Wednesday, May 14, 2008

very funny

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Genre: non-fiction
Review: Don't read this book while you're trying to eat. Or where people might look at you funny if you start to laugh out loud. Because this is a very funny book. Bryson has an understated humor that will only make you chuckle at first, and just when you think it's safe to take another bite, you'll read a bit more, and start laughing out loud! He has a keen eye for description of both his surroundings and his company and conveys both wonderfully well.

This book hits a bit of a sour note, though, the numerous times that Bryson castigates the National Park Service for general incompetence. I won't presume to say that he's entirely wrong in his criticisms, but I do think that he takes it a bit too far, and that an organization with tries to do so much good with so few resources deserves a bit more respect.

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