Borders.com sent me a five dollar gift certificate for use on any item in their store. This is the book that I picked. First of all, it was only $6 because all New York Times bestsellers are half-off at almost all bookstores. Of all the New York Times bestsellers this one seemed the best. Considering my love for nature, and my love for hiking this book seemed like a perfect fit. In addition the author's hiking buddy was described on the back cover as "gloriously out-of-shape" which is a pretty fair description of myself. The only thing I was fearful of was being bored. How exciting could a book about the Appalachian Trail really be? But by the end of the first chapter I could not put the book down. Although there were 25 other books on my que of books-to-read, this one trumped them all, and I finished it a few days later. It was that good. This is the only book I've every read by author Bill Bryson, but from reading this book, I can say with certainty that Bryson is a master of language and humor. His ability to keep your attention is unmatched in most literary circles. His humor and wit keep you laughing-out-loud through all of his journeys. The Washington Post Book World described the book as "Choke-on-your-coffee funny" and they were serious. The book is funny. Bryson and his friend Stephen Katz set off to hike the 2100 mile Appalachian Trail. Quite a feat for experienced hikers, let alone out-of-shape city guys who haven't been out in years. Because some people get upset, I'll tell you right off, they do not walk the whole 2100 miles. They skip parts. They agree to end their journey after walking only 500 miles. No where in any of the descriptions does the book tell you that they don't make it all the way, so I was a bit sad to find out that they didn't do it. They also don't have many ferocious animal encounters. When I was asking myself how a book about hiking a long trail could possibly keep my attention, I told myself they must encounter lots of close calls and scary animal attacks. Well, they didn't. They did encounter some odd animals, but they were all human. Nonetheless, the story is very engaging, and I quickly overcome any feelings of being let down as the story continued. Through the story of their hike, Bryson gives us short environmental and historical lessons that enlighten the readers of the various environmental concerns that exist in the United States. These lessons are interspersed enough that they don't bore you, but rather pique your interest about environmental issues. Overall the book is highly entertaining and highly engaging. If you have any interest in nature, hiking, or the outdoors this is a must read book. But even if you've never set a foot on trail, I believe you'll find the book a great treat and good inductment into what it's like to several weeks of your life on a trail running through woods that never seem to end. Read other reviews of A Walk In The Woods on Amazon.com or purchase A Walk In The Woods online for $6.50.

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