Rating: 
Summary: A Walk In the Woods
Review: I feel compelled to write a GOOD review of this book after reading some of the negative ones listed here. Nowhere on or in this book does it claim to be a "how-to" or the definitive work on the AT--what it does claim is to recount one man's experiences with the Trail and the people he meets and to be as one reviewer put it: 'choke on your coffee funny' and I couldn't agree more. I read a lot and very rarely do I laugh out loud at a book and I did with A Walk in the Woods-A LOT. I am not a serious hiker, don't claim to be--though I have in fact read an issue or two of Outside Magazine--but I thoroughly enjoyed Bill Bryson's account of HIS adventures.
Rating: 
Summary: Preachy and supercilious
Review: Bill Bryson rarely has anything positive to say, whether he is pontificating on the Forest Service's weaknesses, or making rude and disparaging judgments about every small town "fortunate" enough to host him as a visitor. (Except for precious Hanover, NH) He is at best condescending, at worst an elitist snob.
He didn't have that much to teach about the woods, beyond his obsession with bears and government mismanagement, and I found his pages of spouting to be so slanted and subjective that I didn't even trust his factual writing.
Then, to cap it off, after dabbling in parts of the AT, he and his buddy declare at the end: "I don't care what anyone says, we have hiked the Appalachian Trail." Pshaa! Tell that to someone who has truly done the trail, with respect, from beginning to end~ the nerve.
I read this book cover to cover, sometimes enjoying the humor, but found Bryson's tone and attitude so irritating that even the humor was like nasty and relentless teasing... who, in good conscience, can laugh at that?
Rating:
Summary: Not for hikers
Review: I felt obligated to write a negative review when I saw that this book still has a four star average. While entertaining enough to finish, it was disapointing. If you have ever read an issue of Outside or Backpacker magazine, let alone Edward Abbey, you will probably be offended by many aspects of this book. I would recommend reading all the other reviews sorted from lowest rating first before paying money for it.
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious and fun to read!
Review: I heard someone mention a book by Bill Bryson. Curious, I checked Amazon for Bryson's book but ordered this one instead (I love the outdoors and have been on parts of the Appalachian trail).Was I pleasantly surprised! I found myself laughing out loud from the start of the book to the end. The book is a great blend of writing about the outdoors, people, history, and adventure. On a serious note, the book is a lengthy critique of how we pretty much systematically trash the world and the peculiar way Americans relate to nature (and to living our lives, really). It's the first book I've read in a long time that didn't give me a headache at some point before I finished. I don't know what that means, but it's true.
Rating:
Summary: A Fun Companion
Review: Simply put, this is a thoroughly entertaining and nourishing read. This was my first Bryson book and I look forward to reading some of his other extended essays on traveling and language. Actually, to label this title a travel essay is to be somewhat smug. Bryson is clearly no jock or major naturalist which made the telling of his odyssey through the Appalachian Trail all the more enjoyable and relatable. He's a good storyteller with a sharp wit and keen appreciation for the idiosyncratic behavior of those he stumbles across in the woods. Here's a writer with enough enthusiasm for history to keep things 'nourishing' as I said yet is self-concious enough not to overwhelm us with facts and environmental issues. I must say that the most enjoyable sections of the book were those which relayed his experiences alongside his sometimes-companion "Katz", the overweight junk-food junkie who joins him throughout the southern and northernmost sections of the trail. A wonderful 'trek' recorded with lots of self-effacing humor and compassion.
Rating:
Summary: A Delightfully Informative Account of Life on the AT
Review: Bill Bryson delivers a delightful and informative account of life on the Appalachian Trail in his book, A Walk in the Woods. His descriptions of people whom he and his old friend Katz encounter on the trail are hilarious. Mr. Bryson celebrates the adventurous human spirit while he walks the reader through the AT and all of its splendor. The author often shares his wealth of knowledge on the history of the AT, and he impresses upon the reader the importance and urgency of the conservation of America's wilderness and natural resources.
Rating: 
Summary: A Walk In The Woods - Re-visited
Review: While this is DEFINITELY NOT a how-to book, much can be learned from this outrageously funny book of trail tales, mostly about what happens when disaster meets determination along the Appalachian trail. When this came out, I bought it to pass the time on a plane trip from Portland, Oregon to Orlando with my manager who NEVER laughs. I gave it to him instead, and he laughed all the way to Florida!
Rating:
Summary: A nice walk
Review: Bryson did a good job in detailing his trips into the hills to walk the AT. He uses humor, clear language and has no problem poking as much fun at himself as he does at others. The one part I am a little disappointed with is the start of Part 2 when Katz heads home and Bryson starts his day hikes. Nothing you can do about that I suppose. Overall a great read for the train, plane or automobile.
Rating:
Summary: An introspective walk
Review: A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson. Recommended. Bill Bryson is known for his wry humour, and this is my first experience of it. Bryson gets it into his head to walk the famous Appalachian Trail. He is joined in this venture by Stephen Katz, an alcoholic, troubled, overweight friend who's an unlikely candidate as a hiker/mountain man but who, with his many foibles, adds a much-needed personal touch. Bryson covers a lot of territory-literally and figuratively. He talks briefly about the birth and history of the trail, hazards that range from bears and lethal viruses to unforgiving weather and deranged murderers, the decline of forest species, acid rain, the maps developed of the trail, its disputed length, the shelters along the way, the Forest Service's love affair with road building, the National Park Service's love affair with inefficiency and mismanagement, the people they meet on the trail and off the trail in small towns and tourist trap cities, pack weight, food, and how what you do is walk. We also learn a great deal about Katz that make him both likeable and not at all likeable. I suspect he is someone who is interesting and funny to read about, but who is infuriating in real life. His nonchalance when Bryson is convinced there are bears nearby is a high point. Bryson is charming, witty, aggravating, and snobbish. If you can see the humorous side of bureaucracy, small-town and rural America, and what was once known as Yuppiedom, you will appreciate his running commentary on The downside of the book is that it hits an anticlimax shy of 2/3 through and never recovers. Perhaps this is symbolic of how walking the trail is. This is not an Appalachian Trail "how-to" book, nor is it for the serious hiker or nature lover who expects to find out vicariously what it's like to hike the trail. It's a dryly funny commentary on humanity that happens to be a walk in the woods. Diane L. Schirf, 16 March 2002.
Rating:
Summary: Romance of walking
Review: Despite their tales of deprivation, Walking in the Woods has rekindled my desire to hit the trails. At the minimum its triggered me to purchase two local trail books (Walking Places in DC and a Virginia Trails book) and a walking log (American Health Planner). I confess that my copy of Walking Through the Woods was loaned to me... but I heartily recommend it for purchase. My wife wondered what I was giggling about. I would read her the segment, and then she still wondered,... perhaps, because the giggles come from the wonderful context the author puts us in. You had to be there and with Bryson, I feel like I am there... trudging, on a dubious of mission of sorts, with a peculiar side kick, becoming more manly, experiencing the absurd, living life. It's good.
| 
