Product Description
A myth-shattering study of the enigmatic Easter Island civilization uses new archeological evidence to unlock the mysteries of the island's massive effigies and its bizarre ""birdman"" cult. By the author of Images of the Ice Age.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 6 reviews)

Reviewer: A reader

Reviewer: A reader
I have to disagree with the previous reviewer about the debunking of Heyerdahl being "excessive". The debunking is limited to only one or two chapters. For readers like me who have read Heyerdahl, this debunking was important because of the attractive neatness of Heyerdahl's theories as he had presented them.

The book is very well organized, with a good selection of photographs and diagrams.

The book's title and the previous review may give the impression that the book is primarily about environmental lessons we can learn from what happened to Easter Island, but in fact it is the best introduction to Easter Island studies that I have seen.

Only the final chapter is about lessons for humanity. The authors' arguments here are elevated by their citing of the well-known Club of Rome study on the Limits to Growth. All of its predictions for the 1990s did actually come true. A fact that is very clear to anyone who has read the actual report. The people of Easter Island flourished and lived well up to the very end when the crash finally hit from their overusing the island's resources. A sad tale, and now a sad history for an interesting vacation spot.
November 30, 2004

The Ravagaing of Rapa Nui

Helped me understand the wider implications of the civilisation's actions in their little microcosm.

Demystifies and explains the rise and fall of the once great (albeit small) Rapa Nui community that once inhabited Easter Island by explaining, through forensic and historical research, the destruction they reaped on themselves.
October 03, 2004

A complete treatise on Easter Island

This fine book is the most complete treatise on Easter Island available. It covers all the island's most fascinating aspects, including its geological history, the question of the origin of the Rapa Nui people, flora and fauna, and of course, most importantly, the archeological remains. The writers illustrate how a complex interplay between the natural environment and human behaviour created the island's unusual prehistory, including the demise of the statue cult. Although there are still many unanswered questions about the moai (giant statues) this book gives the qualified answers or at least suggestions as to how these things came to be. It wisely leaves behind all sorts of pseudo-scientific theories and bases its discussion on real archeological evidence, of which there today exists a substantial amount. The only unfortunate thing about the book is the slightly misleading title.
August 27, 2003

THE BOOK on Easter Island

You would think from the title that this is book is actually a flaming, guilt-ridden treatise on environmentalism. But such is not the case. It is in reality a well balanced handling of all aspects of Easter Island. Yes, Thor Heyerdahl and his theories are covered but so is going on vacation there and where to stay. If there is something you would like to know about Easter Island, this book probably covers it in a most readable fashion.
July 30, 2002

If you read only one book on Easter Island, make it this one

I have to disagree with the previous reviewer about the debunking of Heyerdahl being "excessive". The debunking is limited to only one or two chapters. For readers like me who have read Heyerdahl, this debunking was important because of the attractive neatness of Heyerdahl's theories as he had presented them.

The book is very well organized, with a good selection of photographs and diagrams.

The book's title and the previous review may give the impression that the book is primarily about environmental lessons we can learn from what happened to Easter Island, but in fact it is the best introduction to Easter Island studies that I have seen.

Only the final chapter is about lessons for humanity. The authors' arguments here are diminished by their citing of the well-known Club of Rome study on the Limits to Growth. None of its predictions for the 1990s came true, and this should have been clear by 1992, the year of this book's publication. The authors make no mention of that inconvenient fact.
December 07, 1999

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