Rating: 
Summary: 'A Seriously Funny Book'
Review: This book was spectacular. This hilarious book was about encounters on the Appalachian Trail. I'd give this book a 10+ but I only can give it a 5 star rating. If you are into funny adult books, this is one of them. Bill Bryson shows off his hilarious stories in a funny way. I would say that the theme is what people do and think of the Appalation Trail. Bryson is truely a master-mind at great books.
Rating:
Summary: Ready to hit the trail
Review: Read the book flying out of Washington DC. Couldn't wait to get back, check the map and find the closest access to the Appalachian trail near DC and take a look for myself. I'm off there this weekend.I really enjoyed Bill Bryson's experience and the story he told. It made you feel as if you were a part of the team traveling and enjoying the Appalachian trail.
Rating: 
Summary: If you're looking to laugh you're way through a book ...
Review: It was great to laugh while reading a book and A Walk in the Woods definitely made me laugh. From Bryson's description of his hunt for the perfect hiking gear to his overriding fear of bears, I laughed until I cried. I am partial to a wry, cynical sense of humor,however. I was amazed at the amount of research he must have done not only for his hike, but for the book. He digressed frequently to supply facts about historical landmarks, geology, bears, etc. Some of these digressions I found tedious, but that may just be my disinterest in a certain topic. He basically had to make himself the foremost authority on all topics related to the AT. I'm sure he had plenty of time to read while he was out on the trail. Katz was a hilarious and refreshing character. I think he and Bryson were friends because, in many ways, they are eachother's alter egos and were attracted to eachother's personality traits. Where Bryson is organized and fastidious, Katz is impulsive and a slob. Where Bryson is seemingly terrified of mammals larger than he, Katz seems to be almost oblivious of the wildlife. The fact that they were able to accomplish what they did without killing eachother is a tribute to how their personalities seem to mesh together. I'm curious about what Bryson's wife is like. He doesn't mention her much. I really didn't know much at all about the AT before I read this book and I was amazed that Bryson walked over 800 miles and that people actually hike the whole thing. The hardships they endure, which seem to completely change one's priorities (happiness is not having noodles for dinner) is fascinating. I've never gone for more than a day hike and don't believe I would have the temperment to do anything longer because I'm too impatient. What do you suppose they think about while they're hiking day in and day out, hour after hour? That's what boggles my mind. Even if you had someone with you as Bryson did, you'd run out of things to talk about -- as they did -- and maybe not speak for days. I would be interested in reading one of Bryson's other books, simply for the humor
Rating:
Summary: Is good book.
Review: This book really shows Bryson's range, because while I didn't find it quite as funny as some of his other books, it consistently engaged my attention, making me by turns desperate to hike somewhere, too scared of bears to hike anywhere, and furious at people who drive places they could easily walk. (Yes, please do take that personally, and read what this book has to say about it.) It deftly combines genres including humor, memoir, travel writing, and history -- you'll learn a good bit about the origins of and changes to the Appalachian Trail without necessarily realizing you're even reading history. He might not have hiked the whole trail, but he got a great book out of the parts he did hike, and the decisions that went into not finishing.
Rating: 
Summary: Too bad 1 star is the lowest rating...
Review: As a Life Member of the ATC and a back backer who finds himself on the trail several times a year, I usually read everything I find about the trail. This book is insulting to anyone who loves hiking and an affront to southerners. In over 30 years of back packing and hiking, I have never met anyone quite as obnoxious as Mr. Bryson and his condescending hiking mate. Mr. Bryson wasted his time hiking the trail as he doesn't quite understand it's nature or purpose. I suggest you not waste your time reading his book.
Rating:
Summary: Typical, comical, Bryson..........
Review: Bill Bryson is one of the most humorous travel writers of our time. His light, whimisical, and, sometimes, devestatingly acerbic wit, makes each of his efforts a page-turner. In A Walk in the Woods, Bryson recounts his failed attempt, with the hilariously incorrigible Steve Katz in tow, to traverse the Appalachian Trail from south to north. Though Bryson and Katz are unsuccessful, this book, like all his others, is a joy to read. If you're looking for a fun book that can be consumed in short order, try this or any other of Bryson's books.
Rating:
Summary: Laughing All The Way
Review: I read this book aloud to my father on a trip to Virginia right after it came out in Hardback. It had us laughing out loud and heartily all the way there and back. If you are in the least bit interested in the Appalachian Trail you will eat this up. Bryson does a wonderful job of mixing comedy in with fact. One of my favorite books of all time!
Rating:
Summary: Buy it for your Boy Scout
Review: My son hiked a short part of the AT this summer and is now reading this book. It is prompting him to want to finish the trail. One word of caution- give it to your scout AFTER he hikes, not before or he may not want to go! He retells us every chapter and cherishes every word. The "purists" may not like it,but for the rest of us, this is the closest to the trail we will ever get.
Rating:
Summary: A Break from the Norm
Review: Bryson's unique point of view and honest narration makes for an incredibly funny book that also gives a thorough history of the Appalachain trail, an American institution that has been somewhat forgotten. Well worth the read!
Rating:
Summary: Laugh-out-loud fun for hikers and non-hikers alike
Review: Bill Bryson has written a marvelously funny and well-written account of his hike through the Appalachian Trail. His book recounts his adventures and misadventures as he attempted to hike this "granddaddy of all trails", fighting off the terrain, weather, insects, wild animals, and loony locals together with his very ill-equipped and unfit childhood friend Stephen Katz. And while he keeps you laughing with his sarcasm and dry humor, he also makes "a moving plea" to save the last great American forests, critizing the US Forest Service for its continously inane intiatives that seem almost always to do more harm than good. Greatly recommended for anyone looking for a good, funny, interesting read.
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