"dreaming of being out there, too" - maybe "with Reese Witherspoon,,,,"? smile (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

You're right. Take this book for what it is.

As a book about backpacking, I loved "The Man Who Walked Through Time" but hated "A Walk in the Woods."

As humor, "The Man Who Walked Through Time" fails; "A Walk in the Woods" is funny (but not funny enough to earn a permanent place on my bookshelf.)

Take them for what they are.