A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
Author(s): Bill Bryson
Publisher: Anchor
Publication Date: 2006-12-26
Pages: 397
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
List Price: $7.99
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    • Editorial Reviews

    Product Description

    The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America–majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaing guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way–and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in).

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    Customer Reviews

    A quick, entertaining stroll

    The humor of Bryson's book, an account of an unathletic amateur attempting to hike the AT, is a welcome relief from the clannishness and superiority that distinguishes the modern cults of extreme athletic performance (and much of modern athletic writing). Some of the critics of Bryson's book have fixated on the fact that he did not finish the trail. Their petty outrage and derision only reinforce, in my mind, a concluding thought of Bryson's: numbers are a poor tool for measuring human experience. Besides, and perhaps more importantly, Bryson remains one of the very few authors able to write about bodily functions in such a self-deprecating and unusual fashion that I cannot help but laugh out loud. A quick and entertaining read.

    A pleasant read if you can wade through the smug

    I enjoy Mr. Bryson's craft of writing. His description of the trail, and his attempt at walking it capture the imagination. Never mind that he doesn't finish the trail; it's his story of his attempt. The descriptions are vivid. It's an inspirational read, and reignites my love of hiking and makes me want to attempt a long, put-off goal of x-country skiing a hut trip! My complaint is his constant snide remarks about his walking partner, others on the trail, the towns he visits, the simpletons who inhabit the towns,and government agencies who oversee the trails and make decisions for towns. It gets old and sounds a bit whiney and snide after awhile.

    Entertaining all the way thru...

    This is the first book by Bryson I picked up and I could hardly put it down before finishing it. It flows very well, is full of historical facts and great imagery of Bryson's journey along the AT.

    Grammer mistakes galore!

    I loved this book but I'll be darned if there wasn't at least one mistake in the translation to the kindle version every few pages. One or two misplaced commas I can deal with but not the thirty+ mistakes that I alone found. It became distracting after awhile and it is obvious no one proofreads these Kindle versions before they are uploaded for folks to buy.

    C'mon Amazon, if you want this Kindle thing to succeed, you're going to have to at least give these things a once-over.

    Otherwise, loved the book. Great story and appreciated the author's humour.

    Waste of time, Misleading, Huge disappointment.............

    This guy is a looser! I applaud him for "attempting" the AT trail, but come on! He did not do even half of it. This book is for people who will never venture down a trail of any kind! I have done my fair share of mountaineering and hiking; I would never fathom writing about my failed attempt to "walk" a trail. If I was getting paid to "hike" something like the AT trail, I sure in the hell would finish it.

    The only funny part for me was Mary Ellen! The more I read the more I agree with her opinion. She met the guy? As far as Kat, I like this guy. He seems to be a good guy that went out of his element to try something new!

    Conclusion: Publisher should get their money back, Bill should have to go walk the whole trail over start to finish and he should have to do it with Mary Ellen!

    Save your money & time.

    Other recommendation: "No short cut's to the top" by Ed Viestures Great read, just makes you feel great about life!

    No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks Buy Me »
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