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Summary: Not a Thru hikers journal
Review: This book definitely made me laugh out loud, but it was kind of a let down. Bryson's witty dialog and his adventures with Katz make up for the fact that they don't thru hike the trail or even finish it. The fact that two out of shape 40-somethings just pack up and go-thinking they could do the trail like that-forshadows Bryson's sometimes arrogant outlook. The book is a fast read and it's hard to put it down at times. It's not a thru hikers journal but it gives you an idea about what may be out there on the trail.
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Summary: Bill if you ever do this hike again PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU
Review: i first discovered Bill Bryson's "The Lost Continent" and have been a fan ever since. Remember reading it on Clifton Beach in Cape Town roaring with laughter. The other sunbathers thought i was dilly. "A Walk" did not disappoint me. I am myself only a day mountain hiker but so much of what he described hit home like a hammer. The book is informative, it is funny and i look forward to the author's next work. When i feel down i take one of his books and read a couple of the funniest extracts and like magic, I am back smiling. As i requested next time you go please take me with you.
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Summary: Bill Gets Serious
Review: This book is not "standard" Bryson fare. While it has moments of hilarity, there is also a running element of tragicomedy (viz. Katz and the Katz-Bryson love-hate relationship) as well as a fair bit of soul-searching. When I finished the book, my overriding feeling was "Hm, that was sad" whereas with most of Bill's books it's "Hm, that was brilliant" or "Hm, that was hilarious", etc. I guess the bottom line is I read Bryson to be cheered *up*, not *down*...Anyway, it's a thoroughly enjoyable and scholarly book (The guy sure knows how to do his research !), but perhaps not the best introduction to Bryson (as if he needs any ! ). If you're looking for somewhere to start, try Notes From A Small Island or The Lost Continent (Warning : not for over-sensitive Mid-Americans)
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Summary: No Barry or Chaucer here
Review: "A Walk in the Woods" is OK, but I found much of the humor off target and the natural history lite and shallow. There is no Dave Barry, Garrison Keillor, or Chaucer here for me. The book really loses focus (at least my interest) when our heros drop the AT with two-thirds of the book remaining. I saw nothing funny about a middle aged man who could not, would not, cook for himself, or make the simplest precautions for his own safety.
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Summary: first book review ever
Review: Have you ever dreamed about doing something so awesome, so incredible, so challenging and actually had the motivation to follow through with it? Well meet Bill Bryson, a middle aged man in his fourties who decides one day to trek through 2,100 miles of the Appalachian Trail. From Georgia's northeast mountain ranges, all through out central Maine, Bryson discovers the natural beauty hidden within thirteen states of deep forrests. Along for the walk is Bryson's pal Stephen Katz who ironically is an over weight, reformed alcoholic. The two become companions truly experiencing being mountain men, living it rough and longing for the amenities of the real world. Bryson also exposes himself to the harsh realities of mankind's destruction. The harmful decisions of our nation's authority figures ultimately affected nature's balance, which motivated him to inform us of our human error. The book is filled with much culture, respect for the nature, and it's beauty that it may tend to drag on in some chapters that deal with a particular tree or animal. It is only in the intention of the author to open our eyes and minds to the possible solutions. I found this book to be very powerful, in a sense that it informs, it makes you laugh out loud, and it also resolves to make you appreciate the many things we take forgranted in this world.
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Summary: Bill and Stephen's Excellent Adventure
Review: Bill Bryson takes on the unknown, American Wilderness and writes about it. He and his old college buddy, Stephen Katz, decide to go on a 2,100-mile hike throughout the Appalachian Trail. Bryson is a little surprised when he sees his old friend incredibly overweight and discovers he's a recovering alcoholic. Yet, he is still happy to have someone to accompany him. Despite endless hours of research and state-of-the-art equipment, both unphysically fit men enter the AT unable to know what to expect. They begin their adventure in Amicalola Falls State, north Georgia with plans on ending it atop Mount Katahdin in Maine. The only survival equipment they have is dozens of Snickers bars and maps of the area that become inevitably useless. The Appalachian Trail proves to be almost everything the books said; minus the gruesome bear attacks, the AT provides astonishing beauty in forms of trees and sparkling lakes. While on their journey, they encounter a few off-the-wall characters, some even infamous for their downfalls. Although they fall a little short of the complete trail, they leave with a fulfilling sense of accomplishment. Bryson's incorporation of a real life horror story and comic relief makes the book hard to put down rather than a task to read. I would recommend one to read this, although I think that he could have done with less statistics and history. I was disapointed when they didn't push it to the end.
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Summary: A Read Of The Woods
Review: Had you been living abroad for over twenty years, upon your return home, wouldn't you like to some how deeply reacquaint yourself with your homeland? This is exactly what author Bill Bryson effectuated, once he returned to American soil, after a twenty-year stay in England. Bryson, a middle-aged, overweight man, chose to reacquaint himself with the natural American landscape by hiking the Appellation Trail, which spans from Georgia to Maine, and capture (record) his experience in a travel memoir. This travel memoir, A Walk in the Woods, is a very insightful and descriptive account of Bryson's journey through the long and treacherous 2,100 mile Appalachian Trail. Bryson, a novice attempting this type of serious hiking, felt that his experience walking in England was preparation enough for the rugged and dangerous Appalachian Trail. Many characters and obstacles arise in Bryson's journey which add much entertainment in this memoir. For one One character, Bryson's hiking partner, is an overweight, ex-hippie, college friend who suffers from seizures. Obstacles appear when Bryson encounters bears, mountain lions, hazardous weather, and the lithely unknown, which contribute much suspense to the story. Bryson reveals his laurels with us, and the discomforts of such a hike. You clearly watch the stages of transition that he goes through in order to become a true, rugged hiker. It was an inspiration to observe these two guys, so evidently inept in their chosen undertaking, earn some amount of success. Bryson captures the physical beauty of the trail in his writing, and also appends much detail concerning the history of the Appalachian Trail. This story is a great read for one who can enjoy the descriptive aspects of nature without actually being there. This book was amusing, enlightening, and educational from start to finish.
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Summary: Seeing the world differently
Review: I really enjoyed A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson. It taught me a lot about nature and how easily it is being destroyed. It made me think of how some people have no feelings towards Mother Nature. Mother Nature has so many different beauties to it, the mountains, forests and all of the animals. There are places which Bill described as places you thought you only saw in your dreams. I f we are not careful those places may be gone. It also taught me in finding strength within you to help accomplish your goals. I did not understand though how this idea of hiking a 2,200 mile trail came into Bill's head, it's like something fell out of the sky and hit him. Especially with his former college peer, Katz. A drunk that was overweight was going to hike the "AT." That was comedy. Neither of these men had any experience in hiking and they were setting out for a 2,200 mile trail, unbelievable. These men were both out of shape and didn't know the first thing about hiking. They were trying to accomplish to much to fast I thought at first, but when they actually started hiking and proceeding I was amazed. When I read this book it reminded me of New Years, and how you get to start over again. When I heard of Katz, Bryson's friend from college I thought it was hilarious that he was a drunk and overweight and was going to try and complete a 2,200 mile hike. Katz was not prepared at all, but maybe he was looking for a way to start his life over, a way to move on and feel like he has accomplished something. With Bill I think he needed a little adventure in his life, and he found it. I noticed that "when you don't miss something until it is gone" is a very important quote that relates to this book. When Katz turns up missing, Bill started to get worried and was getting a little doubtful on whether Katz was a live or not. It also relates to nature, if we keep destroying it we are going to miss it very much when it is gone because of the life and beauty that it brings to this world. I have to admit that Part 2 of A Walk in the Woods was pretty long and didn't really go anywhere. I was upset that at least one of them didn't finish the trail, I was getting excited to read more stories in the wilderness. All heard was a bunch of statistics about nature. If one of the men finished the trail it would have made a much larger book, but I still enjoyed it a lot. The book makes me want to go hiking and maybe relive some of the adventures that Bill and Katz had.
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Summary: I strongly recommend it to anyone
Review: A Walk in the Woods is a travel memoir on the Appalachian Trail, one of America's greatest hiking routes. The author, Bill Bryson lived in England for 20 years and came back to the United States with the urge to go on a long hike. Stephen Katz, an old college friend, and a former alcoholic accompanies him. Both men are out of shape, and beginners at hiking, so it is a wonder how they can endure such hardships along the trail. They had to carry a pack that contained their tents, food, water, clothes and other items. Katz and other interesting characters provide the book with much comic relief to keep the reader involved. At some points in the book I was laughing out loud. Along the journey they meet many people including Mary Ellen a slow-minded woman who follows them around, and Beulah, a fat woman with a very angry husband. The commentary about the long, rich history of the Appalachian Trail brings insight on the wilderness that we hardly know about. It also speaks for the preservation of the forestry and animals that we take for granted in the city. After reading this book I have more appreciation of the wilderness, and an interest in going hiking myself. One downside of the book was that some points in the book the author expanded the book with knowledge that made it a little less interesting, then the actual story. But I liked how Bryson went back and forth to discuss his journey and the history, creating a balance of interests. This book will offer something to any type of reader because it is funny, and contains a lot of historical information, and is interesting enough to keep the reader to keep going. But for someone who wishes to go on a hike, this is not a how to guide. It is also not an amazing adventure of two men and the great outdoors. What this book has to offer is an entertaining journey of two regular guys, who decide to go on a hike along one of the most difficult trails in the United States. I am highly recommending this book, and it will truly leave the reader entertained.
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Summary: Journey to the heart by foot
Review: This book gives a descriptive insight not only into the history and aspects of the Appalacian Trail but also into the culture and requirements of what it is that makes one a true hiker. This book adds hilarious comic relief to the seriousness of hiking this 2,200 mile trail. Although dissapointing at some points, Bryson and Katz are wonderful traveling companions and eventually prove themselves as "mountain-men." The book does have an overflow of history and triteful facts that may become slightly repititious, but overall the book is wonderfully written and completely inspiring to all those who wish to mix up their carpool and Starbucks orientated lives.
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