Rating: 
Summary: Five Stars but PG13
Review: Bill Bryson's book helped me to relive many jaunts of my own along the Appalachian Trail. His descriptions of conditions along the trail ring true to what I remember as a younger hiker, though it sounds as if there has been damage and deterioration to some of the ecology since my days. He wrote a "double book" in that he shared the story within the story about his friend and hiking companion, and their human interactions while dealing with the frustrations and awe-struck moments together. I appreciated his sense of humor as well as word pictures warning of the realities of the trail. The only thing that would prevent me from referring this book to "General Audiences" is that in some cases his language was a bit too colorful - if realistic - to hand copies around to my young grandsons or granddaughters. That's a real shame as I feel certain they would enjoy and benefit from the rest of the well-told story.
Rating: 
Summary: Starts hilarious, ends mundane...
Review: This book had me laughing out loud in the first 30-50 pages, then, it tunred boring--like reading someone you don't know's diary. Blah, blah, blah. Where did the humor go?
Rating: 
Summary: Highly overrated self congratulatory trek
Review: Bill Bryson was ill prepared for a hike of 2000 miles heading north on the Appalachian Trail. His old high school buddy was even less equipped. I found the book boring and not at all funny. Bryson's writing style evidences an attitude of contempt toward fellow hikers and a complete disrespect for the rigors of the Trail It is no surprise that neither man was able to complete the trek. It is only fortunate that no one was seriously injured, the physically out of shape writer and pal or other hikers. I still wonder why Bryson wrote this book. Tim of Glen Alan, Virginia has expressed many of my reactions to "A Walk in the Woods." If you want to learn about America, read Charles Kurault. If you want humor, read Roy Blount, Jr.
Rating: 
Summary: Lots of walking!
Review: Bill Bryson can sometimes be too cute for my liking, but his style works well in this book. With his sometimes trusty sidekick Katz, who is totally out of his element here, the two decide to hike the Adirondack Trail from Georgia to Maine. Bryson keeps things light and breezy, but at the same time, the difficulties of such an undertaking are shown; the cold, the rain and snow, and the anxieties about getting lost and running into wild animals. There are many interesting and humorous moments here, getting a wild ride from a young couple in Georgia, having a woman tag along with them and drive them crazy, staying with many others in a slummy bunkhouse, Katz disappearing in the middle of nowhere and so on. After a long time hiking and checking the map to see that they had not travelled far at all, one could really appreciate the vast distance they had to walk. Bryson more than once says that the walk was monotonous and pointless in many ways, which is why he eventually had to skip many sections. His walk in the coal mining country of Pennsylvania was among the most interesting, especially the town with fault cracks throughout. Living in a New England college town Bryson goes a bit overboard with his uneasiness about "rednecks" but his comments are made in fun and it's more about being a fish out of water than anything else. This book is just a fun read, and if approached in this way it is enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: All quiet on the Appalachian Trail
Review: This book was written in the style of John McPhee and even quoting him once in a while. It includes facts and people like "The Perfect Storm." Then Bill Bryson adds first hand personal experiences. You can identify with his comments that do not have to be funny to be familiar. This book recounts Bill Bryson's experiences on the Appalachian Trail. The dry facts can be picked up through other material. However the personal experiences are just that, personal. If you have never been hiking then you still get a feel for what you have missed. However if you have hiked then you can really appreciate the people he met, and circumstances that he went through. There are hikers and then there are hikers. In the Boy Scouts you are usually in a well-organized group, in the military you have to be more cautious of objects and terrain, Sierra Club and Outward Bound have their unique points of view. So if his experience is different, it still makes for fun reading. I even liked the sections on selecting and using the equipment. I am afraid if I had met Bill Bryson on the trail; I would have been one of those "equipment comparing" people. Anyway do not expect an epic and you will enjoy the time you spend reading this book. Oh, and it does make me want to go hiking.
Rating:
Summary: You can judge this book by its cover.
Review: Why does a book about the Appalachian Trail have a picture of a grizzly bear on cover? A bear that, as the author correctly points out, does not inhabit the Eastern United States. Likewise, the content of the book is something of a fraud in that Mr. Bryson didn't hike the entire trail. His humorous sytle of writing is quite entertaining -- at first. But like a sharp peeble in otherwise comfortable boots, his scornful treatment of so many people, especially Southerners he deems less intelligent than himself, wore me out. Didn't he meet anyone worthy of compliment on the trail? Less distasteful, but annoying nonetheless, is when Bryson figuratively wanders off trail and provides a superficial look at a number of environmental issues -- what is happening to the balds in the Smoky Mountains, for instance. The science behind his thoughts on these subjects is dubious or missing altogether. Fortunately, these passages become recognizable after the first two or three and it becomes easy to scan past them. While many people may enjoy A Walk in the Woods, I don't think that I have read a book that has managed to offend me on so many different levels.
Rating:
Summary: Not a hiker, not even outdoorsy, but I loved it!
Review: I've never been hiking, ever. But somehow, after reading Bryson's hilaroius (if that can even accurately describe it) account of his obsesssion and consequent hike of the historic Appalachian Trail, I wanted to run out and hike it myself! It has laugh out loud moments....some funny encounters with a couple of glowing eyes in the night, other hikers, and a few funny locals. It's also very poignant....a real look at the state of our national park system and the wildlife it attempts to maintain (or not). A good read for all, young and old, bookworms or not, outsdoorsy or not....all can appreciate Bryson's "dave barry-esque" humor.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: No matter who you are or what your walk of life, you are doomed to get an A+ kick out of Bill Bryson's A Walk In the Woods. I am a sucker for humor, but not too much humor, so Bryson's story was perfect. I found myself laughing out loud, and smirking at some of his more bittersweet jokes. Not only is A Walk In the Woods a great adventure for the guys and an emotional-filled stroll for the gals, it is also an amazing wake-up call for everyone. Bryson intwined a lot of scary facts in his book about the horrendous conditions of the American forests. Don't fret; these facts didn't bore out the book. Bryson is too good of a writer to let his book be dull. But they did make the book permanently imprint my mind. In fact, his astounding revelations of the carelessness of the Forest and Park Services promted me to write a letter to Congress about how park bills NEED to be passed. Look, plain and simple, it is a great story with great characters and wonderful writing. Read it or you'll regret it later.
Rating:
Summary: A Walk in the Woods is a Breath of Fresh Air
Review: What a great book! For all of us who would love to hike the trail but can't, for whatever reason or excuse, this is a good way to experience it. You get a first hand account of what hiking the AT really entails (discomfort, hunger, dampness, fear, loathing, joy, satisfaction, exhaustion..)and plenty of interesting history to bolster what you are "seeing" as you make your way along the trail. This is life on the Appalachian Trail and Bryson brings it to us with verve and wit. Yes, he and his buddy Steve are over weight and out of shape but that doesn't stop them. And neither does meeting obnoxious people on the trail. There's Mary Ellen for a start, fascinating as a multi car pile up. It's nasty but you can't look away. (Bill and Steve graciously put up with her way longer than I would have.) As for stealing shoe laces from another hiker's boots who showed a gross lack of trail etiquette or consideration for anyone else? I would have taken the boots!! But all these details aside, Bill Bryson has a keen wit that will sustain through the highs and lows of his hike. He'll make you want to go out and buy all the gear and go hike the trail. A funny highly readable book. I highly recommend this one.
Rating:
Summary: Perfectly Hilarious
Review: This book is a slice of perfection. It's a hilarious travel book that will have you rolling with laughter. Bill Bryson's wry humor and delightful anecdotes make this book the best I have ever read. BUY THIS BOOK. You will not regret it.
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