I am a huge fan of hiking. My friends and I, several times a year, will take trips out to random State and National Parks. We spend a great deal of time out in the woods and any sort of nature. It is not only enjoyable and relaxing but good to stay in shape. But then again my friends and I are all people who are very comfortable n the woods, due to our military backgrounds.

Then there are these two. *sigh* Is the book funny? Yes...that humor and the interesting history about the Appalachian Trail is the only reason I finished this book. Why? To hear two fat fools tromping through the Appalachians is borderline annoying. Seriously? Are civilians usually so fucking stupid? (Don't answer that. It's rhetorical. I've been watching civilians since 2008 and I already know the answer). This is a laundry list of what NOT to do, what NOT to eat and what NOT to drink. I was aghast at the stuff these two were munching on and the amount of soda pop they drink. Stupid assholes don't realize soda dehydrates you...but hey, it's more common than you think. As an example of real life stupidity, there is an awesome State Park in Utah called Great Salt Lake park. It's ummmm a salt lake...which means it's a rather extreme environment. Now a quick Google search will show you DOZENS on incidents of idiots wandering around this place with little to no hydration and getting in trouble or even dying. Does this surprise you? Then you have a much higher level of respect for the survivability of the average civilian. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest and books like this merely reinforce what an instructor of mine at Scout-Sniper school said "Don't ever mistake it-but civilian types have a field survivability rate comparable to infants"

So please, don't do any of the things in this book. If you wish to hike the Appalachian Trail..ask yourself: How often do you walk? Have you ever just put on steel toed boots, stuffed a backpack with say 45-60 lbs of books and then went on a nice 5 or six mile hike? Go for it. Do it on flat ground. If at the end of it..you have barely a sheen of sweat and are like "ok what's next?" then you are fine. However if this sounds "rough" ummmmmmm...yeah..take a car, stay at hotels and realize watching Animal Planet or National Geographic has not prepared your body for real nature with no one nearby to come save you.

Now that my polemic is over- funny book. Nothing great. Some decent history about the trail...and that's really it. I didn't care for the two fat asses. I read this book because I enjoy nature and spend a lot of time in it. But there was no need for me to really read this book...you may enjoy it as a funny travelogue, but that's all it is.

“I don’t recall a moment in my life when I was more acutely aware of how providence has favored the land to which I was born.” (3.5 stars)

This is a book that a lot of people love. I just liked it. I found that it did not hold my attention for long periods. It is the fourth Bill Bryson text I have read, and I’ll read more. But not because of this one.
In “A Walk in the Woods” Bill Bryson attempts to walk the Appalachian Trail with a childhood friend. The book documents that attempt, and mixes in some history of the Trail and other miscellany within the travelogue. I enjoyed the parts of the book most that did not involve Bryson’s attempt at the Trail, which I doubt was his intention.
I think one of my issues with “A Walk in the Woods” is that Bill Bryson is too snarky and derisive of some of the people he encounters a little too much for my tastes. Although the travelogue is clever at times, it just did not consistently grab me.
“A Walk in the Woods” is a good book. It has a clear appreciation for the natural grandeur of the eastern United States, and I learned some things I did not know. No complaints about reading it.

Probably only the second non-fiction book that has made me sit up thrilled through an entire night reading and feel terribly disappointed as it ended almost without my noticing it. Full review to be put up soon.