We can't tell you whether this book will inspire you to grab your pack and start tying up your hiking boots or snuggle deeper into the couch cushions and never leave the house. By the end of their time on the Appalachian Trail, these two bros have seen more than most Americans see in a lifetime… as well as walking more than most Americans walk in a lifetime (seriously). They might even break a heart or two along the way. He and Katz push themselves to their physical limits. Joined by an old frenemy named Stephen Katz, Bryson dives headlong into adventure on the Appalachian Trail. Which, you know, it might-bears are a real threat, guys. Naturally, his first thought is that he simply must hike the entire thing, even if it kills him. After moving to New Hampshire, Bryson stumbles across an entryway to the Appalachian Trail, a 2,100-mile walking path that stretches from Maine all the way to Georgia. More recently, Bryson earned oodles of praise for his science book A Short History of Nearly Everything, which purports to give, well, a short history of nearly everything.Ī Walk in the Woods-which was published two years after his breakthrough book-represents his homecoming to America. An American who's spent most of his life in England, Bryson has been famous for his unique perspective ever since the publication of Notes from a Small Island in 1996, which was his first big hit. You shouldn't be too surprised, however, as the intersection between humor and knowledge is kind of Bryson's thing.

This is a dude whose prose inspires the New York Times to call him not only 'equal parts Garrison Keillor, Michael Kinsley and (given his fondness for gross-out humor) Dave Barry,' but also 'one of the most engaging cupcakes around.' That's high (if super-weird) praise. Bill Bryson must be a comedic genius, because he managed to make a book about walking a 2,100-mile trail (and learning about American history) into a hilarity-fest.

A walk in the woods bryson