Bryson does an excellent job of describing the Appalachian Trail with enough wonder and awe that I want to hike it, but enough facts and no-nonsense attitude to the whole thing that I feel comfortable sweeping those wistful thoughts under my brain-rug and forgetting all about the whole thing. His sense of humor sees him through large swathes of the trail, and I enjoyed reading about his experiences because I have a friend who is almost done hiking the whole thing as I type this. It was especially interesting because he was hiking in 1996, before cell phones and other modern conveniences (though Centralia, the town he visits in Pennsylvania, is still burning). I would recommend to hiking activists, nature enthusiasts, and avid couch potatoes.