Bryson opens our minds to the “why of things.” He has a way of taking arcane pieces of information and making them fascinating. In less skillful hands, information sharing of this magnitude would be a science class snooze fest. And yet, through evocative vignettes, we learn things that may save our lives someday. For instance, did you know hyperthermia takes more victims in temperate climates with sudden temperature changes? Make sure you bring layers on your next hike.
And when was the last time you saw a chestnut tree? Bryson tells a story about the demise of the mighty American chestnut trees.
He notes that by the 1990s, the eastern United States had lost forty percent of its songbirds since 1948. Occasionally, these digressions border on information overload, but the humorous anecdotes are never far behind.
So, dear readers, I’d be surprised if any of our hikes will ever be the same again as Bryson observes the effects of man’s impact on what was once indeed wilderness. Bryson’s interest in the environment is surprisingly forward-looking for a book written in 1998.
That said, the book left me with little desire for more exertion than a walk around the block, a Little Debbie cake, and another Bryson book.
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