There’s an essay in here where Bill Bryson is complaining about his wife’s complaints that all he ever does in these essays is complain.

It’s meant to be ironic, of course, but honestly? She’s right, and she should say it.

I read this book years ago but it didn't lose anything for a second reading. Set around 1997 it's interesting to note how things have changed, no need to look for a 'phone booth' to make a call, no need to get lost in the Appalachian Forest, just take a GPS and the internet and email only just getting started. Yet many things are still the same and Bryson's observations are as witty and interesting as ever. I found his section on his children leaving home for university particularly moving, I felt exactly the same but life moves on and things change. Well worth a second read.

my god. i am in love. that combo of common sense, smart ass remarks and intellect i cannot resist. sexy.

not quite done with it, but sure it's a solid 4 star book.

(as opposed to a liquid or gas 4 star book.)

Hilarious and oh so much truth. Still applicable 20+ years after it was written. I was laughing way too hard at his taxes/IRS essay.

This is generally funny, though one has to take into consideration how dated it is. I found particularly shocking, his dismissal of the effects of second hand smoke in the chapter "The Risk Factor" Since the 90s a great deal more scientific data has brought forth evidence of the effects of second hand smoke. This particular passage read like a personal justification.
I enjoyed the retro take on US life and products, and this should be at least enough fun for those of us of the older set. It has interesting historical references.
If you haven't read  A Walk In the Woods I would pick that up first.

Bill Bryson zieht nach vielen Jahren in Großbritannien zurück in die Heimat. Mit viel Humor schreibt er wöchentliche Kolumnen über die alltäglichen Kuriositäten als Rückkehrer in die USA. Diese Kolumnen bilden die einzelnen Kapitel dieses Buches.

Das Buch ist zwar schon einige Jahre alt, aber immer noch herrlich unterhaltend. Als USA-Liebhaber, der schon oft „drüben“ war, erkennt man viele Situationen wieder. Schöne Urlaubslektüre! Absolut empfehlenswert.

I love anything by Bill Bryson. I hope he has a few more books left in him!

As a Brit transplanted to the States many years ago I don't know when I have enjoyed a book more!  I laughed til I cried at some of the stories and was utterly charmed  by the rest.  Bill Britain's self effacing wit and the ability to see the ridiculousness in almost any situation make for a delightful read.  I would recommend this collection to anyone!

Através da sua forma divertida (e irreverente) de escrever, Bryson nos fornece informações valiosas sobre os hábitos e o jeito de pensar do povo americano, o que faz esse livro ser tão bom quanto "Notes From a Small Island".

I haven’t yet read one of his books that I didn’t like. He has a way of hitting the exact feeling I have in certain circumstances, the absurdity of life’s challenges and simply trying to make it through day by day. I highly recommend.

Bill Bryson is a great travel writer. His descriptions are evocative and his prose is gut-wrenchingly funny. In fact, I don't read his books in public because I usually wind up crying from laughter. This one, the first of his books that I read, is a classic. Bryson details his readjustment to American culture after 20 years in England, and offers a number of hilarious insights about life in both countries - and about his unfailing ability to poke fun at any situation. Because it's basically a collection of short (2-4 page) newspaper columns, it's particularly easy to read. You can also take a break without losing the narrative flow - there really isn't one. When you're done with this one, hopefully having decided you love Bill Bryson as much as I do, move on to two of his best works: A Walk in the Woods, about his adventures on the Appalachian Trial, and In a Sunburned Country, about the wilds of Australia.

Although there may be some people who enjoy this, I believe the majority would probably the Americans who are either looking for a walk down nostalgia lane or repatriating. Some parts were interesting, but most parts dragged on and were difficult to penetrate. Definitely not Bill's best. I love his other works, though.