We read this book aloud to each other on a long car trip, and what a great choice it was! It lent itself well to being shared, and was incredibly funny. Mr Bryson provides a delicious account his personal trip on the Appalachian Trail, adding information about the history of the Appalachian Trail, some of the flora and fauna, and some information about the National Parks Service, of which he most definitely has an opinion. Don't let the information bits put you off reading the book; you need the breaks from laughing.

Let me begin with how disappointed I am with this book. I didn't read it all. As a matter of fact, I got as far as the trip through the Great Smoky Mountains. At that point I was so angry with Mr. Bryson that I put the book down and swore to never read another word written by him. It was terrible the way he made fun of the small towns and people. The last straw was his comments on the Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge TN. I am from that area and I am deeply offended!!!!!! On a scale of 1 to 10 I give this book a -10

Great book and writer! Bryson is very humorous and knows how to make his facts interesting and thus the book is very readable.

Not only did he give you a taste for the trail but he gave you a history of the land he was walking through which I enjoyed.

I'm a backpacker; the kind of person who packs up a pack with a tent and food and disappears for long periods of time in the woods on marked trails. When not in the woods, I'm frequently on a backpacking discussion forum. From time to time, Bryson's name comes up as the ultimate definition of "not a backpacker". When this happens, half of the posters defend him, stating that even though he did not hike the entire Appalachian Trail, his text is inspiring enough that it has led others to the trail. The other half of the posters call him a sniveler and a whiner.

I had to see for myself, so I ordered a copy of his book. Okay, so Bryson is not a trail legend like Jack Tarlin or Minnesota Smith (the latter being someone who is known to overpack toilet paper to the tune of six rolls for a week long hike). But while Bryson cannot contribute an expert's account of a difficult sport, he can provide a humorous tale of two average folks who are ill equipped for the rigors of backpacking. Furthermore, he does it while incorporating a good deal of interesting trail history.

So to those who would quibble about whether the mileage Bryson has logged qualifies him to write a book, I say: "Put down your argument and pick up this book!"

When you are reading any of Bill Bryson's books you want to share it with someone. He has the ability to take the mundane ( or extraordinary ) and with his prose and sense of humor take it to a level of enjoyment where you laugh out loud. A Walk in The Woods was wonderful and an unexpected story of two unlikely pals bonding in an experience. It didn't make me want to walk the Appalachian Trail, it did make me hope I have the chance to meet Bill somewhere on a path someday.
Carole Dennison

Bought this for my husband. (He enjoys hiking & backpacking but mostly gets to sit in office.)
T there were many times, while reading this book, hat he laughed out loud, saying "You have to hear this!"
He could not put it down. I never heard him talk to friends about a book with such positive comments. He has a list of people he will be sharing this book with.

I liked this book so much! When my friend gave it to me and basically said "It's about a guy who hikes the long trail", I thought - "not so much." But believe me, he writes so candidly I was literally laughing out loud at some parts. It's a very easy, enjoyable read - trust me, you'll like it.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was full of of information and facts that I would not have read about on my own. Bryson spends the time to tell of the history of the AT. I am sure he may have even inspired some people to think about maybe walking the trail someday :) I read this book because it was recommended as a humorous book. Though, I did find myself laughing out loud ever, I did smile quite a bit..esp the parts that really showed Katz' personality. Some people might be offended by the way he talks about things he doesn't like. People from PA, don't expect a glowing review, lol. Though, he makes up for this with his facts and history parts that he includes throughout the book. I am glad that I read this one.

I just finished reading this book a few weeks ago after returning from a trip to the Smokies. I loved this book because it made me feel like I was back in the mountains. It was very funny and very informative about what life can be like on the Appalachian Trail. It made me want to at least hike part of the trail myself :)

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As always, Bill Bryson's unique twist on life combine with his clever prose to keep you laughing out loud.

This was an experience of walking in the woods with an amusing, interesting companion who shared his knowledge of history, geology, wildlife, and forests along the way.

Good read. I took it more as a personal journal vs a "how to" make the difficult journey. Bryson makes it clear that he was not in the best of shape to conquer the trek. Notable is how he continued the journey after several hiatus' solo and with company. Some reviews I read on this site seemed miffed that he didn't take the arduous hike as seriously as they did. However, everyone's adventure can be done for various reasons and outcomes.

This book is funny and very touching. The author's sense of humor combines with his knowledge to create a very interesting and informative reading adventure.

One of my favorite books.

Bill Bryson writes a real story - easy to read - fun to read.

I would recommend this book if you are curious about people who hike the Appalachian Trail? Or like to hike, camp yourself?

“A Walk In The Woods”
By
Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson once again takes us on an amazing and educational adventure into the American Heartland by way of the Appalachian Trail. Setting off into the wilderness with old friend Stephen Katz, an old friend we first met in “Neither Here Nor There,” an earlier tome.
Throughout his adventure on the AT Bryson not only discovers that he’s more out of shape than he thought, but at the same time more adventurous. Throughout his self-realizations he also gives the reader glimpses into history and ecology about the AT and the areas surrounding it. With humor and honesty, Bryson takes us for a walk through amazing country and reminds us of the true things that really do make America great.
Over my many reads of Bryson, I was looking forward to this one the most. I have slowly discovered that a few funny moments does not a good book make.
Unlike what I first thought when I picked up the book, Bryson and Katz to NOT walk the entire AT. That in and of itself was a disappointment. Halfway through, (the book, not the AT) Bryson and Katz decide to “take some time off” and go their separate ways for several months then meet up at the opposite end of the trail. I was expecting to get a book about the entire trail, in fact they skipped most of it.
In addition, Bryson made a few generalizations that I disagreed with. He slammed the park system first of all. He only used the park system and their services for several months and then goes on in his book to say how terrible they are. Instead of complaining about them why doesn’t he give them some of the money the park system so desperately needs?
He also makes a statement that moose are not dangerous. This is garbage. The moose HE came across might not have been dangerous, but after traveling in Alaska I can definitely say that moose are unpredictable and can even be vicious to a point. They are known to charge at random and there are laws that are in place not to protect the moose, but the people near the moose.
Anyways, I do think that this might be the last of my Bryson books. He’s disappointed me for the final time. I like his humor and his take on interesting situations, but really, I expected more out of him this time.

Charming, sometimes hilarious, sometimes profane account, with sobering meditations on the preciousness of our national natural resources.

Bill Bryson and Stephen Katz, Bryson's intentionally long forgotten college friend, attempt to hike the full 2,100 mile long Appalachian Trail. A good read.

These 40-somethings are prototypical "non-hikers" in every way. They are overweight, nonathletic, and unreservedly men who love the comforts of civilization. Yet full of gumption and attitude, priggish Bryson and the notably uncouth and awkward Katz attempt to tackle the killer "AT" with predictable but very funny results. They are the backwoods odd couple.

Note Bryson does direct his cutting humor at both the forest service and poor uneducated backwoods southerners in a manner many consider mean spirited (Kirkus review calls it, "a far yodel from political sensitivity.") Still, cautious Bryson tightens his belt and plunges forward down the AT, even though the movie "Deliverance" is never far from his thoughts. So too should the reader plunge forward with this entertaining book.

The first half of this book is among the funniest and best travel writing I've ever read. The second half of the book seems like Bryson phoned it in -- paralleling the journey itself.

I loved this book. a great read.

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