Aku-Aku: The Secret of Easter Island by Thor Heyerdahl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the critically acclaimed author of Kon Tiki, Thor Heyerdahl presents Aku-Aku, the Secret of Easter Island. The book describes Thor Heyerdahl’s research at Rano Raraku & Anakena on their many giant stone statues. The book and later film, made a major contribution to awareness, outside anthropological & archeological communities, of both the island & the statues.

Heyerdahl is most controversially associated with an attempt to revive the theory that the islanders’ stone carving technology came from S. America. He argued that as well as being settled by Polynesians, Easter Island was settled by people from Peru.
“Aku-aku” refers to moving a tall, flat bottomed object by swiveling it alternatively on its corners in a walking fashion. Heyerdahl theorised the Easter Island Moai (statues) were moved in this fashion, & tested this on a small Moai–tho the test was abandoned after the Moai’s base was damaged. He also asserts that for the islanders, Aku Aku means a “spiritual guide.”

Awesome book! Interesting for people who want to read more about Easter Island, but also for people who just enjoy a good read. It’s funny, exciting and even a bit scary at times. Thor Heyerdahl was a great story teller and, apart from some of Bill Bryson’s books, I’ve never read such a fun book about history and travelling!