Bill Bryson provides witty commentary and stories about his experience growing up in the 1950s. It was a glimpse back in time when things appeared to be simplier, slower, and easier . . . I think my parents would really like this book – it’s the kind of thing they could get really nostalgic over.

While I liked it and would recommend this to any Bill Bryson fan as it does provide some background into characters like Katz . . . I didn’t like it quite as much as “Neither Here Nor There” or “A Walk in the Woods”. However, it was a good, entertaining, and informative read.

Having read nearly all of Bryson’s works, this is one of his biopics, looking at his early childhood in Des Monies, Iowa in the 1950’s and 60’s. He moves easily about from describing people and places to give you a real sense of the town to laugh out loud funny stories.

The short coming of the book would have to be the lack of narrative about the Thunderbolt Kid theme and in general narrative through the book. Its really a collection of stories, not a path. The end just sort of ends. He rushed through his high school years, reminisces over the changing of the community fixtures and bomb, the story is over. Much like the fading in the book Walk in the Woods.

But if you like Bryson’s style and humour, you will like this too.