Rating: 
Summary: Packs plenty of laughs
Review: I must admit that this is one of the funniest books I've read in a while. Unfortunately, much of the humor was at the expense of people who Bryson encountered along the trail. In the book Bryson often went for the cheap laugh. As a Georgia resident I took offense at his Georgia bashing. His criticism of places like the mountain town, Hiawassee, was incredibly unfair. Overall the book is well-written and informative, but I think Bryson could have accomplished just as much if he'd been a little less critical.
Rating: 
Summary: Drove My Wife Crazy!
Review: After walking part of the Pacific Crest Trail two weeks ago, I decided to read through Bryson's Appalachian Trail experiences. A number of things jumped out at me: 1) the relatively low elevation of the AT, 2) the considerably whining on his and particularly his partner's parts, 3) Bryson's tendency to pontificate on environmental issues, and 4) his fantastic sense of humor and readability. To expound, I must say that the low elevation is somewhat relative, considering the steep grade of some of the AT's trails. I'd love to try the hike someday. The whining makes Bryson and Katz (his partner) seem like the middle-aged men that they are and, though sometimes highlighting their inexperience, makes them seem like entertaining trailmates. It also makes Bryson seem very down-to-earth and approachable--like we could join him for lunch and have a great chat. Sure, he might go into great detail about the Forest Service's mismanagement of funds and nature--and I would heartily agree--but he would be equally willing to discuss other issues (for example, those annoying hikers who must flash their namebrands like climbing qualifications). I certainly agreed with most of Bryson's environmental gripes, and he informed me of certain facts I was previously unaware of, but I didn't really pick up this book for 3 and 4 page ramblings on such issues, and this was a minor irritation to me. A personal gripe, nothing more. Hey, at least somebody's trying to open our country's capitalistic eyes! Finally, this book is just flat-out hilarious at points. I drove my wife crazy demanding that she listen to 'just this one more part.' She did laugh, quite hard a number of times, but I could see that look in her eye when I'd asked just one too many times. Bryson's a witty and intelligent writer, and I'm already searching for his next book.
Rating:
Summary: Bryson is one of the few best-selling authors I read...
Review: "A Walk in the Woods" is another comical and factual book by and about Bill Bryson, without the linguistic focus as in his other books such as "Made in America" and "Mother Tongue." Even for non-hikers who might find the Appalachian Trail dull, Bryson brings it to life with a cast of unforgettable characters and hikers. Even without the plot, Bryson once again pulls from geology, history and other genres relevant to the trail and makes each fact -- even the dullest ones -- entertaining. Only in such a Bryson novel can one learn so much while being entertained with plot. I rarely read best-selling authors since they are too commercialized, but Bryson is quite an exception. Bill Bryson is definitely one of the best current non-fiction writers of our time.
Rating:
Summary: Great potential...but falls flat
Review: This book had moments of true hilarity, but unfortunately didn't maintain any one tone. The first 50 pages or so are especially funny, but throughout the story, Bryson's preachy monologues about conservation intrude every time on the moments that his story almost takes off; he can't seem to stick to any one subject or thread, and as a result, none is fleshed out. And the book petered out limply, leaving me wondering what really motivated him to make the trip (totally unprepared and ignorant of the upcoming trek, honestly it was dumb luck that he lived to write about it at all), what he got out of it, and certainly why he wrote the book.
Rating:
Summary: Laughed so hard, I cried
Review: As an avid reader of anything Bill Bryson deems fit to put on paper, I must say this is one of his finer volumes. I used to read it when I came home from working late and would routinely have to bury my face in my pillow to keep my laughter from waking my roommate. As with all of Bryson's work, you learn so much about the places he wanders through. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever gone camping.
Rating:
Summary: Outrageously Funny and Educational to boot!
Review: Bill Bryson is one of the funniest authors I have ever read. Even though you learn quite a bit from his books, it's not like he's shoving it down your throat. Maybe I just share his warped sense of humor, I don't know! I just love Katz! He's a very good sidekick. This book will make you laugh out loud and make everyone who's around you wonder what's so funny.
Rating:
Summary: An okay travel book
Review: This is a travel book and not a hiking/backpacking guide in any way. The book was enjoyable for the most part, but the authors sense of humor and writing gets on your nerves after a while. If you are looking for a book about a complete journey of the AT, look elsewhere because this book is really an over glorification of a sectional trip. I enjoyed the book as an entertaining read, but found myself wanting more towards the end.
Rating:
Summary: Five Stars but PG13
Review: Bill Bryson's book helped me to relive many jaunts of my own along the Appalachian Trail. His descriptions of conditions along the trail ring true to what I remember as a younger hiker, though it sounds as if there has been damage and deterioration to some of the ecology since my days. He wrote a "double book" in that he shared the story within the story about his friend and hiking companion, and their human interactions while dealing with the frustrations and awe-struck moments together. I appreciated his sense of humor as well as word pictures warning of the realities of the trail. The only thing that would prevent me from referring this book to "General Audiences" is that in some cases his language was a bit too colorful - if realistic - to hand copies around to my young grandsons or granddaughters. That's a real shame as I feel certain they would enjoy and benefit from the rest of the well-told story.
Rating:
Summary: Starts hilarious, ends mundane...
Review: This book had me laughing out loud in the first 30-50 pages, then, it tunred boring--like reading someone you don't know's diary. Blah, blah, blah. Where did the humor go?
Rating: 
Summary: Highly overrated self congratulatory trek
Review: Bill Bryson was ill prepared for a hike of 2000 miles heading north on the Appalachian Trail. His old high school buddy was even less equipped. I found the book boring and not at all funny. Bryson's writing style evidences an attitude of contempt toward fellow hikers and a complete disrespect for the rigors of the Trail It is no surprise that neither man was able to complete the trek. It is only fortunate that no one was seriously injured, the physically out of shape writer and pal or other hikers. I still wonder why Bryson wrote this book. Tim of Glen Alan, Virginia has expressed many of my reactions to "A Walk in the Woods." If you want to learn about America, read Charles Kurault. If you want humor, read Roy Blount, Jr.
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