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Bill Bryson has made a living out of traveling and then writing about it. In The Lost Continent he re-created the road trips of his childhood; in Neither Here nor There he retraced the route he followed as a young backpacker traversing Europe. When this American transplant to Britain decided to return home, he made a farewell walking tour of the British countryside and produced Notes from a Small Island. Once back on American soil and safely settled in New Hampshire, Bryson once again hears the siren call of the open road--only this time it's a trail. The Appalachian Trail, to be exact. In A Walk in the Woods Bill Bryson tackles what is, for him, an entirely new subject: the American wilderness. Accompanied only by his old college buddy Stephen Katz, Bryson starts out one March morning in north Georgia, intending to walk the entire 2,100 miles to trail's end atop Maine's Mount Katahdin.
If nothing else, A Walk in the Woods is proof positive that the journey is the destination. As Bryson and Katz haul their out-of-shape, middle-aged butts over hill and dale, the reader is treated to both a very funny personal memoir and a delightful chronicle of the trail, the people who created it, and the places it passes through. Whether you plan to make a trip like this one yourself one day or only care to read about it, A Walk in the Woods is a great way to spend an afternoon. --Alix Wilber
Book Description
Back in America after twenty years in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. The AT offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes--and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings.
For a start there's the gloriously out-of-shape Stephen Katz, a buddy from Iowa along for the walk. Despite Katz's overwhelming desire to find cozy restaurants, he and Bryson eventually settle into their stride, and while on the trail they meet a bizarre assortment of hilarious characters. But A Walk in the Woods is more than just a laugh-out-loud hike. Bryson's acute eye is a wise witness to this beautiful but fragile trail, and as he tells its fascinating history, he makes a moving plea for the conservation of America's last great wilderness. An adventure, a comedy, and a celebration,
A Walk in the Woods is destined to become a modern classic of travel literature.
Customer Reviews:
a fun read.......2007-10-03
This book book taught me a lot about friendship, American history, and most of all "rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail" I learned about the Appalachian Trail--which I really didn't know about at all. I know I will explore the AT more in the near future. I will tell my son about this book and highly suggest to him that he read it. I will also read more by the author Bill Bryson--I enjoyed his sense of humor. :)
lol.......2007-09-12
Bill will have you laughing out loud as he recounts his adventures on the Appalachian Trail. If you like long-distance hiking or great travel books, check this one out. It's a real pleasure to read and covers the history of the AT to boot.
Funny and Eye Opening.......2007-09-11
Bill's use of humor to describe his experiences on his hike of the AT was quite refreshing. I especially found his description of some of the major sites and our impact on the environment quite eye popping.
I have now recommended this book to at least two friends. Kudos to Bill!
I don't get it?.......2007-09-10
After reading this book I learned it was completely what I had imagined it to be. I thought the book would be about one guys hiking on the AT and what he learned from it along with the conservation, what he noticed along the trail, and how he enjoys it. Wrong! I would love to meet this author because I do not consider him a backpacker in the remote least bit. He complains about the trail, is not in shape, enjoys smoking, his buddy throws everything away in the woods, and his lack of detail of his hike is the most disturbing part. There are 225 pages. He dedicates a paragraph to the hiking of Clingman's Dome in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Yet he has an entire chapter dedicated to the food and dining at Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Everything he encounters (whether its snow, some sleet, temperature) he believes that no one else has been there before and continues to explain how dangerous it is. Personally buddy (author) I have hiked the trail to Clingman's Dome in winter with 13" snow, and hiked in Grizzly bear terrority several times something he has never done. He barely spends nights outdoors, and just hikes a couple miles, walks into a town and gets a hotel room. Everyone he encounters on the trail is either too fit, too annoying, or just simply not him. I think he is personally a slacker and I cannot even began to understand WHY he hikes the trail. What does he get out of it? He complains about it, gets trapped in weather that he is not prepared for, etc. After reading this book it just goes to show that he is simply an amauter who wants that "outdoor rugged" personality but still has a redneck side to him. Overall the book is okay written, I just have such a problem with the author and his friend I can't believe this book gets such great reviews. Yes there is some humor in there but the rest of the book is lacking everything. Again, I just wish I could meet the author and try and figure him out. His book clearly didn't show me an appreciation or love for the outdoors to the point that I had even slightly expected.
-Reid
Very funny and I learned something!!.......2007-09-06
In reading some of the reviews, everyone seems to be saying the same thing...This book is about Bill Bryson's attempt to walk the Appalachian trail from beginning to end. I do agree with that. But to me, it is so much more. This book is loaded with so much great information on camping, the environment, government bureaucracy, people, friendship, US History, botany, zoology and of course the Appalachian trail itself. Add to this Bryson's humoristic talent and you have a recipe for a must read. I would read this at night and feel compelled to share excerpts with my husband, whether he was interested or not. I loved this book so much, I have already ordered another one of Bryson's books and I can't wait to read it!
Book Description
The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America–majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaing guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way–and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in).
Customer Reviews:
Hilarious.......2007-09-20
Bill Bryson, with a wit and writing style formed during his years in England, is simply the greatest travel writer around. Light-hearted and fun to read, this is a fantastic tale of an out-of-shape guy who attempts to hike the trail with a long lost "friend" who happens to be a recovering alcoholic. Bryson does a great job of explaining the difficulties associated with such a task while entertaining his audience with his descriptions of everything that can kill or maim you on the Appalachian Trail. Mixed throughout is a little history and science that provides a little extra meaning to the story.
Milk WILL come out of your nose!!!.......2007-09-14
Yes, yes, you will laugh uproariously when you read this book! I've read it twice, and still can't believe how hilarious (and informative) it is.
Oh, Bill, I just love you!
Yea !! He walked it, well almost ~.......2007-09-13
Wonderful walking memoir..In my next life, something I would love to do in part...so this was the next best thing..Such a book can run a risk of being tedious..long winded..Not this book, a rapid read, entertaining and informative all the way..He's not Patrick Mcmanus as a writer, but then he doesn't write ficton..
Always breezy, sometimes laugh out loud funny.......2007-09-05
Dying is easy, comedy is hard as the saying goes. Humorous writing is probably even harder than comedy, and even a really funny story usually flattens out in print. That said, this is pretty good stuff, and was occassionally Thurber-like in it's understated hyperbole- (if there is such a thing). Humor, like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I personally found the book pretty dang funny.
It is, as the title might make you guess, the story of Bryson and his walk over large chunks of the AT. He corrals an old bud from the old days, a friend who toured Europe some 20 odd years ago with him and who has been in a bit of a downward spiral ever since. To me his companion made the book, adding an everyman quality, a comic relief, and a very sympathetic character with a lot of emotional depth all at once. Kind of picture a less obnoxious John Candy from Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
Not exactly a ton happens on the trail- it's not the north woods, or the Amazon, or some rebel infested region of the Phillipines, so the drama is more timid and is less about the perils of wild beasts and killers and more about the perils of poor hygiene. Be that as it may, it is the woods, and it is remote, and it's nice to get away from it all, if only vicariously.
I hope it's clear that I liked the book pretty well, although I'd not put it down as a classic or anything. It's more than worth the few hours it takes to read it, though, and I'm pretty sure you're going to find it entertaining at the least.
Nature writing and a travelogue with "oomph"!.......2007-08-18
Perhaps it was a fit of angst dealing with his own personal version of a mid-life crisis that led Bill Bryson to tackle the challenge of hiking the 2,100 mile Appalachian Trail! It was certainly a solid understanding of his own personality and clear recognition of his own physical and mental limitations that prompted him to invite his friend, Stephen Katz, an overweight and out of shape recovering alcoholic with an inordinate fondness for snack foods and cream soda to accompany him on this daunting challenge. The demands of the AT ultimately proved too much for Bryson and Katz who sensibly (and with an almost relieved sense of philosophical acceptance) decided to abandon the notion of a complete through hike. But the resulting story, drawn from Bryson's daily journal of the summer's efforts, is an overwhelming success and pure joy in the reading.
"A Walk in the Woods" is an extraordinary, entertaining travelogue on both the AT - the Appalachian Trail - and the people and places of small town America that dot the trail's path along the eastern seaboard from Georgia to Maine. At the same time, it is much, much more. Bryson is scathing in his political commentary and almost enraged criticism of the ongoing state of mismanagement and the sadly misguided policies of both the Parks and Forest Services of the US government. "A Walk in the Woods" is also a deeply moving introspective examination on the nature of friendship, family, perseverance, joy and despondency. As he and Katz amble along rock strewn trails dappled with sunlight broken by the leafy forest canopy, Bryson frequently, effortlessly and almost without our even noticing the change, wanders metaphorically off the main trail and onto a side path of lightweight but nonetheless informative and educational sidebars of nature writing on an amazingly wide variety of topics. Glaciation, bears, bugs, ecology, continental drift, hypothermia, hypoxia and weather are only a few examples of the topics which he elucidates for the lay reader with his clear, concise prose.
Then there is the humour! It is perhaps an understatement to say that, in this regard, Bryson has a rare gift. He has treated his readers to laughs originating in every imaginable corner of the vast world of humour - wry sardonic wit; biting satire; slapstick; self effacement; sarcasm and insults; fear; and even extended comedy sketches worthy of stage or television. His description of the astonishingly stupid and entirely self-absorbed fellow hiker Mary Ellen who has the annoying habit of constantly clearing her sinuses with a grating honk is definitely laugh-out-loud material.
Pure entertainment and enjoyment from first page to last. I believe Bill Bryson would consider it a compliment if I suggested that "A Walk in the Woods" is the first book I've ever read with a smile on my face during every single moment of the reading. Highly recommended - even if you've never spent a single night under nylon in the woods.
Paul Weiss
Book Description
Now in widespread use, generalized additive models (GAMs) have evolved into a standard statistical methodology of considerable flexibility. While Hastie and Tibshirani's outstanding 1990 research monograph on GAMs is largely responsible for this, there has been a long-standing need for an accessible introductory treatment of the subject that also emphasizes recent penalized regression spline approaches to GAMs and the mixed model extensions of these models. Generalized Additive Models: An Introduction with R imparts a thorough understanding of the theory and practical applications of GAMs and related advanced models, enabling informed use of these very flexible tools. The author bases his approach on a framework of penalized regression splines, and builds a well-grounded foundation through motivating chapters on linear and generalized linear models. While firmly focused on the practical aspects of GAMs, discussions include fairly full explanations of the theory underlying the methods. Use of the freely available R software helps explain the theory and illustrates the practicalities of linear, generalized linear, and generalized additive models, as well as their mixed effect extensions. The treatment is rich with practical examples, and it includes an entire chapter on the analysis of real data sets using R and the author's add-on package mgcv. Each chapter includes exercises, for which complete solutions are provided in an appendix. Concise, comprehensive, and essentially self-contained, Generalized Additive Models: An Introduction with R prepares readers with the practical skills and the theoretical background needed to use and understand GAMs and to move on to other GAM-related methods and models, such as SS-ANOVA, P-splines, backfitting and Bayesian approaches to smoothing and additive modelling.
Customer Reviews:
All quiet on the Appalachian Trail.......2006-11-30
This book was written in the style of John McPhee and even quoting him once in a while. It includes facts and people like "The Perfect Storm." Then Bill Bryson adds first hand personal experiences. You can identify with his comments that do not have to be funny to be familiar.
This book recounts Bill Bryson's experiences on the Appalachian Trail. The dry facts can be picked up through other material. However the personal experiences are just that, personal. If you have never been hiking then you still get a feel for what you have missed. However if you have hiked then you can really appreciate the people he met, and circumstances that he went through. There are hikers and then there are hikers. In the Boy Scouts you are usually in a well-organized group, in the military you have to be more cautious of objects and terrain, Sierra Club and Outward Bound have their unique points of view. So if his experience is different, it still makes for fun reading.
I even liked the sections on selecting and using the equipment. I am afraid if I had met Bill Bryson on the trail; I would have been one of those "equipment comparing" people.
Anyway do not expect an epic and you will enjoy the time you spend reading this book. Oh, and it does make me want to go hiking.
Average customer rating:
- Education in Coloring Book
- AMAZING DETAILS
- nice pictures
- Excellent detailed book
- Adult coloring books
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A Walk in the Woods Coloring Book (Dover Coloring Book)
Dot Barlowe
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
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ASIN: 0486426440 |
Book Description
Accomplished illustrator and nature writer takes you on a beautiful tour of the four seasons, pointing out with great artistic and verbal skills the many mysteries of nature — from sightings of spring flowers to amazing life beneath pond ice. An entertaining and informative book for colorists of all ages. Captions.
Customer Reviews:
Education in Coloring Book.......2007-05-07
If your child enjoys animals, then he/she will enjoy this coloring book. It has realistic pictures of animals in their natural habitat. Also included at the bottom of each page is a desciption of flowers, insects, etc. seen in the background or foreground.
AMAZING DETAILS.......2007-04-11
I just purchased these Dover COloring Books for my mother and she loves them. The detail is out of this world and the variety of colors you can use are only limited by your inagination. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
nice pictures.......2007-03-27
the pictures are great for my little ones to color. they enjoy hearing the descriptions under the pictures as well.
Excellent detailed book.......2007-01-12
I purchased this coloring book for my 8 year old nephew. He loves to color but does not like the basic color books. This book is very detailed and offers children a challenge. In addition it has a lot of information about each scene, teaching children. Beautiful book.
Adult coloring books.......2007-01-10
This is an excellent coloring book for adults who like to color, it has fine detail, fine coloring detail. it is a great collectors item
Customer Reviews:
All quiet on the Appalachian Trail.......2006-08-21
This book was written in the style of John McPhee and even quoting him once in a while. It includes facts and people like "The Perfect Storm." Then Bill Bryson adds first hand personal experiences. You can identify with his comments that do not have to be funny to be familiar.
This book recounts Bill Bryson's experiences on the Appalachian Trail. The dry facts can be picked up through other material. However the personal experiences are just that, personal. If you have never been hiking then you still get a feel for what you have missed. However if you have hiked then you can really appreciate the people he met, and circumstances that he went through. There are hikers and then there are hikers. In the Boy Scouts you are usually in a well-organized group, in the military you have to be more cautious of objects and terrain, Sierra Club and Outward Bound have their unique points of view. So if his experience is different, it still makes for fun reading.
I even liked the sections on selecting and using the equipment. I am afraid if I had met Bill Bryson on the trail; I would have been one of those "equipment comparing" people.
Anyway do not expect an epic and you will enjoy the time you spend reading this book. Oh, and it does make me want to go hiking.
Average customer rating:
- Dog-eared to the max
- "Must Have" trail guide for hiking in Middle Tennessee
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Middle Tennessee on Foot: Hikes in the Woods & Walks on Country Roads
Robert S. Brandt
Manufacturer: John F. Blair Publisher
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0895872129 |
Customer Reviews:
Dog-eared to the max.......2002-12-18
Simply the most enjoyable hiking book on Middle Tennessee one can buy. It is informative, with plenty of maps and photos, and the text is conversational, something you'll want to read again and again as you plan your trips or reminisce on trails already covered. I've done about 100 miles of the trails in this book and have yet to be disappointed. Virgin Falls, South Cumberland, Radnor Lake, Cedars Of Lebanon, Cardwell Mountain...other books cover more concentrated natural areas of Tennessee with more depth, but not as much charm. If you live in Middle Tennessee or are planning a visit, this book is the perfect starting point. Thanks, Mr. Brandt!
"Must Have" trail guide for hiking in Middle Tennessee.......1998-04-14
Robert Brandt's book is a "Must Have" for anyone who enjoys hiking the trails in Middle Tennessee. In addition to an accurate, vivid description of the trails and the hiking conditions, Mr. Brandt also includes a very informative history lesson of the area as well as discussing it's geology, botany and wildlife. "Middle Tennessee On Foot" now accompanies my wife & I when we lace on the boots and strike out on a new hiking adventure. Thank you, Mr. Brandt.
Book Description
In this exhilarating book, we accompany Umberto Eco as he explores the intricacies of fictional form and method. Using examples ranging from fairy tales and Flaubert, Poe and Mickey Spillane, Eco draws us in by means of a novelist's techniques, making us his collaborators in the creation of his text and in the investigation of some of fiction's most basic mechanisms.
Customer Reviews:
more accessible than expected.......2001-12-15
Six Walks is more accessible than I had expected (my copy is now heavily highlighted, marked up, and loaded with the little plastic stickies I use to flag ideas and references). Eco is speaking to readers and, thereby, equally to writers. The six Charles Elliot Norton lectures begin with the role time plays in fiction and end with the importance (to our perception of reality) of accuracy in writing fiction. This is weighty stuff made accessible by Eco's illustration by example: Yes, Dante, Shakespeare, and Kafka, but the writers who give us Hercule Poirot, Agent 007 and Little Red Riding Hood as well. If you read fiction or write fiction, the material will be useful and the book will please.
A bit of a curve..........2001-04-22
I bought this book used in Berkeley hoping for a tutorial from one of my heroes on how to write and what the narrative form can be. I finished by cursing myself for not having read Nerval but examining the relationship between the author, the text and the reader. My lasting impression is that this book caused me to examine the way in which the author imposes his own views over the text - and for that I am grateful.
Six Walks: A Sojourn in Eco's Fancy.......1997-07-08
Eco's "Six Walks in the Fictional Woods" smells like Italo Calvino's "Six Memos for the Next Millenium". Each essay, or walk, is an extended musing, in an informally scholastic tone of voice, of the author's preferred elements of fiction reading and composition. Most of the comparative material is taken from Nerval's, Joyce's and his own works, and given splashes of splendour with the special touch of brilliance to which we all know Eco has easy access. The essays lack the intensified beauty of his fiction ("Foucault's Pendulum," or "The Name of the Rose"), but demand consideration standing out as interesting thought material from the legendary linguist.
--Alejandro Arevalo
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