A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (Official Guides to the...

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail) | Bill Bryson | Absolutely side splitting

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A Walk in the Wood...

	A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail) Bill Bryson Broadway, 1999 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 965 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

In Many Ways, His Best Effort

I've read all but three of Bryson's books, and of his travel narratives ('The Lost Continent,' 'Notes from a Small Island,' 'Neither Here Nor There,' and 'Down Under') this is probably his best one. In 'A Walk in the Woods' the author assumes the role of the lay woodsman, fitting because that's what many of us are or have the potential to be: up for a spot of hiking and camping, but in no way experts on nature or surviving in the great outdoors.

Bryson teams up with his old college friend and travel companion Steven Katz (who Bryson fans will remember from 'Neither Here Nor There') and the two of them - without so much as a leg stretch - attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail through 14 states and 2100 miles. As the reader quickly discovers, they are woefully unprepared. As usual, Bryson freely expresses his opinion on a host of topics ranging from human encroachment of the trail to the less than stellar record of its upkeep, and good for him. Someone has to. But he also gives praise where it's due. And he is funny (as always) not to mention rather good with words. The dynamic between him and his travel companion alone makes this book worth reading. Five stars.

Troy Parfitt, author

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Absolutely side splitting

What do you get when two over-weight, middle-aged men tackle the Appalachian Trail and one lives to write about it? Well, actually both lived, but only one wrote. You get a thoroughly enjoyable read that allows you to laugh out loud! As one who loves to hike, but also knows her limits, (I did a modicum of the Appalachian Trail and had an instant respect for all that could go wrong), I empathised with Bryson and his companion. You wouldn't get me out there in a tent in the dark with bears. Uh uh. I especially enjoyed his experience in the outfitting store as he made his selections of hiking equipment. To say that one can get sticker shock is an understatement. But to go with shoddy equipment is asking for trouble. I was told that good hikers build their wardrobe from the ground up. If your boots are cheap, you're dead right out of the gate.

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Great read

This was an outstanding read...I really enjoyed it from start to finish. It has just a pleasant mix of amusement with serious facts strewn about in between and really was a motivation to get out there!

All quiet on the Appalachian Trail

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.

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Hit and Miss

I've read all of Bryson's books and you take the good with the bad. Yes, he's condescending, liberal to the extreme, preachy, an elitist who won't admit it, and hardly humble, but he's a fun guy to read, with good stories, good descriptions and generally, a quick wit.
I agree with all the positive and negative reviewers. While Bryson surely has a right to preach, it does seem rather arrogant in this book. But that's that pedantic lefties do, and Bryson is surely one.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, page 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

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