I think I'm on my third or fourth reading of this book ever and I just wanted to say, it's still one of the funniest, most engaging, educational yet frightening books you can read.

It's laugh out loud funny in the best way and his descriptions of the various horrors along the Appalachian Trail in the first chapter alone are classic. anyone who can make Lyme disease and crazed hillbillies funny is worth reading if you ask me.
If you haven't heard of him, and that's unlikely, he's a brilliant American travel writer, who in this book, decides he's going to at least attempt to hike parts of the Appalachian trail while documenting his efforts in a book.

Along with his slovenly College buddy Katz, they explore & take an admirable swing at the 2,200 mile long walk and as well as being outrageously hilarious, it's always insightful and more often alarming.
Heartily recommend it if you haven't already come across it.

Now if I could just get him to do a book about Ireland...

I read Bryson's travel book on Europe called Neither Here Nor There and I couldn't finish it. It was good, not great, kind of boring. Never read that one but I wrote it off for the same reasons. He was kind of pissing me off with some of his "young people are loud and annoying, I'm old and boring" shpiel.

I'll check this one out though.

i've read a few appalachian trail books, and i tried to listen to the audio tape for this one, but the narrating was just atrocious. maybe i'll try to actually read it one of these days.

It's an amazing read, wouldn't be keen on audiobooks of any kind really, but i definitely recommend it as a book.

Haven't read it, but I enjoyed A Sunburned Country. You have to get Bryson's personality I think before it becomes really enjoyable.

from bryson i've read neither here nor there, and thought it funny, but kind of gets boring towards the end.

a brief history of nearly everything is great for those who want to know a bit about the basic science behind pretty much everything and have forgotten their grade school lessons. he keeps it pretty straightforward and very readable.

i may give this one a try at some point.

i read this a few months ago... pretty good

Yeah, definitely. I'm a huge Bryson fan, read pretty much everything...except this one!

Have been meaning to pick it up one day, really should do so.

Re-reading Made In America right now, that and Mother Tongue are must-reads for anyone interested in the evolution of the English language.



Young people are loud and annoying.

Spenno, there's this weird thing with Bryson fans, every one i've spoken to at least..they've read all of his stuff exxcept this one! that's not just you, but loadsa people!!
It's the funniest one and the scariest too on an environmental level.

Agreed also, you have to 'get' his style & personality to enjoy his books. 'Short history of nearly everything' is excellent for giving you runs throughs iof just about everything in our world and how it works.

He's great

You must have been born 72 years old.

I think Bryson is referencing the same kind of 'young people' that shout moronically at Ed's shows. Not young people generally. He mentions meeting a lot of lovely young people in WITW. Just to be fair.