troublesome thunderbolt shakespeare appalachian

books:

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail)

965 reviews
Bill Bryson

Broadway, 1999

ridiculous, but it inspired me
I had a long history as a streetwalker. Yes, a streetwalker. But, I never had even spent the night outdoors. However, when I read Bill Bryson's book I immediately decided I wanted to thru-hike the entire 2,175 mile trail. There is a lot of criticism on the AT about Bryson's book, but one thing is undeniable. With his mass following and inimitable humor, he inspired legions of previous hiking ...

I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away

226 reviews
Bill Bryson

Broadway, 2000

funny...and insightful
nothing like looking at the US from the eyes of a stranger. What a beautiful perspective. There were many times I was laughing out loud when I read this book. Also a great gift for those who are travelers. you will not be disappointed.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir

208 reviews
Bill Bryson

Broadway, 2006

The Thunderbolt Kid
What an enjoyable read. Brought back all the wonderful memories of childhood along with an adult slant about the world today. Every chapter a treat.

Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide

35 reviews
Peter Allison

The Lyons Press, 2007

LOL
Yes, I did laugh out loud. I should have read it before my trip to the Okavango. I read botanical, animal books, but none captures the experience like this one!. However, since you tend to find amusing what you relate to, I would have missed much. Afterwards, it just reminded me of a wonderful experience. Nevertheless, you don't have to have the experience to enjoy it. The author is funny, ...

A Short History of Nearly Everything

632 reviews
Bill Bryson

Broadway, 2004

like drinking out of a fire hose
Great book with broad coverage of history and science. not a quick read. You need to have your brain awake and engaged while reading.

Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe

163 reviews
Bill Bryson

Harper Perennial, 1999

The Gospel of Bill...
Last fall, as a 21 year-old college student in his final year, I started pondering what to do with that ludicrous accumulation of wealth that all university students find upon graduation. Lies, actually: I scraped together the best I could and bought a ticket for London. A pair of "Let's Go" guides accompanied me for practical reasons, but Neither Here Nor There was my travel bible, my Psalms, ...

In a Sunburned Country

402 reviews
Bill Bryson

Broadway, 2001

Great intro to Australia and Australians
I read this book on the way to Sydney a couple of years ago at the beginning of a project assignment which called for me to spend about six weeks there. I enjoyed the author's writing style much more than a typical travel book. However, despite the light tone and the many humorous anecdotes, I found that Mr. Bryson really did effectively capture a "feel" for the culture. Time and again, as I ...

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir

57 reviews
Bill Bryson

Broadway, 2007

Couldn't stop laughing...
This is Bryson at his best, funny, fearless, and factual. He took me back to splendid promise of the 50's when we awaited "Better things through chemistry" and believed they would come.

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

67 reviews
Bill Bryson

Anchor, 2006

Typical witty, funny, entertaining and educational fare from Bryson
I will admit right off the bat to being a big Bill Bryson fan. My only disappointment when it comes to him is that he hasn't written more. I am trying to catch up on some of his previous works so I read a walk in the woods. Needless to say you will not be disappointed by this work. Bryson does a great job of telling the story of his own adventure along the Appalachian Trail while also finding ...

The Mother Tongue

122 reviews
Bill Bryson

Harper Perennial, 1991

Amazing!
This book is a notch above Bryson's other books. And that is saying A LOT! It is compelling, very witty, and overall memorable. It certainly piqued by interested in the English language and linguistics in general. Do yourself a favour, and get this book. You will not be disappointed with this well-researched tome that Bryson produced here.

Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors

7 reviews
Bill Bryson

Broadway, 2008

A must have for every publishing person!
The book is a dictionary about difficult or strange expressions and names. It's a new edition of Bryson's 2002 "Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words". It's very nice written (typically Bryson's style), full of cynical explanations that will make you laugh and enormously useful when writing English texts. As a German speaking human being, I have to admit that there are quite a lot of ...

The Best American Travel Writing 2000

13 reviews

Houghton Mifflin, 2000

An Outsanding Collection of Stories
"Best American Travel Writing 2000" is the first edition in yet another outstanding entry in the "Best American" series. It is structured like other "Best American" books, with a series editor and a yearly guest editor putting their heads together and selecting two dozen or so of the best articles to be published in the field during the previous year. Bill Bryson was a very canny choice to be ...

Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression

89 reviews
Mildred Armstrong Kalish

Bantam, 2007

A Keeper!!!
I read aloud so many parts of this great book to my husband that he just had to read the whole thing for himself - brought back many, many memories - funny how hard times can be remembered so favorably! We highly recommend anyone reading "Little Heathens" who grew up on a farm, in the country or in a small town, or wish they had. Kudos to the author!!

The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America

285 reviews
Bill Bryson

Harper Perennial, 1990

There's Humor Everywhere
This book: part humor, part travelogue, narrates Bryson's road trip across the United States and back again. Bryson travels without strict itinerary, and with frequent stops in small towns across the country. The narrative is written in classic Bryson style, with frequent diversions to explain the origin of many of life's oddities, and with constant sideline commentary. As is usually the case ...

Shakespeare: The World as Stage (Eminent Lives)

71 reviews
Bill Bryson

Eminent Lives, 2007

As much as most people will ever want to know
When I visited Ashland, Oregon's Shakespeare Festival the buyer in their large, authoritative bookstore suggested this as a good basic biography of William Shakespeare. I've concluded it was a good recommendation for several reasons. It is a relatively brief 224 pages because Bryson makes the case that extremely few documented facts are known about Shakespeare's life. It seems that ...

Made in America

56 reviews
Bill Bryson

Harper Perennial, 1996

I'm a stranger here myself, too.
I moved to the States when I was twenty. I was vastly ignorant about the country. I loved this book! Bryson is a spotty writer (not referring to his complexion, but his complete history of everything) but he was spot on with this one. I'm off to buy another copy. I live in Florida now. Since I do, I have what I call my hurricane books. These are the books I read and re-read via ...

Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words: A Writer's Guide to Getting It Right

21 reviews
Bill Bryson

Broadway, 2004

No problem for Bryson
I like language and its ability to allow the communication of complex and profound ideas as well as making it possible the get a coffee from Starbucks. This book, born out of Bryson's need for clarity as a newspaper reporter, is a wonderful read. Although laid out alphabetically like a conventional dictionary it is possible to dip into at any point and at any time to find oneself informed and ...

Notes from a Small Island

277 reviews
Bill Bryson

Harper Perennial, 1997

Bless Bill Bryson
If there is anyone out there who has never read Bill Bryson I urge you to start. His books will warm your heart and make you laugh out loud....you can't stay blue or depressed when you're engrossed in one of his works. In spite of his penchant for being an Anglophile (no doubt because he's married to an Englishwoman), you realize, after reading between the lines, he's an all-American kid. ...

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir

10 reviews

Random House Audio, 2006

Bryson Scores Again!
Bill Bryson's story of growing up in Iowa is a terrific book. I bought it in large print for my mother, who can read only large print, and who has difficulty hearing too, so this is the only way she could enjoy the book. She too adores Bill Bryson. We love his facility with language, and his many ways of making us laugh. He's a marvelous storyteller.

Bill Bryson's African Diary

54 reviews
Bill Bryson

Broadway, 2002

A Brilliant Entry and for a Great Cause
Bill Bryson is the funniest travel writer working today, I believe, and even when he takes on what is an unpleasant task - visiting one of the most depressed areas of the world in order to raise funds for CARE, he does it in a hilarious way. In this short little book, Bryson not only shares with us his (by turns) funny and heartbreaking journey, we also get to meet some amazing people. The ...

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