Rating: 
Summary: "Laugh And Learn"
Review: This is a nature book for non-nature people. Really works because it deals with two guys who are not experienced hikers. The writing is down to earth and loaded with wise crack observations. Bryson's companion, Katz, rules! If there is one man who shouldn't be hiking the AT, it's him. All along the way the two encounter all sorts of bizzare, interesting and friendly people. Mary Ellen was the best! Perhaps THE MOST ANNOYING WOMAN ON THE PLANET! The scenes with her were a riot! Bryson's observations on the Trail, its flora and fauna, its history, its future are done wonderfully. He does a good job of putting you on the AT, going through blizzards and heatwaves, sleeping in rickety wooden shelters buried in the woods and walking through little unheard of towns along the Trail. The book drags for a bit about 3/4 of the way through when Bryson hits Pennsylvania. Probably because PA is the worst part of the Trail. But his exploits there end with a hysterical scene where he's dealing with a security guard who thinks his badge gives him the right to act like Idi Amin. Want to know all about the AT? Get this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Appalachian Trail Lite
Review: This is an outstanding, often hilarious book about the author's attempt to walk the Appalachian Trail in 1996. He pokes fun at the folks he meets, at himself, and especially at his backpacking companion. The scenes he describes with Katz are great, some of the funniest moments in the book. The image of Katz trying to pack and then putting on his oversized backpack for the first time with misc. things dangling from it, was laugh-out-loud funny. Their misadventures only escalate from there. Bryson lived in England for 20 years and I think this is why he's such a successful humorist - he has that classic (often smug) "British wit" down pat.Balanced with the humor are more serious moments, where Bryson relates a great deal of history about the Appalachian Trail. Obviously he performed a great deal of research for these sections of the book. The end result is that his travels are steeped in history as he melds facts together in an engaging way. More sobering are numerous concerns he raises about the ecology and the damage we have already inflicted onto our environment. The natural wonders of the Appalachian Trail still remain under serious threat - no thanks to the sometimes-negligent, often-harmful actions of the National Park Service and the USDA Forest Service. One thing I wish I had known beforehand: Bryson only walked a little over a third of the 2100+ mile Appalachian Trail and this isn't really mentioned in the glowing editorial reviews or synopsis on the back cover. I was in a little bit of disbelief at first when Bryson and Katz, after completing their first significant leg of the Trail, casually decide to skip to Virginia because they aren't enjoying themselves quite so much in Tennessee. The trip breaks down soon after and sort of becomes a "Highlights" or "Best of" the AT - Bryson visits much of the intermediate and northern half of the Trail on day-hikes or short, sporadic overnight treks. This seems to have raised a lot of discontent among many die-hard AT fans and true thruhikers who know the Trail intimately. Indeed, the AT has its own unique counterculture and camaraderie among thruhikers and Bryson mentions surprisingly little about this - perhaps in all his erratic day-trips and skipping around, he somehow managed to miss it. This is a shame, because I would have enjoyed Bryson's humorous input on this aspect of the AT. The anecdotes, history, and concerns meld together, creating one of the best books I've read in the past year. I forced this book onto many of my friends and colleagues, a varied collection of people who thoroughly enjoyed it, only a few of them serious backpackers. I recommend it highly and think that it has great appeal to a wide audience. It's an excellent starting point for those who don't know much about the AT but want to learn more (there is a healthy-sized bibliography included in the back). For those wanting an equally humorous but more introspective and complete look at the experience of walking the Appalachian Trail, I would recommend Robert Alden Rubin's "On the Beaten Path: An Appalachian Pilgrimage."
Rating:
Summary: Bryson is funny and has a green heart
Review: This is the second Bill Bryson book I have read ("Notes From a Small Island" was the other) so I knew I was guaranteed much wry and spot-on humour, together with eccentric experiences and out-of-the-usual travel reminiscing. He did not fail to live up to these expectations. He is so adept at making you feel like you live in the moment with him as he encounters both the banal and the sublime. This book truly treasures the Appalachian Trail, while not hiding its frustrations and mundaneness. There is also much in the way of interesting factual information which serves as a compelling case for environmental advocacy. I am certain most who treasure the environment will find much to cheer about, and much to rue, in this book, as I did.
Early on, Bryson forgoes any perfectionistic desire to complete his hike of the whole trail and instead is content to hike part of it, and in so doing, shows us both its mysteries and challenges together with its beauty. It also takes some of the pressure off him and us, as he is content to enjoy the walk rather than try and accomplish something for its own sake.
He has written a very entertaining story which does service to both the environment in America and the gift of human companionship, walking the shrinking Appalachian woods with his hilarious hiking buddy, Katz. American culture is always an easy target for a skilled humourist and Bryson is good at poking fun where it is due, and pointing out the sad lack of appreciation for natural beauty among much of the American public.
The end result of reading this book, as I am sure it has been for many others, is that it fed my desire to explore more of the outdoors, appreciate what we have and fight to keep it.
Rating: 
Summary: Uncovers some effects of civilization...
Review: Though his book isn't the best book I've read in a while, it was entertaining and did make me walk to start hiking for often. The parts a appreciated most however dealt with the US Forest Service, logging, road building, acid rain, and hunting owls, lions, and bears for bounties. He cites some good sources for information on the destruction of the forests of North America, but fails to deal with the destruction of the planet as a global phenomenon. He also fails to connect the problem with choices being made by people--especially people just like him. While I learned something from his story, there is much more to be said about the violence of our culture and the demise of the natural world.
Rating:
Summary: Hold on to your sides...
Review: Truly a funny book. I am not known as an "outdoor" gal, but after reading this wonderful book, I just might try a stroll along the trail. Laughing out loud is so good for one's soul. This author has a terrific way with words and situations--you want to be there and meet these wacky people. I, too, would have opted for a motel every 3 days or so. Am planning on reading more of Bryson's work whenever I travel. I have given this book to many friends, who have enjoyed it and passed it on to others.
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