Jeff Alt sets out on an amazing 2,160 mile adventure on the Appalachian trail. His goal: to raise money for the home his brother lives in, a home for the disabled, called The Sunshine Home.
He begins his quest at the beginning of course, Springer Mountain, Georgia and after going through 14 states, 147 days later he reaches his goal! Along the way he tells of his experience with the gear, the people he meets, the places that he stays. He also tells of his experience with critters and injuries. He ends up raising more than $16,000. for The Sunshine Home. Also in the back of the book, he talks about what it takes to start a charity, he talks about his life lessons from his walk, his gear list, ideas for children on a hike and so much more. He also created a dvd about his expedition.
Its a wonderful, interesting story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommend!!
Natalie(less) ( )

Generally now I rate books now with 1 to 5 stars but felt I needed to take the time to write this review.

I appreciate what Jeff Alt was trying to accomplish, and I know giving a book that is based on a charitable act, less than a glowing review, is unpopular. But I feel taken in by this book (my own fault) by the out of this world reviews and touted “awards” garnered by it. I shelled out $9.99 for the book and I guess I’m a bit irked.

I have read most of the books on the AT and these books I feel are different than other books of similar genre because there have been so many of them based on the exact same experience in general. They recount sections of the trail, shelters, restaurants, hotels etc. that other books on through hiking the AT have been written. I’ve even read similar books that had the exact same hiker they met in the woods that year. So comparing them makes a reader that loves reading about the AT that more particular on what he or she likes.

I averaged my rating by giving:
3 stars---
For the comprehensive description on basic backpacking he has requirements/expectations for long distance hiking and general overview of the trail. This stuff is really for the beginning backpacker.
The author seems to have a good heart and often sees things through fresh eyes. Ex: camping in a thunderstorm for the first time. If you’ve done this hundreds of times you might not appreciate the chapter as much as someone that is unfamiliar with the experience.

2 stars ---
For the lack of depth and on everyday trail life. There are many Wikipedia like references for many of the places on the trail (civil war battles, suicide locations, murderers) where I would have preferred a more personal viewpoint. Awkward readability, poor grammar and misspellings that boggle you on how they could get by an editor/proofreader or spellchecker…especially in the 3rd edition! Readability is more than a problem.

0 stars ----
For the deceptive marketing. (I chose this book by the reviews and the awards it was given. On page 50 I realized it just didn’t jibe with the quality of the writing. It made me so curious that I did some research: The awards received were from private firms you pay to review your book. How objective the review is….don’t know, but you paid for it.
There is a big medal on the cover from Writersnotes.com “Book Award Winner.” “A Walk for Sunshine” is mentioned on their site after all the awards for Legacy books (over two years old) and was just listed as notable…after the runner ups. Is this an award?
I am glad this book and his adventures have made money for his charities. I take responsibility for not taking a closer look and will be more wary in the future. There is good information here but there are so many other books that are better to read first.

. ( )

I can remember when I was younger doing walk-a-thons to raise money for various things at our schools. The longest I had walked was 20 miles. I believed that was a lot until I read this book. Jeff alt walked 2,160 miles to fulfill a dream and raise money for a worthy cause. When I walk today I complain if I have to walk in a little bit of drizzle or if the weather is too hot. Jeff walked in downpours, snow, extremely cold weather or extremely hot weather and still kept on going. His dream was to walk the Appalachian Trail, a personal dream while raising money for the Sunshine Home where his brother Aaron was. This book is his inspirational story of how he accomplished this and the friends he made along the way. I had to ask myself when I finished this book, would I have the courage and stamina to do this? I laughed at the simple things, such as his realizing how bad he smelled when he hurt his ankle and had to get a ride to Gatlinburg. I would have been terrified to have crossed paths and then stood up to the group they called "The Vegetarians." Jeff tried to make hiking a pleasure in so many ways for so many people on the trail. I know I will never hike the trail long distance as he did. The next time I am on it I will remember him and bring some of his inspiration with me. I loved the maps at the beginning of each chapter and found the gear list and tips for taking children hiking especially helpful I have several friends who have been asking for an opportunity to read this and I will gladly share this inspirational book. ( )

A Walk For Sunshine by Jeff Alt

When I saw this book, I thought it would be interesting. I never thought I would love it so much. This is the story Jeff Alt's hike along the Appalachian Trail. Along the way he saved a dog from drowning, was chased by a bull, met a moose, survived freezing temperatures, driving rain, and met many people, some friendly, some not so friendly. Alt doesn't hold anything back in this amazing book. He tells it all even down to the blisters on his feet. Not only did he hike the 2,160 mile Appalachian Trail, he also raised $100,000 for the Sunshine Home where his brother who has cerebral palsy resides. Full of interesting characters, humor, and touching stories, this is a great book for both hikers and non hikers. Yes, it's a book about a hike, but it is so much more. It's a book about the love of one brother for another, fortitude and the human spirit. Very inspirational!!

Additional info about the book:

Published with the environment and our natural resources in mind, A Walk For Sunshine text is printed on environmentally friendly paper in compliance with the Green Press Initiative.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of A Walk for Sunshine are donated to the Sunshine Home. ( )

I've read alot of books about people that have hiked the Appalachian Trail and this was my favorite AT hike adventure book. Jeff has a brother with cerebral palsy that lives in an assisted living home and in conjunction with his walk he raised money to benefit the home where his brother lives. I like the town by town details Jeff provides in regards to his AT hiking experience. I personally would like to hike the AT some day when I can find 5 months to spare. This book provided some good information and what to expect along the trail. ( )