A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

Bryson opens our minds to the “why of things.” He has a way of taking obscure information and making it fascinating. In less skilled hands, an exchange of information of this magnitude would be like a snooze in science class. However, through the evocative vignettes, we learn things that may one day save our lives. For example, did you know that temperature increases cause more casualties in temperate climates with sudden temperature changes? Make sure to bring layers on your next trip.

When was the last time you saw a chestnut tree? Bryson tells a story about the demise of the great American chestnut trees.

He notes that by the 1990s, the eastern United States had lost forty percent of its songbirds since 1948. At times, these digressions verge on information overload, but the humorous anecdotes never lag behind.

So, dear readers, I would be surprised if any of our hiking trips will ever be the same again as Bryson observes the effects of human influence on what was once truly wilderness. Surprisingly, Bryson’s interest in the environment looks forward to the future for a book he wrote in 1998.

However, the book didn’t leave me much desire to put in more effort than just wandering around the building. However, I want Little Debbie’s cake and another Bryson book.