The humor of Bryson's book, an account of an unathletic amateur attempting to hike the AT, is a welcome relief from the clannishness and superiority that distinguishes the modern cults of extreme athletic performance (and much of modern athletic writing). Some of the critics of Bryson's book have fixated on the fact that he did not finish the trail. Their petty outrage and derision only reinforce, in my mind, a concluding thought of Bryson's: numbers are a poor tool for measuring human experience. Besides, and perhaps more importantly, Bryson remains one of the very few authors able to write about bodily functions in such a self-deprecating and unusual fashion that I cannot help but laugh out loud. A quick and entertaining read.

I enjoy Mr. Bryson's craft of writing. His description of the trail, and his attempt at walking it capture the imagination. Never mind that he doesn't finish the trail; it's his story of his attempt. The descriptions are vivid. It's an inspirational read, and reignites my love of hiking and makes me want to attempt a long, put-off goal of x-country skiing a hut trip! My complaint is his constant snide remarks about his walking partner, others on the trail, the towns he visits, the simpletons who inhabit the towns,and government agencies who oversee the trails and make decisions for towns. It gets old and sounds a bit whiney and snide after awhile.

This is the first book by Bryson I picked up and I could hardly put it down before finishing it. It flows very well, is full of historical facts and great imagery of Bryson's journey along the AT.

I loved this book but I'll be darned if there wasn't at least one mistake in the translation to the kindle version every few pages. One or two misplaced commas I can deal with but not the thirty+ mistakes that I alone found. It became distracting after awhile and it is obvious no one proofreads these Kindle versions before they are uploaded for folks to buy.

C'mon Amazon, if you want this Kindle thing to succeed, you're going to have to at least give these things a once-over.

Otherwise, loved the book. Great story and appreciated the author's humour.

This guy is a looser! I applaud him for "attempting" the AT trail, but come on! He did not do even half of it. This book is for people who will never venture down a trail of any kind! I have done my fair share of mountaineering and hiking; I would never fathom writing about my failed attempt to "walk" a trail. If I was getting paid to "hike" something like the AT trail, I sure in the hell would finish it.

The only funny part for me was Mary Ellen! The more I read the more I agree with her opinion. She met the guy? As far as Kat, I like this guy. He seems to be a good guy that went out of his element to try something new!

Conclusion: Publisher should get their money back, Bill should have to go walk the whole trail over start to finish and he should have to do it with Mary Ellen!

Save your money & time.

Other recommendation: "No short cut's to the top" by Ed Viestures Great read, just makes you feel great about life!

No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks

Some things we never seem to learn, like judging a book by its cover. In this instance, the cover of "A Walk In The Woods" looks inviting enough, even exciting, with the picture of a bear staring you down.

False advertising.

If "A Walk In The Woods" had been a TV show, it would have been named Seinfeld, but without the humor, because it is truly a book about nothing. Two guys decide to walk the Appalachian Train for different reasons. However, they don't actually hike together, they don't meet a lot of compelling other people and they never see a bear, or a bobcat either. Huh?

Instead, the reader is subjected to lengthy prose about the stark glories and occasional majesty of the AT, the shelter accommodations for hikers, or lack thereof, and a pile of pages filled with administrivia about the history of the trail.

Yikes! Our reluctant heroes did not even reach their destination, or come close ("a detail").

So, what did we learn from this reading experience? Not much, although it did addle my brain in regard to my neighbor who has contracted every conceivable disease, some very serious, in his pursuit of walking sections of the AT. But, he has probably already read this book and given it a 5 star rating.

I will admit right off the bat to being a big Bill Bryson fan. My only disappointment when it comes to him is that he hasn't written more. I am trying to catch up on some of his previous works so I read a walk in the woods. Needless to say you will not be disappointed by this work. Bryson does a great job of telling the story of his own adventure along the Appalachian Trail while also finding time to mix in stories of the trail's history and peripheral events along the trail, without getting sidetracked or lost on some tangent.

The writing is clear and clever and full of loads of interesting facts and phrases that make Bill Bryson such a joy to read. This book is ideal, not just for those who enjoy reading about the Appalachian Trail but also for those who enjoy reading good writing and witty literature.

Wonderful read. I read this book almost 10 years ago and there is still one line that comes to mind as if I had just set the book down today. I loved it!

I picked up this book at the library because I heard it was good. I did finish the whole book but do not understand why anyone would want to waste their time and money reading about a quitter. It must have been nice to hike the AT, quit, and still make a ton of money. The book is only mildly funny and if you want to read a book about a real pilgrimage about finding ones self you should read WALKING HOME by KELLY WINTERS.

This book starts off on a very humorous note, but runs the gamut from serious travelougue to real, scary adventure. The narrative of the author's attempt to walk the whole Appalachian trail in a summer are interspersed with good information of the history and geology of the trail and the towns near it. It includes the nitty gritty details of how he chose his camping equipment and the pleasures of a hot shower after a long stretch on the trail, and a near disaster when his hiking partner leaves the trail. The personal side of his relationship with his walking partner is particularly touching at the end. I good light read.

My entire family - adults and teenagers, thoroughly enjoyed this book. We even took us with it when we went back east and my daughter INSISTED that we find a portion of the AT so that we could get a feel for the trail. We found it in PA and walked it for about an hour. Bill, thanks for sharing all of your adventures!

My entire family - adults and teenagers, thoroughly enjoyed this book. We even took us with it when we went back east and my daughter INSISTED that we find a portion of the AT so that we could get a feel for the trail. We found it in PA and walked it for about an hour. Bill, thanks for sharing all of your adventures!

Loved the book. And it reads really fast and funny!! Being a resident and hiker in western NC, I was disappointed that they skipped all of my area, which I think is the best and most beautiful part of the AT that I have seen. But having hiked many pieces of the AT, I surely can relate to his experiences.

A Walk in the Woods

On a recent trip to my local bookstore, the cover of this bright green paperback caught my attention. Or maybe it was the bear peering out at me. I'm not sure. I'm a frequent hiker myself, and have always dreamed of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, so reading the description for this book immediately peaked my interest.

I was not disappointed. With the book, that is. It was everything the back reviews said it would be--Bryson finds comic wit to expend on every situation. His hiking partner, Katz, had some one-liners that made me laugh out loud, if not cringe a bit at their social meanness. And I appreciated reading the story of a hiker who did not head out into the woods with a Bear Grylls level of fitness and training. Having hiked myself, I know the bone-weariness and utter despair that sometimes can come over you when you've just climbed an impossible hill to discover...another impossible hill. Bryson both loves and hates the woods and the trail and I think that's a pretty honest response to the wilderness. There's nowhere I'd rather ever be than out in the deep, green woods on a cool day. Or even a hot day or the cold, grey-brown of winter. But that doesn't mean the woods don't sometimes feel like they're crushing the life out of you. And, having not been a thru-hiker, I've never even had to do it with a 50-pound pack on!

I also appreciated that the book was sprinkled with short bits relating some of the history or botany of the trail. That is to say, I liked the facts, but sometimes rankled a bit at the preachiness. Bryson goes on at length about the loss of some species of tree, like the famous American chestnut. It's easy to be sad for the loss of the chestnut. One stupid asian fungus and the entire species of tree is wiped out! And while it's unquestionably human error that led to the fungus being transported here and killing off the species, there is an argument for Darwinism to be made here. Humans are not the only creatures who transport pollen, seeds, microbes, etc. from one part of the world to another. Birds do this, hurricanes do it, tsunamis certainly do it, even volcanic eruptions can cause massive shifts in atmospheric streams, raining foreign particles onto lands. In other words, if one tiny fungus was all it took to knock out an entire species, then that species, possibly, was just not strong enough to survive the brutality of the natural world. It was too cloistered for too long, and when it died off, it made room in the forests for hardier trees that could withstand the punishment. This is the way of it. In other words, had humans stepped in and genetically altered the chestnut or found a way to spray it with something that protected it from the fungus--well, what is really the unnatural occurrence here? What newer, cooler tree did we possibly prevent from evolving because we prodded the chestnut along beyond its natural lifespan? I mean, that's not to say that letting the tree die off was the "correct" course either. The point is there are arguments for right and wrong on both sides, so couching the "facts" that Bryson presents with such an air of superiority turned me off a bit from that aspect of the book.

The only other part that I found a tiny bit disappointing is that he doesn't, in fact, wind up hiking the trail. In fact, he only does about a third of it. Walking 800+ miles in one summer is no small feat, but I was kind of routing for him to really get out there and conquer the path.

In the end, I wound up finishing this book in two days. For a story about one, long walk through the woods, it's never once boring or repetitive. There is always a new interesting anecdote or, even better, funny character that Bryson meets along the way. This is a must-read for anyone who loves to hike, or thinks they may. One thing is for sure, reading it makes me want to hoist on my pack and head out for the nearest woods I can find.

Ive not read anything by Bill Bryson before so I had no idea what to expect. I'm one of those who has always wanted to do the AT but from the comfort of my couch so this gave me a flavor of what I was missing! Two middle-aged out of shape men trying to prove to themselves that they're otherwise by trying to go the distance. The pace of the book moved along well with some interesting educational facts thrown in to put things in perspective. However, I felt the ending lacked the same punch the rest of the book had and not because they failed to meet their goal. Seemed like he ran out of things to say. Still, all in all this was an enjoyable read.

Overall this was a very interesting book that I enjoyed reading. Off color language scattered throughout book though. Too bad that was not left out.

I bought this book as a replacement for a lost borrowed book. I had started reading it in Phoenix when I lost it. But the few pages I read there prompted me to buy this book from Amazon when I returned home. (And yes, I did return the new book to the lender.)

There are 2 parts to this book. Part 1 is awesome! It is a great story of 2 men hiking part of the Appalachian Trail and the ups and downs they had doing it. It's funny, witty and well written. Part 2 however lags a bit. The author drives part of the trail and walk parts of it in day trips, not nearly as exciting as part 1. The only thing in my opinion that save part 2 is the history and facts the author talks about. Especially about Pennsylvania and the Delaware Water Gap. Overall I gave it 4 stars. It could have been so much better if he hiked the whole thing, but overall was still a very good read.

Heard A WALK IN THE WOODS, written and read by Bill Bryson

It is the true tale of the author's attempt to walk the 2,100 Appalachian
Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine . . . although he ultimately
was not successful in completing the entire AT (as it is called), it wasn't
for lack of trying.

You'll find yourself actually laughing out loud at much of his
account . . . also, you'll shake your head in disbelief about his
having to deal with his walking companion: an out-of-shape
Stephen Katz who thinks nothing of discarding provisions in
order to lighten his backpack.

In addition, Bryson makes history come alive as he describes
the evolution of the trail . . . he further makes you appreciate
the need to maintain such areas and in doing so, takes
the National Park Service to task for not doing enough.

Much of the writing is brilliant, such as this passage describing what
it feels like when you've finally reached one of your goals:
* When, after ages and ages, you finally reach the tell-tale world
of truly high ground, where the chilled air smells of pine sap and
the vegetation is gnarled and tough and wind-bent, and push through
to the mountain's open pinnacle, you are, alas, past caring. You sprawl
face down on a sloping pavement of granite, pressed to the rock by the
weight of your pack, and lie there for some minutes, reflecting in a
distant, out-of-body way that you have never before looked this closely
at lichen, not in fact looked this closely at anything in the natural world
since you were four years old and had your first magnifying glass. Finally,
with a weary puff, you roll over, unhook yourself from your pack, struggle
to your feet and realize--this is the barest fraction of what you will traverse
before you've finished.

Bryson's use of dialogue was equally impressive, as evidenced by this
hilarious account of what happened when Bryson and Katz had their first
encounter with a bear:
* "Have you get anything sharp at all?"

He thought for a moment. "Nail clippers."

I made a despairing face. "Anything a little more vicious than that?
Because, you see, there is definitely something out here."

"It's probably just a skunk."

"Then it's one big skunk. Its eyes are three feet off the ground."

"A deer then."

I nervously threw a stick at the animal, and it didn't move, whatever
it was. A deer would have bolted. This thing just blinked once and
kept staring.

I reported this to Katz.

"Probably a buck. They're not so timid. Try shouting at it."

I cautiously shouted at it: "Hey! You there! Scat!" The creature blinked
again, singularly unmoved. "You shout," I said.

"Oh, you brute, go away, do!" Katz shouted in merciless imitation. "Please
withdraw at once, you horrid creature."

"F*ck you," I said and lugged my tent right over to his. I didn't know what
this would achieve exactly, but it brought me a tiny measure of comfort
to be nearer to him.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm moving my tent."

"Oh, good plan. That'll really confuse it."

Reading A WALK IN THE WOODS will motivate any past, present
or future hiker to check out the AT . . . as for me, I think I'll take a
pass . . . yet I will commend you, if you give it a try, and I'll look
forward to reading about your efforts as I bask in the comforts of home.

A laugh-out loud tale of Bill Bryson as he hikes the Appalachian Trail. This was one of my first adult-type books my mom let me read. A hiker myself, I have read this book three times and it never fails to amuse me. The experiences listed are realistic for hiking on the AT, and Bryson's unique writing style as, in all of his books, never lets the reader down.

This is not a how-to hike the Appalachian Trail book. This not a serious hikers diary of thru hiking the whole AT either. I'm not even sure it's nonfiction. It was historically informative in spots and funny in spots.
Ecology info was shocking. Yes humans are destroying the world. That's an undisputable fact. I know you don't want to hear it. Neither do I, which is why I had to stop subscribing to National Geographic, Audubon, Outside...
I still give to National Wildlife and Nature Conservancy but I don't dare read the mags. Too depressing. So I understand not wanting to hear about the bad things: but you can't condemn the book for that.
The first four chapters are good. After that its spotty. As for the actual hike I'm not sure I believe it all happened.

I've done a fair amount of backpacking since 1967 (most all Yosemite, parts of Pacific Crest Trail-oregon, Trinity Alps Wilderness, Marble Mts.etc..
So I took Stephen Katz right away as Bryson's IMAGINARY travelling companion, and a lot of the situations and people as made up. No one tosses equipment or food. I've never seen it anyway. You don't live off of snickers bars and all the garbage they supposedly took with them. Of course maybe the east coast hiker is different.

Hiking can be explained only so much. It can be intoxicating at times, taxing to the extreme (i remember half way down Benton pass in Yosemite breaking down in tears of frustration, my knees wobbling in pain unable to take any more down hill but scared to stop for fear they'd seize up on me), exciting (running to get off of bare granite hills during a fabulously beautiful & booming electric storm), hot always hot, water always cold as ice BUT walking is walking. There's not much excitment nor is there much wildlife (just imagine all the wildlife in the West before 1800).
Bryson describes the first days wonderfully on pages 35 and 36. After that it's weak and unreal. Not near as good as his other works.

Two memorable paragraphs

"I was especially riveted by an amateur photograph in Herrero's book, taken late at night by a camper with a flash at a campground out West. The photograph caught four black bears as they puzzled over a suspended food bag. The bears were clearly startled but not remotely alarmed by the flash. It was not the size or demeanor of the bears that troubled me - they looked almost comically unaggressive, like four guys who had gotten a Frisbee caught up a tree - but their numbers. Up to that moment it had not occurred to me that bears might prowl in parties. What on earth would I do if four bears came into my camp? Why, I would die, of course. I would blow my sphincter out my backside like one of those unrolling paper streamers you get at children's parties."

"When, after ages and ages, you finally reach the tell-tale world of truly high ground, where the chilled air smells of pine sap and the vegetation is gnarled and tough and wind-bent, and push through to the mountain's open pinnacle, you are, alas, past caring. You sprawl face down on a sloping pavement of granite, pressed to the rock by the weight of your pack, and lie there for some minutes, reflecting in a distant, out-of-body way that you have never before looked this closely at lichen, not in fact looked this closely at anything in the natural world since you were four years old and had your first magnifying glass. Finally, with a weary puff, you roll over, unhook yourself from your pack, struggle to your feet and realise-- this is the barest fraction of what you will traverse before you've finished."

Other Bill Bryon books I've read: I'm a Stranger Here Myself: GREAT! In a Sunburned Country GOOD, A Short History of Nearly Everything: GOOD

Ever read TIM CAHILL? He's good, he's funny, he's the real deal (hiker) and surprisingly he looks like he could be Brysons younger brother (weird). Anyway I highly recommend all Cahills travel books (except for 'Pass the Butterworms' and maybe 'Road Fever'). 'Dolphins' and 'Lost in my own Backyard' I haven't read yet.

It's been several years since I read this book, but it still annoys me. Bryson neatly avoids the truth: he can't hack it. He quits. He gives up. But along the way he's sure to make fun of other hikers. He's going to get it done in his jeans, he tells us as he drags along his friend that he mocks incessantly. He sure showed us.

Despite all the references to people dying on the trail, reading this book made me want to hike the Appalachian Trail. This book is a hilarious travelogue of hiking in the Eastern United States. It also includes interesting information about the history of the trail. Recommended for light entertaining reading.

Don't read this book while you're trying to eat. Or where people might look at you funny if you start to laugh out loud. Because this is a very funny book. Bryson has an understated humor that will only make you chuckle at first, and just when you think it's safe to take another bite, you'll read a bit more, and start laughing out loud! He has a keen eye for description of both his surroundings and his company and conveys both wonderfully well.

This book hits a bit of a sour note, though, the numerous times that Bryson castigates the National Park Service for general incompetence. I won't presume to say that he's entirely wrong in his criticisms, but I do think that he takes it a bit too far, and that an organization with tries to do so much good with so few resources deserves a bit more respect.

Bill Bryson could probably produce a best seller if he did a detailed analysis of paint-drying and grass-growing, so it was certainly no surprise that this was a good read. While it doesn't contain the constant hyperbolic hilarity of some of his other works, it is highly entertaining as well as being historically and geographically educational. Although Bryson's creative genius is evident throughout, the second half of the book is somewhat more methodical than the first. A warning for parents: The language in some passages is PG-13 - at best. In the end, it's an enjoyable adventure that teaches many lessons about HUMAN nature as well as nature in general.

I can't say much about this book which hasn't already been shouted in praise. Bill Bryson is an incredible writer - he writes in an interesting tone, using layman's terms, but the book never feels childish; moreover, there is true sincerity when he writes, and it's clear that his feelings about the AT are genuine; for example, there is palpable anguish when he discusses some of the horrible things which have happened or will happen to the AT and the forests it crosses.

The book is several things. First and foremost, it's a story about his and his hiking partner's (Katz) attempt at thru-hiking the AT; there are moments of sadness, gloriousness, utter frustration and, most of all, laugh-out-loud humor, and this is the main appeal of the book. Second, it has a fair account of history of the AT - there is history of the AT itself, the states it crosses, the people behind it, and some of the more popular cities and towns along the way - but it's never enough to become boring or to dissuade from reading (not that Bryson's writing style would allow that, in any case). Third, the book is about the people of the AT; there are several mentions of famous hikers, record-breakers, and interesting characters all-together, as well as words of praise for certain people who provided helping hands along the way - there are also accounts of some of the more unpleasant aspects of humanity which you might encounter.

What the book lacked the most was a detailed account of the preparations and costs of the voyage. As a prospective thru-hiker, this is information I was hoping to collect, but there was little of it. Not to imply that there weren't any lessons to be learned - Bryson did touch on these subjects in some detail, but they are the least represented in the book. I understand it is meant as an interesting story, but I would have liked some more detailed information - but that's just me.

The book is a fast read - I'm not a fast reader by any means, and I found, with much sadness, that after only the 3rd sitting (~1-3 hours each) I was 3/4ths the way through the book, despite it being ~400 pages. This is probably because of Bryson's elegant fluidity and use of common language, as well as the can't-put-it-down factor which keeps you interested and reading chapters at a time.

I can't recommend this book enough. Regardless of whether you're a recreational hiker, certified mountain man, ambitious future-thru-hiker, or merely looking for a fun, interesting and humorous story, you'll enjoy this book immensely.

This is quite a humurous book, I was often laughing out loud at the dialogue between Katz and Bryson. Couldn't have been a better unmatched pair to hike parts of the AT. Informative and provided some information about the hx of the trail and the places it goes through. I would have given it five stars, but he chose to plug some rants in the book that we could have done without. Things like how he feels about the environment, mining, hunting and so forth that took away from the book, but only a little. If you enjoy outdoors and all the hilarity in even the worse conditions then this book is for you.

This book for the most part had me in stitches. It was when Bill Bryson traveled the Appalachian Trail alone for a bit that the book got kind of slow going. Other than that, it is hysterical. A great read when you need to laugh hard at life.

This book is an instant classic. For those of us who consider "roughing it" not having room service, Bryson and his hilarious pal Katz have balls, my friends. And they have blisters. And bears. And bravery. Bryson hikes like a trooper, writes like an angel, and can be so funny so suddenly that you find it hard to breathe you're laughing so hard.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson is at times quietly humorous, at others belly laugh funny and at others contemplative. He tackles the walking of the Appalachian Trail in the spirit of the quest and manages to avoid the "letter of the law" trap that so many fall into when undertaking a daunting goal such as running the Boston Marathon under four hours or it doesn't count, or reading the Bible from cover to cover, including all the history at the front about how the King James version came to be. He doesn't cover the entire trail in one season and in fact doesn't cover every foot of the trail at all. He is content to cover some portions in day trips when it is more conducive to do so and the experience will be more appreciated. Some parts he doesn't cover at all if intelligence and wisdom dictate that it is better to forego a portion because of safety or time constraints.

He shares with the reader various thoughts and insights, historical information, hiking experiences and encounters with other hikers that gives a view into human nature, both good and bad, and the responsibility some people show and the irresponsibility of others. He gives examples that show the concern even strangers and people who have just met have for one another and their willingness to share and look out for each other.

One important requirement to appreciate A Walk in the Woods is that when reading this book the reader must do so in the same spirit in which it was written. There is useful information about backpacking, camping, monitoring the weather, what to take with you, but it is by no means a definitive "how to" text on trekking. This trek is one of feeling, sentiment and essence. This story is not one of instruction, but of discovery.

This is the story of a man who wants to get back to the feeling of the American wilderness and appreciate our country's more rustic nature. And it just so happens, that he has invited us along for the experience. Are you up for the trip? I traveled the trail with him through the pages, along the paths, over the mountains, through the valleys, in the heat, the rain and the snow. The vistas and landscapes were breathtaking. It was a wonderful adventure that didn't end with the last page.

Beyond the book itself, it inspires to other goals, aspirations and the ongoing learning and experiencing of American history, culture and nature. It motivates not to be content with our accomplishments because we got it done, but to be happy about what we have experienced, and felt, and ask ourselves, "What's next? Have you thought about the Pacific Crest Trail, from Mexico to Canada? Or perhaps the Continental Divide Trail?

Bill Bryson invites us to set the goal and enjoy the walk. He'll take the lead for us on the Appalachian Trail and show us its wonders. He's just about to leave. Are you coming along?

I really enjoyed this book but was disappointed that Bryson and Katz skipped parts of the trail, then never finished the whole thing. I'm not saying I wouldn't have quit sooner! I give them a lot of credit for completing as much as they did under less than favorable conditions. I was feeling hopeful and became engrossed in their journey only to find when I turned a page, they had jumped into a taxi and skipped a good portion! Otherwise, the trail descriptions, the relationship between these two friends, the humor, the people they met along the way were well written and I felt I was on the journey with them, laughing all the way.
Even the statistics and history were interesting to me although I can see where they cut into the story line and may have been skimmed over by someone who wanted to get on with the adventure. The book opened my eyes to how endangered many of the plants and animals are, right in our own backyards.
Overall a good read although I was left wanting to spend more time on the trail with these two very funny people.

the first half of this book is just wonderful, in the second half he seems to lose his determination and a bit of the thread. I'd recommend it, but I can't quite give it five stars. I don't mind that he gave up. I just wish the story ended with the same punch with which it began.

Knowing the premise of this book beforehand, I was pleasantly surprised by the humor and sheer quality of the writing. An excellent read for outdoor enthusiasts and weekend warriors alike.

Without a doubt Bill Bryson is a good writer. I've read other books of his and enjoyed them very much. "A Walk In The Woods" is hilarious and informative in many respects. However anyone who has done any degree of hiking and/or backpacking will find much to poo poo about this book.
In the vein of Dave Barry his anecdotes are great but as a factual account of his "adventure" there is a lot to question.
It is obvious the author's intent is to make a good yarn and this he achieves. To take the account as indicative of actual hiking experience is a leap of faith.

There is much historical data and descriptive material but "Steve" is a figment of the authors imagination, fortunately, for no one should ever be put through the rigors Steve, in his corpulent condition and lack of conditioning, is forced to endure.

A fun book to be taken with several grains of salt.

This light hearted and entertaining book is done in Bill Bryson's usual style. He easily mixes humorous anecdotes, social commentary and historical background with a healthy dose of his often acerbic wit. Having walked some of the trail myself, much of what he writes rings true although I for one assiduously avoid the type of bad weather Bryson frequently encountered. This is not a great literary work nor would one expect it to be. That said, it is a very enjoyable tale of Bryson and his childhood friend Katz undertaking an adventure that goes against the temperament of both (they'd rather be in well fed and in cozy environs). For those more or less casual hikers wistfully considering walking the whole of the Appalachian Trail, it is an amusingly cautionary tale. I recommend it to any one who likes Bryson, travelogues or stories set in the outdoors.

This is my first Bill Bryson and will undoubtably be my final. I am being generous in giving it the 3 stars. Take out all the historical drivel and the ranting against the government and this book could easily be published as a short story in some outdoor magazine. In fact thats where it belongs. The title suggest a "rediscovering" of America. Exactly what was rediscovered is not ever disclosed. I suggest passing on this book and read "Walk Across America" or "Travels With Charley" instead. Both are delighful reading.

This is one funny book. I read it in early 1999 and have since picked up the tapes to listen to in the car to enjoy all over again. It is not a hiking guide although it might just inspire you to set off on a significant trip. It is just plain funny. I rank the first third of the book well over 5 stars for his entertaining description of the preparation and beginning of the trip. The middle dragged a bit for me, but perhaps I was just tired with them of the grueling hike. It finishes with almost the flair with which it began. This is a great read -- well worth the time.

My husband loved this book. Said it was funny and overall great. He recommends highly.

Like all of Bryson's creative non-fiction works, this book is full of well-researched fact, but peppered with enough hilarity to keep you wondering what genre of book you're reading. You will laugh out loud at several unexpected moments and, depending on your mood, may roll uncontrollably at one or more scenes. I read this on a plane and was that annoying passenger who is laughing to herself almost to the point of tears.

Aside from the hilarity, this is a great piece to learn about the history and current life of the Appalachian Trail--something that could have been snoringly boring, but that Bryson makes entertaining and inspiring. Almost made me want to pack up and try a bit of the trail myself.

I've read maybe a half-dozen books in my life cover to cover; this is one of them. A very fun read, especially for anyone in love with walking, hiking, or the outdoors.

Who among us has not been inspired by some handicapped marathon runner/the theme music to Rocky/some historical epic to feel that we're missing out on life since we are not in the midst of some magnificent physical undertaking?

This is the book for anyone who have ever tapped into that vein of sentiment sufficiently to actually do something. Bryson flies down to Georgia, and starts his own Great Trek.

And this absolutely hysterical account ensues.

I read the book while "waiting" (doctor's office etc), and I've never enjoyed the experience so much.

Bryson's gift is that you can easily put yoursel in his shoes; his comedy is of the "ordinary man puts himself in extraordinary situation" genre.

This would not be the book that I was suggest for someone who was actually preparing to walk the AT. However, it would be perfect for someone who was contemplating undertaking the endeavor.

Its funny, well written, and a good tale well told.

I ordered this book in anticipation of reading valuable insights of someone who enjoyed the AT. I've done quite a bit of hiking all over the country and was thinking of trekking the AT since I'm now retired and able to have the time. But this little piece seemed to be written by someone who continually dribbles on with anything on his mind and only occasionally mentioned something regarding adventure on the famed footpath.

He starts off with a theme on the dangers of being attacked by wildlife ad nauseum. Then starts into vulgarity at being scared $hitless and continues in this vein that makes me want to cringe with embarrassment for actually reading it.

I like to read a lot and I've read plenty of mostly good and sometimes bad books. But this was the first time I felt the strong urge to write a review to possibly prevent another reader from making the same mistake I did in buying this trash.

This is a humorous book but periodically for many pages he author goes off into a rant about acid rain or global warming or some other ecelogical problem. Most of the adventure is pure fiction as anyone who has ever been a backpacker can readily see but still the book was entertaining if one overlooks the political comment and treats it as fiction.

First, let me say this ... I never purchased this book but I found this book in one of the shelters along the way. A shelter is one of the many three-sided cabins that are dotted along the Appalachian Trail for hikers to rest or sleep in. Typically, in distance, they're all about a day apart. Also, every shelter has a log about all the other hikers that come through the place and they leave notes, messages, trail reports and the like. The last hiker before me had left Bryson's book and some very candid things to say. I picked up the book and decided to see what all the guff was about.

The book opens with a brief history of the Appalachian Trail and Bryson tells details about the region that you would not believe had it not been coming from him. Several times I repeated the information only to be met with scorn and doubt. For instance, the Appalachian Trail is one of the oldest mountain ranges on the planet. Did you know that? And the summit of Mt. Washington has recorded some of the coldest temperatures on Earth. How about that? Mt. Washington is in New Hampshire, too; and not Antarctica.

Bryson weaves an interesting tale about his foibles and attempt into the world of hiking with his stalwart friend and companion that accompanies him, Katz. But Steve Katz, comes across as his alter-ego and doesn't really ring true through much of the story, but in reflection, I think this is Bryson meant and it was intentional.

Mid-way he gets off the trail, maybe in the Shenandoah's as I remember, and decides to day-hike and see the tourist locations dotted along the trail, but this quickly turns into a fiasco and Bryson starts telling you about things that are not even remotely close to the trail. He acknowledges this, gives up and goes home. The rest of the book reverts back into regurgitated facts culminated from either old National Geographic magazines or some out-of-print book about the Eastern Seaboard in general. I personally didn't have a problem with this stuff as it was all news to me and Bryson is an adept writer who can keep your imagination reigned in.

The last chapter is a fictitious journey of his return, with his buddy Katz, for a half-hearted attempt to finish and get through to Mt. Katahdin and through the swampyness of snow-melting Maine. This too quickly spirals out of control, the hiking not the writing, and they both find themselves disagreeably riding away in the back of a pick up truck towards the cold machine of civilization where wives, bills and hot coffee awaits. The ending is poignant and also triumphant for just being there rather than missing the experience all together.

I enjoyed the book and didn't have too many complaints. A lot of readers and hikers always seem upset that he wrote a book about the trail but didn't finish hiking the trail, and they make the claim that because he didn't finish - the book can't be valid. While that's the most foolish thing I ever heard of ... it didn't stop me from reading the book or interfere with my enjoyment of it.

As a footnote: I hiked the trail Winter of '06 when the trail was devoid of the usual mass of hikers and covered with snow. I got off the trail in Harper's Ferry (1100 miles along) and came home after the reality of gambling with my life set in and catching walking Pneumonia. Let's just say the wife wasn't too happy, but I enjoyed my hike immensely.

I love Bill Bryson's writing. I'm about 90% of the way thorugh this book of his about walking the appalacian trail. When I was in Australia I read his book abotu Australia, In A Sunburned Country and loved it. It's been a long time since I've laughed outloud as many times reading a book as I did sunburned country. I liked it so much I immediately bought several of his other books and read them. A walk in the woods is second in my opinion behind sunburned country. Most of it is very funny and informative especially when he's hiking with his long lost buddy, it does slowdown a bit just before the end. He leaves the trail and breaks the whole flow of the book.

The audio is worth the purchase of the CD in addition to the book. Very funny.

As one who lived at the base of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania, I was delighted to receive this book as a gift for Christmas. And then when I read that Bryson "comes off as equal parts Garrison Keillor, ...and Dave Barry," I was even more anxious to read the book. But what a disappointment. I laughed aloud maybe half a dozen times throughout the whole book, and found myself down-right bored for much of it. I was appalled that Bryson undertook to write a book about walking the Trail when he accomplished less than 40%.

Who would want to read a book on running by someone who tried to run a marathon but didn`t have the dedication to stick with training and finish one? Who would read a book on physics by someone who didn`t have the motivation to finish graduate school and become an expert in the subject? We read books by people who have excelled in their field and can offer insight and perspective that we might not be able to get on our own. Unfortunately Bryson is not an expert on the AT in that he didn`t even finish half of the trail, thus cannot offer the perspective that only comes from experiencing the physical and psychological change that comes from this challenging experience.

So, this leaves the book to the realm of comedy. Yes it does start off funny as we see how unprepared Bryson and his friend are. However, this is where the humor stops as Bryson points a critical eye at everything except himself. Every hiker, town and geographical region (except his beloved New England) are ruthlessly criticised - even the ruggedness of the trail and the volunteers that maintain it and clean up after slobs like Bryson. This would be okay if Bryson pointed an equal share of criticism at himself (the key to Dave Barry`s humor), but instead he gives the impression that he is superior to the entire South, the TRUE thruhikers, other AT dropouts, the state of PA, etc.

You will find neither humor or perspective in this book, only wasted hours.

This book is definitely near the top of my favorites list. When you're not shrieking with laughter you are impressed by the little known facts about Americas wilderness. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a laugh or wants an interesting way to learn about the Appalachian Trail.

I found "A Walk in the Woods" my first encounter with Bill Bryson's books, a very enjoyable and educational read. I picked this particular book to start my acquaintance with him, because I like hiking and often explore the parts of the Appalachian Trail (from New York to New Hampshire) myself.

Bryson writes with great sense of humor about his decision to walk the Appalachian Trail, the preparations, the choice of his walking companion (a hilarious figure of his old friend Steve Katz), the hike itself, with all its joys and troubles. The Trail is the dominating presence here, and although there is a lot of personality and jokes, the thoroughly researched information about the history of the Trail, the flora and fauna, the geographical, geological and meteorological conditions, is what I found most interesting. Especially, because it was written in a captivating manner. I loved the atmosphere Bryson created in this book.

Bryson's brisk style made me read his book from cover to cover almost without any stopping and I regretted only that it ended so quickly. The subject could easily have made the book nothing else than a guide, and only thanks to the sparkling, original prose it was so much more...

I appreciated the author's honesty when he admitted that he and Steve had many difficulties while walking the trail and fond the initial task of walking the whole length of the trail impossible to accomplish. Since the skipped parts of the route were the ones I know best, I felt that there was no harm done and I was just encouraged to walk more of its Northern and Southern parts.