In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson spends a great deal of time meditating on the state of America's wilderness. He has many different feelings when faced with the vast woodlands of the Appalachian Trail, and it could be said that his longstanding impression of the woods is one mixed with fear, awe and admiration. At first, Bryson provides the reader with an extensive catalog of all the ways that the woods can kill a hiker. However, as he grows more familiar with the environment, the book becomes a love letter to the wilds of America, and his extensive description of the history and biology of the Appalachian wilderness exhibits his amazement and love of the region. As such, it might be most accurate to say that Bryson believes one should love the woods, but also be smart enough to maintain a healthy level of fearful respect for them.
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