Not the best, but still gave me a chuckle and a think. ( )

Con casi 3.500 km de longitud, el sendero de los Montes Apalaches es el camino pedestre más largo del mundo. Discurre por el Este de Norteamérica a lo largo de catorce estados, desde Maine hasta Georgia, y atraviesa algunos de los paisajes más indescriptiblemente bellos del continente. Sin apenas experiencia en senderismo, desafiando las adversidades meteorológicas y geográficas, y menoscabando el peligro de una fauna hostil (desde el improbable oso americano hasta el amenazado mejillón de agua dulce), el socarrón Bill Bryson decide emprender el camino acompañado únicamente de su ácida capacidad descriptiva, una mochila cargada de cosas inútiles y su tosco amigo Katz, cuya forma física es incluso más lamentable que la suya propia. Autor de numerosos títulos de éxito, Bryson demuestra en tono humorístico que la descripción naturalista y el retrato de costumbres pueden convivir perfectamente con la sátira, la militancia medioambiental y la crítica mordaz al sistema en el que vivimos.

On three attempts, I made it all the way to page 9. This is just not my kind of thing, so I'm not going to even rate it.

This was the first Bryson book I read, and I enjoyed every page. Living in Seoul at the time, I was aching for the woods, and this was a great remedy. Bryson's wit weren't lost as he talked about hiking the trail as a non-hiker. It gave me a great taste of the backcountry while surrounded by 18 million other residents. ( )

Considering my fondness for the outdoors and witty writing, and my fascination with Appalachia and the Smokies, I can't believe I never heard of this book until the book club at work announced it as our November read. What a fabulous travelogue! I love how thoroughly Bryson describes the history of the Appalachian Trail as well as it's rigors, topography, sights, sounds, smells, risks and rewards. And I laughed on just about every page.

If you're into hiking and outdoors, this is a must-read humorous first person account of a wilderness hiking novice getting in over his head and discovering the rigors of exploring the Appalachian Trail. Just Bryson's amusing experiences learning about hiking gear is worth reading, as well as his poking fun at "city slicker" hikers in their fancy name brand gear.

My husband and I vacationed in the Smokies last Fall and got to hike a tiny stretch of the AT (not nearly as much as we wanted, due to it already being so icy and slick in early November). So, this travelogue brought back fond memories of that trip, and particular designations around the national park. ( )