pacific Islanders. Because of course it’s impossible for ancient indigenous peoples to be smart enough to develop civilizations, build seafaring crafts or have the technical skills to navigate without the intervention of the all knowing white man. Ugh!!
Also, indiscriminately killing sharks and spearing sea life just for the hell of it does not make me like you as a person. In fact it makes me want to smack you and root for you to fall overboard so the shark can get its comeuppance. Mind you they weren’t killing sharks for survival, they had plenty of food, and fish literally threw themselves on board their raft. This seemed more like cruel sport rather than stemming from any sort of need.
Basically, I’m just tired of white men thinking that ancient indigenous civilizations couldn’t possibly have developed on their own without outside assistance, whether that’s red bearded white dudes or alien’s with a passion for building pyramids.
First, I was super uncomfortable with the author’s racist depictions of indigenous peoples in both his descriptions of Peruvians and Polynesians and his insistence on his theory of a white race of red bearded men spreading knowledge and wisdom to the ignorant South Americans and Pacific Islanders. Because of course it’s impossible for ancient indigenous peoples to be smart enough to develop civilizations, build seafaring crafts or have the technical skills to navigate without the intervention of the all knowing white man. Ugh!!
Also, indiscriminately killing sharks and spearing sea life just for the hell of it does not make me like you as a person. In fact it makes me want to smack you and root for you to fall overboard so the shark can get its comeuppance. Mind you they weren’t killing sharks for survival, they had plenty of food, and fish literally threw themselves on board their raft. This seemed more like cruel sport rather than stemming from any sort of need.
Basically, I’m just tired of white men thinking that ancient indigenous civilizations couldn’t possibly have developed on their own without outside assistance, whether that’s red bearded white dudes or alien’s with a passion for building pyramids.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
adventurous
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
adventurous
informative
fast-paced