Rating: 
Summary: Food for thought and a swift kick in the funnybone
Review: Bill Bryson left nothing out of this book. As I read the first few pages and was left sprawling with laughter at his dry humor and dubious enthusiasm, I silently wondered if this book would warrant me more than a few laughs. Not suprisingly Bryson uses his talent for writing for much more. I was amazed at the detailed information he included into the book, facts about the regions he walked through, about the history of the parks, about the strange people he met up with along the way. The way he describes people's everyday actions and reactions is brilliant and witty. It felt as if he were standing beside me, and while nudging me with his elbow and wearing a smirk describing everyone and everything he included on the pages. I was left with not only a feeling that I had a better time reading this book than if I had gone to a Phish concert (my favorite band), but that I had accompanied Mr. Bryson on the Trail (without taking millions of steps), saw what he saw, felt what he felt, and was left with a whole lot of new knowledge about something I hadn't much of an idea about before.
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Summary: America's greatest travel writer
Review: Bill Bryson is without doubt America's most funny travel writer. His technique is not so much to describe places that he visits but to use travel as a means for doing a series of comedy routines. He tells shaggy dog stories or develops characters and comic situations. This book is about a series of walks that Bryson made along one of America's great walking trails. Rather than doing the walk in one hit he returns a number of times. He talks an unemployed friend "Catz" to go along with him. Half the book is a description of Catz's sulks and black moods as he and a complete lack of fitness engage on what is an arduous walk. Bryson spent a good deal of his life in Britian and has a deep understanding of irony and is a great social satarist. He also has a gentle humour which does not cut to deeply to limit one's enjoyment of his books. All in all an entertaining read.
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Summary: "A Walk in the Woods" Review
Review: The book A Walk in the Woods, written by Bill Bryson, is a story about one adventurer's hike through the Appalachian Trail. This 274-page narrative was published in 1998 by Broadway Books. A Walk in the Woods discusses how he interacts with many different people while hiking the trail with his friend, Stephen Katz. Bryson wrote this book to notify readers of all ages that nature needs to be preserved. He also wrote it hoping that readers would learn a thing or two about the wilderness. This book was very informative but at times very boring with more factual information than storyline.
This book means a lot to biology and relates to it very well. It discusses the evolution and structure of many animals in the wilderness such as moose, deer, bears, and different types of plants. It relates to ecology because it has a lot of details about each mountain Bryson and Katz hike including temperatures and how they affect humans. A lot of the book is an in depth study of the Appalachian Trail's climate, inhabitants, and environment. A Walk in the Woods is a huge source of information concerning biology and ecology. Bryson writes the book to bring biology out to the public in a humorous fashion and he does a good job of it.
In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson returns to America after 20 years in England. To rediscover his homeland, he decides to hike the Appalachian Trail, a 2200-mile long path that stretches from Georgia to Maine. He finds himself a companion named Stephen Katz, a burly construction worker looking for a little excitement in his life. The two men set out knowing very little about the wilderness, and end up experiencing enough to tell a lifetime of stories. In the process of attempting to hike the AT, they are bruised, blistered, and bloodied. Once in a while they'd stop at a small town with hotels and hot food, then pack back up and continue on their adventure. Bryson and Katz decide to take a break partway through the trail, so Bryson takes day hikes to keep himself acquainted with the wilderness for when Katz returns. When he does come back, they attempt to finish the AT while plodding through rivers and lakes, but give up and decide to go home in the end. Although they barely completed half of the Appalachian Trail, Bill Bryson and Stephen Katz are proud of their trek. I reacted to this book in many ways. At times I laughed out loud because of Katz's outlandish antics or some of the people they met along the way. One hilarious excerpt was when Bryson had encountered a moose but knew not to be scared. "Hunters will tell you that a moose is a wily and ferocious forest creature. Nonsense. A moose is a cow drawn by a three-year-old. That's all there is to it" (page 241). Other parts of the book were filled with endless facts and it was difficult to not fall asleep from the boredom.
The way that I evaluated this book was that it was part comedy and part uninteresting. It taught me many things, such as a lot about the Appalachian Trail and the wilderness as well as about many animals located in the eastern region of the United States. I also learned that there are some pretty wacky people out there in the world who you can't help but laugh at. My experience reading this book did not do much for me. I still see nature the same way, and most of the facts from it are not going to be remembered by the readers. Many people I have talked to think this book is wonderful, but I cannot assess it any other way than to say it was funny but very dull.
What I have learned from this book will help me in some ways though. I have always been against the destruction of the wilderness and cutting down trees, but this book has opened my eyes to the beauty of nature. I strongly believe that nature should be preserved, not destroyed. By learning a little bit about animals, I've learned that if the wilderness was severely damaged or if it disappeared, these creatures would have no place to go. If I have learned one thing from A Walk in the Woods, it is that nature needs to be preserved because it is the only escape that we have from the troubles of society.
Rating:
Summary: Very enjoyable reading...
Review: Bill Bryson is gifted with the ability to so humorously describe everyday reality, travel and adventures while being incredibly accurate and informative. I originally bought the audiobook (read by the author), listened to it many times, laughed hysterically each time, then loaned it out to a family member and haven't seen it since... I need another copy.
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Summary: A hiker must read!
Review: I am in the midst of planning my 2002 Thru-Hike of the Appalachian Trail, and I read this book over my Christmas vacation. It was simply delightful. Bryson and his friend Stephen Katz stumble through several interesting senarios and people as they make their transition to "mountain-men". If you like hiking stories you'll love this book!
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Summary: It was funny until the "sneer"
Review: This book has some great laugh out loud humor in it. I can make allowances for the language, but the sneering attitude toward the Christian couple in the book lost me. The temerity to equate (however obliquely) a couple who are very serious about their Christian faith to those who committed heinous crimes on the Appalachian trail is appalling. A typical arrogant east coast intellectual attitude.
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Summary: A Walk in the Woods
Review: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson is on my top 10 favorites list. This book was absloutely hailarious. I have never laughed outloud while reading a book, but this one cought hold of my funny bone and did not let go. It may be because I have lived with the Applalachian trail in my backyard for my entire 17 years or just that Bryson is a true comedian. It is truly recomended to anyone considering stepping foot on the AT. I hope to join Bryson, Katz, and the many others who have attempted the AT. SEE YOU SOON:)
Rating: 
Summary: Humorous yet offending
Review: I was really starting to enjoy this book until he came into the Smoky Mountain part of the trail. He described Gatlinburg Tennessee in a hillbilly manner. As everyone knows,because The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the most visited place in America,this is not the case.He speaks of Eastern Tennessee as if he hiked the trail in the 1800's. It's funny how he found no problem insulting these people but did not like being questioned about the reasons he hiked the trail although he was a fat out of shape cry baby. (Sleeping in hotel rooms and eating at restaraunts) Well, I've given my 2 cents worth and can see that in this forum he has friends that rate the bad reviews as unhelpful. I see no reason that this will not change. Just remember Mr. Bryson, our "smarts" here in Eastern Tennessee may not be up to your standards but we never forget.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: Very funny writer. I was little upset when he and Katz decided to skip parts of the AT (and the fact that he never did plan to walk it all at one time) but I quickly got over it. The writing more than makes up for his leaving the trail.
Rating: 
Summary: A Walk in the Woods
Review: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson is a marvelous description of the Appalachian Trail and it's history. The outrageously funny nature of it and the bond of friendship between two men makes the journey of reading the book worth taking. I personally love the book and I think that anyone would too. Bryson incorporates his entire journey along the Appalachian Trail with facts of the trail's history and the present day situation with the National Parks Service. His book gives you an appreciation for the 300 people who hike the entire 2,200 miles through the wind, snow, rain, and heat. In the book, Bill Bryson reunites with his childhood friend, Stephen Katz, for A Walk in the Woods. The Appalachian Trail offers an astonishing landscape of undisturbed forests and deep-blue lakes. Bryson also tells the story of Katz and himself with all the problems they face along the way. Both of the men are extremely unfit and encounter many problems in the beginning because of each other's different personalities. Not only do they encounter hilarious characters along the way, but even strange towns. Bryson not only tells us about his travels along the fragile Appalachian Trail, but he informs us of its fascinating history and makes a plea for the conservation of the most widely known trail in North America. Everything along the trail has to do with Biology and Ecology and the entire book is insightful about the wildlife and the landscape. Throughout the whole story, there are only about two main characters: Katz and Bryson. Both characters are hilariously funny and each is completely the opposite from the other. A Walk in the Woods takes place sometime in 1990's and from spring to late summer. In conclusion, A Walk in the Woods is an extremely well written book and is definitely a must read. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure and comedy. You'll even learn something about the history, wildlife, and landscape. It is by far the best travel book on the market today.
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