While largely unscientific, Heyerdahl's hypothesis and the practical exploratative nature of his research appeals to the popular mind, and the popularity of the book has swept criticism about its scientific premises or verity aside. Probably the documentary film of the expedition in 1951 greatly contributed to the popularization of the book.

Across the Pacific in a Raft has achieved the status of a classic. Looking back acrross the years to its first publication, nearly 70 years ago, Kon-Tiki. It includes a foreword by the author, a selection of critical excerpts, notes, an index, and a unique visual essay of the voyage. This edition of Kon-Tiki has been prepared by an editorial committee headed by Harry Shefter, professor of English at New York University. Washington Square Press' Enriched Classics present the great works of world literature enhanced for the contemporary reader. Translated into sixty-five languages, Kon-Tiki is a classic, inspiring tale of daring and courage - a magnificent saga of men against the sea. After three months on the open sea, encountering raging storms, whales, and sharks, they sighted land - the Polynesian island of Puka Puka. On April 28, 1947, Heyerdahl and five other adventurers sailed from Peru on a balsa log raft. He decided to prove his theory by duplicating the legendary voyage. Intrigued by Polynesian folklore, biologist Thor Heyerdahl suspected that the South Sea Islands had been settled by an ancient race from thousands of miles to the east, led by a mythical hero, Kon-Tiki. Kon-Tiki is the record of an astonishing adventure - a journey of 4,300 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean by raft. Now a major motion picture, Kon-Tiki is the record of Thor Heyerdahl’s astonishing three-month voyage across the Pacific.

Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl