(Read by Rob McQuay; Random House Audio; downloaded from Audible.com; 9 hours and 47 minutes)

This was a dilemma. Random House has released an abridged version of this funny, insightful audiobook, read by the author, to coincide with the movie. Bryson has a funny, weird accent, half British, half American, and anything he narrates is always punched up by his sharp humor and perfect timing.

However, one hates to miss out on almost half the original material, I suggest opting for this downloadable version, which describes Bryson’s hike along the Appalachian Trail in the 1990s with crude, out-of-shape, ill-prepared friend and good sport, Steven Katz. The material veers between wildly funny and deeply introspective. It is well worth a revisit if you’ve heard it before and don’t mind some cussing.

Grade: A