Rating: 
Summary: Review the reviewers
Review: After reading this book from cover to cover one can certainly question the quality of reviews for this title. In fact, I would go so far as to challenge those who reviewed this book to determine if in fact they ever read the whole book. In my opinion, most never read beyond the third chapter. Had they, it would have been nearly impossible to give this book more than one star.
Rating: 
Summary: rings very true for the reader who has done any hiking....
Review: Sure - it's no Into Thin Air, but I don't think that's what Bryson intended. The book spoke to me mostly because of our family's own hiking experiences in the White Mtns. When Bryson described the feeling of elation you get from removing a 40-lb pack from your back and taking a few steps, I knew exactly what he meant. When he described a hiker's gradual descent into total disgustingness from several days on the trail without a shower (and not caring), I understood completely. When he wrote about the sheer joy of a hot shower and "toilette" after those several days, I nodded in total agreement. But most importantly, I thought he did a wonderful job communicating the expanse of this country and the beauty of its forests and mountains that you can only really understand when you're out in it. I don't think the book has a wide audience appeal because of that. But anyone who has undertaken even a few days' hike in the woods with a load on his back and enthusiasm in his heart will recognize many of Bryson's experiences and sentiments as his own.
Rating: 
Summary: A good read for everyone from the nonhiker to the thruhiker!
Review: As an avid hiker myself, I went to this book as something of a subjective guide to the AT. While that's not what I found, I enjoyed every minute. I was amused at the bumbling stupidity of Bryson and Katz in the woods. I encourage those who didn't seem to appreciate it to take another look. Judge the book for what it is, not what it's not.
Rating: 
Summary: Humorous, Worth a Look
Review: Would I have bought this book had I know Bryson actually walked less than 40 percent of the trail? Not likely. But it was his honest, humorous description of the woods, cities, and people I enjoyed and would recommend. Tell me you don't honestly think of Deliverance while driving through the rural South, or have ever been overwhelmed by a tourist city like Gatlinburg. Relatable side-trip stories like these and Bryson's buddy Katz make this book worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: A good walk but a few miles short!
Review: An enticing read; I have had my fires stoked and now believe I want to try the trail, in some fashion, for myself. Only criticisms are what I felt were left out. Minutiae, quite likely, but the sort of stuff that makes the journey (for me) all the more real and satisfying. I would have enjoyed some graphics (a drawing of a typical shelter, a picture of a favored overlook, a map detailing where Katz may have wandered off the trail in Maine, etc.). I'd like to know "little" things: more about the bugs that plague a journey like this; was there trash (styrofoam/beer bottles/cigarette butts/etc. that tarnished the walk?; what did Katz look like (why not a single, simple pic!?) or some genuinely useable info on what gear for the AT journey he'd recommend -- afterall, Bryson is now an expert! What of Mrs. Bryson; the woman (left behind, alone, with the weight of family matters) has to have a wonderful take on life! What is the expansive quiet like on the AT? What does a pitch black star-filled sky do to a soul who toils these miles? Perhaps these are things I must find for myself -- and I may -- but they'd represent the only "faults" I found with this book. Finally, during the journey, Bryson suggests in a few places that he would end a long, tiring day with a smoke. Well, smoke "what"? Cigarettes seemed so incongruent. Pot -- I doubted it. I needed to get nearly to the end of the book before I learned Bryson appreciated the briar! Since I do, also, I site this as an example of the low-key but colorful touch I missed with this read. A pipe on the trail seems a nice fit! I may not be as much of a tree-hugger as Mr. Bryson (he does get a bit environmentally over-exercised) but I do believe I'd have thoroughly enjoyed this "walk in the the woods" with him!
Rating:
Summary: It stinks !
Review: Yes I have read the book and I don't think it was well written. The story is quiet simple and the language too basic. If you are looking for excitement this is not the book for you...
Rating:
Summary: I wanted to throw this book across the room.
Review: If you are a Christian person and love the great wilderness that God has given us you will dispise this book, although I do have to admit I was taken in with it for the first seven chapters. In the eight chapter I lost all respect for this man. Mr Bryson bashes the great state of Tennessee for trying to pass a law to prevent the teaching in their schools of EVOLUTION. At the same time he decides to rent a car and skip the trail from Gatlinburg, TN to Virginia. In my opinion, which I rarley ever give, I would have kept my personal opinions about religion vs evolution to myself. He also belittles every single person that is mentioned in this book with small exception of the lady at the AT Conference office/store in Harpers Ferry, WV. This is the first book I've read by Mr. Bryson and it will be my last. I'm just sorry that I spent 25.00 for it.
Rating:
Summary: If you're a purist, this book is not for you
Review: If you're a purist this book is not for you. As a devoted hiker, having hiked extensively in the "Boundary Waters" of northern Minnesota, I too winced at the careless littering of Bryson and his buddy Katz. I was taught that what you cannot carry out with you, you bury; and what you bury had better be biodegradable. But I think the one star reviwers are taking themselves and the book much too seriously. This book is not a how-to guide to the AT. It's exactly what is implied in the subtitle: a "walk" in the woods. It's a tale of two woefully out of shape and unprepared guys trying to hike the AT and the uproariosly funny evnts that result. As someone who will probably never get to hike the Apalachian Trail, I appreciated the scenery he described as well as the humor.
Rating:
Summary: Neither a serious hike nor a serious book
Review: So Mr. Bryson is not a serious hiker, but I thought the hiking he did was worth the effort. So Mr. Bryson is not a biologist, but reading the middle portion of the book dealing with his understanding of the biology of the Appalachian Trail motivated me to pull out some of my college biology texts. The only thing at which Mr. Bryson is an expert is writing, and this book is a very funny, easy read. The message for me in this book is that if you aren't able to walk the entire trail, you might find that what you are able to accomplish contains its own rewards. Many pages of this book are so funny you will laugh out loud. I recommend this book to anyone who may be thinking about hiking the AT.
Rating:
Summary: Not for everyone..only about 99% of us
Review: I realized, after reading the first couple of chapters, that I was going to love this book, but not for the reason I originally wanted to read it. I wanted to read a comprehensive guide to the AT with the idea of doing a thru hike after I retire; what I got was an "everyman's guide to the AT," which was far more entertaining than informative. Those elitist hikers who criticized the book for not being written specifically for them (probably about 1% of all hikers judging from the reviews I just read) really do need to lighten up and get a life....both terms seen frequently in the reviews. There are plenty of thorough and informative books on hiking the trail...this just happens not be one of them. I downgraded from 5 stars for 2 reasons. The first is his bit of hypocracy regarding the environment...on the one hand being critical of a number of branches of the government for their lack of concern for nature and on the other hand joking about littering the trail with their stuff and never once apologizing for it. The other reason is that I really wanted him to hike Mt. Katahdin so I could get his perspective on it's difficulty. I was immensely disappointed that he never made it. But overall, this a funny, well written, semi-informative book and reads easily and quickly.
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