Rating: 
Summary: "you left the little debbies?!?!"
Review: i listened to the unabridged audio version of this book while on a cross-country drive and found it was an extremely humorous and pleasant way to pass the time. bryson has an anthropologist's eye for extracting the meaning from the small behaviors of people he meets along the way (and there is certainly an interesting cast of characters). he intermingles tales of his journey with details of the appalachian trail's history and present enviromental condition. the best parts of the book are definitely his own personal tales of encounters with his hiking companion, katz, as well as with other hikers and townspeople, all of whom he describes with humor AND affection. this was certainly not a book that consists of arrogant quips at hapless victims, as some other reviewers suggest. and if you are thinking of getting this in audio format, bryson has an excellent reading voice. as far as quality listening material, this book is certainly on par with a superior piece from "this american life" or david sedaris' really good stuff.
Rating: 
Summary: Stop picking on Stephen, and concentrate on the trail!
Review: I received the unabridged audio version of this for a birthday present last year. After reading a little over three quarters of the way through, I gave up. Bryson alternates between boring lectures about day-hikes, and rants on things as diverse as the poorness of trail maps, and the unending decisions to make about hiking gear. Then, along comes Katz, an even more overweight and eccentric figure than Bryson himself (who has to eat five times every hour to ward off seizures brought on by overdosing on drugs and alcohol?) But, just when you begin to feel sorry for the pair, Katz makes an ass of himself by throwing almost all their necesaries over a cliff in favor of a lighter backpack. I will admit, though, that I wanted to smack Bill for his utter lack of compassion when it came to Katz's ineptitude about every aspect of the trail. I Also hated the insolent, abnoxious, immature humor which riddled most of this writing, although, again, I confess that, like so many other readers, I think Bryson saves much of his best work for the beginning chapters, in order to force the reader to keep slogging through, in case of another jewel of actual commedy. The only reason I awarded this trash 2 stars is the interesting bits about the history and flora of the trail itself, although I wish he had spent more time and focused more energy on hiking, rather than disparaging his fellow traveler, who was in dire straights as it was without further abuse being heaped upon him. One more word about Bryson: he is extremely smug and arrogant. You can hear it in his voice when he reads his own work; it's that obvious.
Rating: 
Summary: A Hiker's Prospective
Review: I read Bryson's A Walk In The Woods as I hiked the Appalachian trail in the summer of 2003, retracing the author's steps. Bryson is right on with all of his observations, this book depicts life on the A.T. more realistically than anything else that I have read, and does it in a very entertaining and witty way. The characters that Bryson meets are great, well developed and extremely interesting and unpredictable. I can not say enough good things about this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Walk/Ride in the Woods
Review: The reader below who complained about Bryson missed the subtle irony and satire in the book. Yes, its true: Bryson failed. He never accomplished his goal. But the journey from dream to failure is what makes the book so funny. I loved this book...to a point. About 3/4 of the way, it just dies. I'd recommend reading it all the way until he gets home (the first time).
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining
Review: Though it had its share of disappointments, I did enjoy this book. Bryson tells his story of hiking sections of the Appalachian Trail with creativity and humor, though I must say I appreciated his description of preparing for the trail even more than I did the trail itself. At some points he incorporates too many historical and geological facts into his writing, which may bore readers. Whether he is justified in claiming that he did actually hike the AT can be argued. Many times I felt the book to be abrupt and jumpy, skipping for trail to suburbia and back to trail again in a matter of sentences. I'm not sure if the portion of the title referring to "rediscovering America" is appropriate: I expected Bryson to develop deeper relationships and make more meaningful evaluations of those he met on the trail, rather than resorting to stereotypes. Nevertheless, I was entertained by this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A "Ride" in the Woods
Review: If you like "hiking" stories with a lot of car renting, hitchhiking and cab riding, this one is for you. This guy is supposed to be hiking, but for some reason, he just can't stay out of automobiles. I would have enjoyed an audio book about serious hiking, or a self-effacing book about humorous hiking misadventures, but this guy actually considers himself an accomplished hiker, even after quitting the trail. And it's all delivered in a condescending tone toward Southerners, the poor, The Forest Service, the Park Service the Boy Scouts and anyone else he doesn't care for. This book is supposed to be funny, and it is. Sadly, I was laughing AT the author, not with him. I can just picture this LL Bean wearing latte sipper and his fat buddy, stumbling through the woods with little notebooks, making enough noise to wake the dead, all the while keeping a keen eye out for a Holiday Inn Express. I highly recommend skipping this.
Rating:
Summary: A hilarious and enjoyable novel
Review: Bryson's A Walk in the Woods was genuinely comical, inspiring, and educational. Bryson is your average Joe that embarked upon the most physically and mentally exhausting Appalachian Trail. In comparison, Bryson hiking in the wilderness is like Crocodile Dundee in New York City. He didn't know much of what to do with himself. He soon learned that experience can't be replaced by reading a book.
Also, along for the ride was his old friend Katz, whom had accompanied Bryson on a backpacking trip through Europe. Katz is a prime candidate for the Appalachian Trail. He is extremely overweight, must eat Snickers, and thrives on Little Debbie's. A feeling of embarrassment comes over you when you wonder whether these two "yahoos" know what they're getting themselves into. But you don't seem to care when you realize that these to guys are a walking comedy show. Katz's extreme sarcasm and short temper will leave you laughing and begging for more, meanwhile Bryson seems to "egg" Katz on and thrive upon frustrating him. He and Bryson, together, provide a great combination. Along with the comedy are the fun facts that we learn about our nation's wildlife. Bryson provides us with fascinating information that makes you wonder why it isn't more common knowledge, rather it is extremely trivial.
The story is a quick read with only one or two slow spots, one of which is towards the end, as Bryson takes a break from telling trail tales and seems to give us an overwhelming amount of History on the Appalachian Trail. But don't get me wrong, overlooking these sections would be a mistake. The information he provides us with is truly amazing and will put you in awe of our nation's wildlife. By far this is the most hilarious and enjoyable story I have read. Bryson has also written a few other novels that, after reading a walk in the woods, I absolutely must read.
Rating:
Summary: Save a tree
Review: The work is just disappointing as a whole. Bryson quits the AT just south of the Smokies and from that point through the remainder of the book, his failure is reflected in his writing. He proceeds to criticize the park service, forest service, and various subsets of our (american) culture. He has the brass to end the book by stating that he did indeed complete the AT. I recommend seeing the AT for yourself rather than through Bryson's ill-tempered rants.
Rating:
Summary: Notes from a Small Hiking Trip
Review: Fans of Bill Bryson familiar with his style and wit will not be disappointed with this effort. "A Walk in the Woods" is a great book (really two books), and Bryson does a good job intertwining them both.The first "book" is Bryson's recounting of his decision to hike the Appalachian Trail, or AT, and the many adventures and misadventures that journey provided. The highlight of this part of the book has to be his interaction with childhood friend Steven Katz, his hiking companion. Katz brought a hilarious "funny man" personality to Bryson's "straight man." From the moment he steps off the plane to the end of the book, Katz brings much comic relief. And that was needed, because the second "book" Bryson provides is a history of the AT itself, along with stories about different points along the AT. While informative, these sections of the book definitely lack the same appeal as those that include hiking companion Katz. Indeed, for a section of the book Bryson and Katz go their separate ways, and it seemed the story lost a bit of steam. It was a welcome relief when Katz reappeared further on... As is typical with Bryson, he manages to intersperse periods of sobering thought along with the large doses of humor. Including are scathing criticisms of the National Park Service, for its numerous instances of environmental mismanagement, and of the behavior and mindset of our own citizens in decades past (e.g., the state of West Virginia used to offer a college scholarship to whomever killed the most wildlife in a season). Brilliant ideas like that led to the extinction of several species, like the mountain lion and the Carolina Parakeet. But Bryson manages to tie this all together into one entertaining read, and one you are sure to enjoy. After finishing it, I was inspired to go a little hiking myself. The only problem was, I was afraid I might run into Mary Ellen! (After you read the book, you'll know what I mean...) Definitely good stuff from Bryson. Four stars.
Rating:
Summary: misleading
Review: While there were some interesting and humorous stories in this book, overall it is a bad joke! Bryson basically had a book contract to write about his journey on the trail. He realized he had bitten off much more than he could chew, so he spent most of the book rationalizing how, via day hikes, he really, well sort of, well maybe, hiked the trail. His attitude towards and description of other hikers and local folk was also incredibly ethnocentric! He came across as a New England Yankee snob. He did not even come close! Sorry, but his publisher should have told him, "hike the trail or no book."
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