Bill Bryson

Author and main character of A Walk in the Woods, Bryson gets the idea to hike the Appalachian Trail after living in England for twenty years and wanting to reconnect with his home country's landscape. He has no real outdoors experience, but he also wants to see some of the scenery that is in jeopardy from things like acid rain and urban sprawl. The trail overwhelms him, but he pushes forward with determination to meet his goal, and after a few weeks he finds himself a contented hiker. He is happy when he reaches towns, with their motels and restaurants and showers, but is always eager to get back to the trail. He never seems to lose sight of the need to keep pushing on and to experience as much of the trail as possible.

As his trek progresses, Bryson is transformed from soft middle-ager to serious...