Commentary/review

An important book. A Scotsman on the Appalachian Trail celebrating his 40th birthday. He sounds and acts much older than 40. The book is depressing which is a new feature for trail literature. The Author drinks, possibly takes overall poor care of his health, acutely notices the ugly side of the world around him – murders in shelters, madmen with guns, bad food and cheating. Most importantly, the Author did not notice the post-trail depression state, giving a hint of him being depressed in general. For all these reasons, the book is a must read. Through hikes may be good for the soul but are also dangerous, expensive in terms of money and health debt, as well as difficult to return from. A much recommended, honest memoir. Of course, I immensely enjoyed the Scottish accent of the Author.

I like this cover a lot – it provides another true image without being too personal, not unlike the rest of the book.

Cover photo by Alex Diaz on Unsplash