Rating: 
Summary: Suprisingly good!
Review: I picked this book up while frantically last mintue shopping for Christmas and was a bit apprehensive at the thought of reading about the Appalachian Trail- I thought wrong! This book was hysterical- kept me reading all day and night! The adventures of Bryson and Katz through the trail were very entertaining, and somehow you knew these two would wind up sooner or later taking a "minor" short cut off the trail. I was amazed they lasted as long as they did together! I also found the information about the parks and the forrests rather a nice balance and a bit thought- provoking. On the whole this book is a gas and I highly recommend it to anyone with a sense of adventure and an "eye" for biting commentary!
Rating: 
Summary: It's OK
Review: Well, let's see here, I believe this book was informative and very mirthful, but disappointing. Sure it was the author's own narrative, but it's always a let down when the ending is different than what you expected.
Rating:
Summary: Funny and Informative
Review: I absolutely loved this book. I would often times find my self laughing out loud in public at many passages in this book, My fiance and I are now planning on section hiking the AT, because of this book. I would recomend it to anyone, from people interested in learning a bit more about nature, hiking the AT, or just looking for a giggle. I give this book two thumbs up.
Rating: 
Summary: An Enjoyable Read
Review: Like a lot of readers I was a bit disappointed when the pair pulled off the trail at Gatlinburg. I had known that the whole trail was not going to be walked after I read a negative review of the book when it first came out. That was in our local newspaper and was much like some of the reviews here that are a bit negative. Consequently I did not buy the book however I was lent it by a friend and read it cover to cover and enjoyed it so much I am re-reading it to my wife. I guess you either like Bryson's style or you dont. He does tend to put people and places down but I think you still get a feel for them thru his eyes. We will be visiting Gatlinburg later this year so I can at least check him out on one thing. The characters in the the book make me wonder if they really existed or were charicatures of the sort of peole you might meet on the AT, ( Mary -Ellen, the Yuppies, even Katz ). In the supposed auto biographical book " Fate is the Hunter" Ernest K Gann used a similar technique of utilising vignettes of fellow pilot's experiences. In fairness to Bryson if he was going to that he could have pretended to have done the whole AT. Bottom line is if they pair had done the whole AT it would have made a classic (and much thicker book). As it stands it still reads well and is worth buying or borrowing.
Rating: 
Summary: COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER.....
Review: I was entralled by Bryson's account of his journey with Katz on the trail for the first half of the book. As soon as they skipped from Tennesee to Virginia I knew that something was up. Again, I want to emphasize how hilarious the adventures he and Katz shared in the beginning. But I also want to make clear that Bryson's ramblings about nature and the park service were utterly agonizing. According to Bryson, every tree on the trail is dead or in the process of dying. After trashing every organization and person in the eastern united states, Bryson then rambles on about bears and moose and hypothermia. Can anyone say filler? Then he quits the trail. Then he proceeds to make a series of meaningless day hikes with his car. When he and Katz attempt the Maine section of the trail, the book gets wonderful again. Then Katz gets lost (Why couldn't it have been Bryson?) and then they find each other and quit the trail. Hey Bryson, I think England is calling! Katz is the hero of this book. He deserves every cent Bryson made on this book deal. Katz rules! In essence, selected chapters of this book are priceless. If Bryson and Katz had in fact finished the trail and kept it within the genre of travel literature with a little history in between it would undoubtedly been close to William Least Heat Moon's "Blue Highways" in terms of becoming an immortal classic. But in all fairness to my fellow Americans, don't buy this book. Get it at the library, if at all....
Rating:
Summary: A walk in the woods
Review: This book made me yearn for an adventure in the great outdoors. It also made me think twice before doing such a fool hearty thing! Exciting, humorous, and earthy....this was my kind of book. Read it and enjoy the vacation!
Rating:
Summary: More than just a walk in the woods...
Review: This book sat unopened in my bookcase for a long time. The idea of two overweight, middle-aged guys trying to hike the 2,100 or so mile Appalachian Trail did not seem worth the nearly 300 pages. Not only that, as an AT hiker, it sounded downright disrespectful of that venerable old path through the woods. That changed when I heard my wife laughing out loud - to the point where she had to put the book down to compose herself. My wife, mind you, has never set foot on the AT. My curiosity piqued, I decided to give the book a chance. Not only was the book uproariously funny but the characters were familiar and memorable. When you are spending most of your time on the trail trying to keep the blazes in sight, you don't stay with anyone too long - they are long gone before they become tedious. But the little snippets are great: the equipment guy, the self-absorbed yuppies who are so obnoxious they drive him and Katz out of a shelter on a rainy night and many others are very real and very funny. Best of all is his recovering-alcoholic, Snickers-eating, overweight hiking partner, Katz. His ground-level view of life on the trail and everywhere else is truly refreshing - especially if you happen to be living in New Hampshire during the presidential primary season. The book is also touching - and sometimes disturbing - in its descriptions of man's encroachment on nature and the frequent mismanagement of the AT. Overall,though, the book is very affirming of life in these United States. This is one of the few books that I will probably read twice.
Rating:
Summary: Goodness gracious, great trail (AT) of laughter
Review: I love the outdoors and hiking in particular, so I gravitated naturally to this book. However, I had never read a book written by, or even heard of, Bill Bryson. Let me assure you this will not be the last. I was laughing uproariously by page 3 (while at a skating rink with my children no less) and continued laughing throughout the book. His humor, his hiking companion, and geographic, geologic, and historical facts made this an informative and absolutely histerical read.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful tale of adventure
Review: I read this in excerpt form in OUTSIDE magazine and was hooked. This takes the humor and charm even further. A must read!
Rating:
Summary: Laugh out loud funny!
Review: Very seldom do I read anything that makes me laugh out loud. To do so more than once or twice in a single book almost never happens. With "Walk," I became almost hysterical over certain chapters - in an airport, no less, while waiting for my flight. People must have thought I was nuts! Anyway, this is the story of two middle-aged and out of shape men (Bryson and his buddy, Katz) who decide to hike the Appalachian Trail. The AT is the third longest nature trail in the US, stretching from Georgia to Maine, along some incredibly rough terrain. Not all of their journey is rustic, however, as they often take a break to spend a night in the closest little town off the trail to have a shower, sleep in a "real" bed, and wash the grime from their clothes. It is during one such trip to the laundromat that Katz has a rather interesting encounter with 300 lb. Beaulah, her extra-large-sized panties, and a washing machine. Aside from the comical adventures, Bryson also has a great deal to say about the AT itself, and in particular, how much the National Parks Service needs a giant kick in the pants to help preserve these Trails.
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