Bryson is an entertaining writer, and this book is better than the other two of his that I've read (A Short History of Nearly Everything and In a Sunburned Country). Here, he describes his adventures while hiking portions of the Appalacian Trail. The trail itself is a 2,000+ mile behemoth stretching along nearly the entire Eastern coast of the United States, along the Appalacian mountain range. It is one of our national treasures in spite of its relative obscurity, and Bryson aptly conveys his sense of awe, both at its majesty and at the tremendous willpower it requires of its hikers.

The book is informative, often amusing, and never boring. I'm inspired to head out into the woods, though I'll probably continue to stick to day hikes.