Rating: 
Summary: A Walk Becomes A Drag
Review: Everyone told me how "hilarious" this book was. I decided to read it. The first half of the book is SO funny that you will probably have a hard time not laughing out loud. Note: Do not read it alone, in public! :o)Then you get to the second half of the book. What starts out as a comedic "average joe" adventure turns into a political statement. Blah, blah, blah. As if someone else wrote the first part of the book, Mr. Bryson decides to venture into coma-inducing historical facts, all the while giving his dry opinion of the government and park service. ZZZZZ ... oh, sorry. I dozed off just thinking about it. If you read this book, I recommend doing what Bryson and Katz did (warning: SPOILER). Only complete half and then give up.
Rating: 
Summary: Journey Is Destination
Review: Bryson has a way with words that brings out true events that are told like a descriptive, informative, funny story. He has a very expansive vocabulary and knows how to use it by brilliantly placing his words to convey his thoughts and experiences. THE WALK THROUGH NATURE The characters are brought to life that he and his friend "Katz" encounter. The type of folks that hike the Appalachian Trail are unique individuals in general. Bryson looks into the their motivations, lives, and the mutual experiences he has with the folks he runs into on the AT, as well as the people in the small communities they visit just off the trail. A lot of historical background, logistics, and politics about the AT are presented. Who created it, why and how it was done, and the philosophy of the AT. It is the longest continuous trail in the world. The author did a lot of homework and gives statistical notes and expository information on animal species, flora and fauna, the environment, plate techtonics, geology of the rocks, bureaucratic policies, and ways to keep from gettin' eaten by a bear. There are a lot of vivid depictions of the woody places they walk through as well as the mentality such an undertaking brings to one psychologically. THE GOVERNMENT STUPIDITY As usual, when it comes to government.... For its celebration of its 75th anniversary, the National Park Service lavishly spent $500,000 taxpayer dollars on its one and only party in Vail, Colorado. At the same time it was slashing budgets, closing facilities, and laying-off park Rangers. In addition to this egregious act there numerous other examples of this disgraceful bureaucratic organization, that actually destroys the environment of U.S. national parks instead of preserving them. Also: the United States National Forest has 378,000 miles of roads in American's National Forests. It is eight times the total mileage of the entire U.S. interstate system. It is also the largest road system in the world controlled by a single body. The Forest Service has the second largest number of road engineers of any government organization on Earth. By the middle of the 21st Century, the goal of this bureaucracy is to construct 580,000 miles of roads in total. Sound like typical government logic? Creating jobs. Keeping jobs for those already on the federal payroll. Getting more funds from taxpayers and wastefully spending them to justify the organization's existence. And more importantly, to continually request for increased budget appropriations. When it comes to government, even a pine tree isn't safe. The U.S. Forest Service is in cahoots with--you guessed it--the timber industry. 150 million acres of forest is reserved by the Forst Service for the timber industry to clear cut and profit from. It is a fact that in the 1980s, the U.S. Forest Service was the only organization in the U.S. that was cutting more trees down that it was replacing. In one business deal, the National Forest service sold 100 year old lodgepole pines in the Targhee National Forest in Idaho for $...dollars each. But it spent $...dollars per tree in survees, contract writing, and--yes--building roads to get to them. Again, when it comes to government, (and corporations) even a pine tree isn't safe.
Rating: 
Summary: An Engaging "Walk"
Review: I would be honored to walk the trail with Bill Bryson. He takes his place as an Everyman trying to overcome the trail with middling results. The best parts are not about his experiences on the AT. I enjoyed his shopping spree for camping equipment (and subsequent sticker shock) and his side trip to Centralia, Pennsylvania, the city that puffs like a dragon. I was left feeling that if he could do it, why couldn't I?
Rating:
Summary: it's flu season, buy this book
Review: Yesterday I was home sick with the flu and all I wanted to do was lay in bed, but I couldn't sleep so I wanted to read. I couldn't find a single book in my collection that I had not read or didn't seem a bit "imposing" in my current state. I went up to my son's room (he's 18 not 6) and found this book on his shelf. What a godsend. A book that can make you giggle out loud in between the moans of the flu is a wonderful book. I needed to read something that didn't require me to constantly think about the plot or which character was who and this was perfect. I had my boston terriers in bed with me (as always) and they would periodically come out from under the covers to check why I was cracking up one minute and hanging over the bucket the next. Get this book, put it aside for when you have the flu. It's a lifesaver and better than any medicine. I was also amazed by how much I actually learned reading this. Thank you Bill Bryson. And Katz too.
Rating:
Summary: Fun, but it contains a lot of fiction
Review: Bryson captures some of the whimsy of those who seek to hike the entire length of the Appalchian Trail. Unlike most books on the subject, this narrative is not entirely a factual account. Although some thruhikers discount the value of book because of the lack of authenticity, it is still an enjoyable read. None of his tales are larger than those told by fellow hikers. The abridged audiobook version is read by Bryson and is immensely enjoyable. His mixture of mid-Western, English, and New England accents adds to the enchantment of the story. Don't take the book too seriously, and enjoy the armchair adventure. Then go for a real walk on one of America's treasures.
Rating:
Summary: An Enjoyable Journey
Review: Another book club choice and one that I normally would not have chosen. The list of travel memoirs I have read is small but I was pleasantly surprised by Bill Bryson's novel about his walk through the Appalachian Trail. As it turns out, the walk itself becomes secondary to the self introspection and relationship Bryson has with his travel partner Katz. What surprised me the most about this story is how funny it was. I laughed out loud on several occasions. Bryson writes with a carefree style and captures the crux of situations in such a humorus way. He describes his huffing and puffing out shape, bad attitude buddy Katz in hysterical fashion. Yet, far from being a joke, the reader comes to cherish Katz and the growth he has from his journey. The interactions with other walkers on the trail and their excursions into nearby towns are just as funny. Bryson himself reveals his insights into his motivations, musings and failings in a realistic approachable manner. Not only does he do justice to the beautiful scenery of our country, but he provides the reader with environmental information to ponder without being overly critical. Although not a literary masterpiece, I certianly enjoyed Bill Bryson's adventure and will not hesitate to read another tale of his.
Rating:
Summary: Bryson tackles his biggest hike
Review: This is a funny, informative and even poignant book. I think In a Sunburned Country is funnier, because he doesn't spare the hilarious excess in describing Australia and its inhabitants; he treats his fellow countrymen far more gently. His hiker friend Katz is just plain wonderful, a cream-soda-loving everyman facing the American wilderness. Really delightful. As usual, Bryson's book has a bibliography -- he's been reading up on the AT -- and you will learn lots about the AT and its flora and fauna, and even political history. I'm sad now that I finished the book. I'm looking forward to my next Bryson work.
Rating:
Summary: Not a hiker but "loved the book"
Review: I read a review on A Walk in the Woods in the main newapaper in Boston, MA, from a literary club. I had not heard of Bill Bryson or the book but was so enticed by the review that I got the book from our local library. It was wonderful, I laughed, wanted to cry sometimes and encouraged my husband to read it. He, too, enjoyed it almost as much as I did. The bottom line is, I am ordering a copy for our library so I can loan it to others and, read it again.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, but not what you expect...
Review: This book is not a guidebook. Nor is it an instructional book. If you hiked the AT and want to re-live memories, you probably won't like this book. If you want to see another perspective on backpacking, you won't learn a thing from this book. If you're looking for just a really funny book, this one will let you down after chapter 5. All in all, its not the book you think it is, or at least, it was not what I thought it was. But, if you love the outdoors, if current threats to wilderness get you up in arms, and if you've ever had a *bad* experience with food, getting lost, or your partner being annoying, you may like this book as much as I did -- which was an extraordinary and suprised amount. It is not always funny, not always historical, and not always a sheer and grand disgrace to the art of backpacking. But I enjoyed the mix so much that after I read it, I took it with me and read it aloud to my hiking partners over the 90 miles of the Wonderland trail. Go figure.
Rating:
Summary: disappointed
Review: Excellent writing. I loved the style, and was excited to read another book about one of my favorite subjects, hiking, and the A.T. I have one big complaint, however. Fairly frequent crude references and words ruined the book for me. I was quite disappointed. I couldn't finish it.
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