I LOVE this book! I have read and re-read it several times.

First off: I don't care whether he hiked the whole 2,146.7 (ATC number) or just 700 miles. I have read scores and scores of journals from people who have hiked the whole thing on Trail Journals and not one of them were as interesting/funny a read as this tome.
This book is a riot!
Cpt 5) Katz vs. Mary Ellen

Someone said, that there would have been a lot less non-hiking info if he had completed more trail. Well, I'm glad he didn't as the ancillary info is really quite impressive:

Chpt 8) "Half of all the offices and malls standing in America today hae been built since 1980. Eighty per cent of all housing stock in teh country dates from 1945. Of all the motel rooms in America, 230,000 have been built in the last 15 years."

Chpt 10) "...the mortality rate was 100 percent. In just over thirty-five years the American chestnut became a memory. The Appalachians alone lost four billion trees, a quarter of its cover in a geneartion."

Chpt 11) "Every twenty minutes on the Appalachian Trail, Katz and I walked farther than the average American walks in a week"

If you want to read an AT book that is more "serious" from someone who completed the journey, I recommend:
On The Beaten Path by Robert Alden Rubin. He went to work for the ATC afterwards.
Read them both and compare/contrast. Or one that is very unique: Muesser's book (see below).

Here are some others (from AWOL's AT03 journal, Prep#9):

Long Distance Hiking by Roland Muesser
He was a thru-hiker in 1989. He developed an elaborate questionnaire, gave it to many other thru-hikers, and compiled stats on everything you'd want to know about the typical A.T. thru-hike. Don't let the analytical approach scare you off, this is a very readable book and an awesome resource.

Walkin' on the Happy Side of Misery by JR "Model T" Tate
Model T's account is balanced, telling the good and bad of the trail. He celebrates what is good, and finds humor in what is difficult. Great attitude. He excels at describing the "feel" of what life is like on the trail.

Walking With Spring by Earl Shaffer
A must read for anyone with more than a passing interest in the A.T. Easy to read with a good dose of lessons in the history of the trail and the lands through which it passes. We are lucky that that the first thru-hiker was also an excellent journaler.

A Season on the Appalachian Trail by Lynn Setzer
Trail stories by a journalist following thru-hikers of 1996 (also Bill Bryson's year). This is useful in getting a range of perspectives. This portrait may be a little rose-colored. Includes follow-up letters from hikers that are very interesting and sometimes poignant.

On the Beaten Path by Robert Rubin
This thru-hiker took many issues on the trail with him, and had marginal support from his spouse. What results is a realistic account of the trail. The trail is no panacea. Not everyone is considerate and town stops can be filthier than the trail. At times he dips into cynicism (I ate a half-gallon of ice cream -- so what?).

There are Mountains to Climb by Jean Deeds
This is a fine acount of a hike taken by a senior woman with an overwhelmingly positive slant on life.

Walking North by Mic Lowther
A couple and their young daughter attempt a thru-hike. Some of the advice is a little outmoded (eg: Jeans are optimal hike-wear). Good reading for anyone who will need to deal with the compromises of hiking in a group.

A.T.: A Visitors Companion by Leonard Adkins
A textbook-like description of the trail, trees, plants, and animals. Has a good blurb on trail history. You'll find yourself skipping sections that are too mundane (description of a racoon), and too specialized (plate tectonics).

Walking Home by Kelly Winters
Kelly's very personal account of a thru-hike attempt. The upside is her undying belief in trail karma. On the downside, the author is heavily laden with personal issues, which leads to some negativity and shifting objectives on the trail. This is a good study in how blue and yellow blazing can derail your hike

If anyone has read any of the above please comment as I have not read them yet. Feel free to start a new thread to discuss a new title.

Vic