Mushroom Books

I'm frustrated. I have been foraging and eating wild mushrooms for fifty years. I have never found, what I consider, a truly good mushroom identification book. Miller's book is no exception. Mind you, mushroom taxonomy is extremely convoluted. I've seen a species of mushroom go through three genus names in a few years. When I find a mushroom I do not know, I hit the books. Yes, I do have a microscope, too. I look at the spores, the tissues, and I do the reagent tests (I still have a small stash of Meltzer's solution). My frustration is with weak keys. Miller's book dead-ends me more than most. Ninety percent of the time I cannot key out a new mushroom. I think the problem is that too many authors try to cover too many species. In an ideal world there would be an identification book for every genus. If there are 50 species of Stropharia and a book only covers five of them, it is useless to me. I give Miller's book good marks for it being a good introduction to the most common mushrooms and the photographs are pretty good; but if you're really serious, you'll have to find something else. I'm still looking. Also, if a book is to be known as a "field book", it should fit in a pocket and be durable. I've already had two of these books fall apart on me.

This book is a good pictorial field reference of North American mushrooms. At the very beginning of the book, immediately following the table of contents, is a picture key, a description of how to use the keys, a verbal key to the major groups of fungi, and a metric/inch ruler for aid in measurement. Next comes a general introduction, in which are described the main features of mushroom biology, methods for collecting and studying mushrooms, mushrooms names, seasons for collection mushrooms, edibility and preparation, and mushroom toxins. The main part of the book consists of the mushroom identification guide, organized according to the key of major mushroom groups. For each major group, there is a more specific key to identify the exact species. Each species then has a brief article that includes the scientific name, common names, edibility, tips on culinary preparation (if relevant), textual description, and notes about other similar species. Most, but not all, the articles are accompanied by high-quality color photographs. End material includes a very useful illustrated glossary, a textual glossary, a bibliography, and an index.

The keys are reasonably clear; however, I must admit that I frequently skip the keys and just flip through the pictures on the chance of finding an immediate answer. Indeed, since for the gilled mushrooms, the first question in the keys is spore color, the keys can't really be used in the field since you need to take a spore print and wait for the colors to develop before you can use the keys. The textual descriptions of individual species tend to be rather brief, but seem adequate, nevertheless. In addition to characteristics relevant for field identification, Miller also includes some information that can only be readily checked in a lab, such as spore size, shape, and chemical staining. Due to its ease of use and comprehensiveness, this book and the Peterson's Guide by Lincoff are the 2 volumes I am most likely to carry with me when heading out into the wood for a mushroom walk.

Mushrooms of North America by Orson K. Miller, Jr. is a worderful book that is complete with pictures and very good description and keys and an illustrated glossary of the mushrooms that grow in North America.

This is a flexible field guide and is comprehensive and has full-color pictures of mushrooms. It has a how, when and where to collect mushrooms. The book has a key to determine the exact species, a bibliography and a special section on mushroom toxins.

An index to all the species (680) and all the genera described or mentioned within the book. It is well written and logical book that meets and satisfies the need of all types of possible users: from the casual observer, the ardent amatuer mycologist, and the student of biology.

This is one of the books that gives only positive chemical reactions... odors, tastes, etc... and are given, such as amyloid (blue) spores in Melzer's reagent, or bitter taste when the flesh of a mushroom is tested. This is a very valuable book to have while hunting mushrooms.

If you can find it... get it... you won't be disappointed. Every attempt is made in this book to show the fungus in its natural habitat or to illustrate the diagnostic features which one should see in order to be sure of identification.

All around a superior book and field guide.

First published in 1965, Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles is a classic text exploring the true stories behind the fungi kingdom, from the potato blight that ravaged Ireland to the hallucinogenic properties of the LSD mushroom to the bread mold that produced penicillin and the truffle prized as a delicacy. Written in a conversational style accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles in an amazing tour de force of the spore-filled wonders. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone even the least bit curious about these unobtrusive life forms.

I'm really glad I decided to pick up a copy of Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles and start reading. It lead me into a world that I hadn't really though much about. I now have much more respect for fungi.

Who knew that fungi had such effects on our daily world? Yes, I love adding mushrooms to my homemade spaghetti sauce, I am aware that penicillin comes from bread mold, and being of Irish descent I know that the Great Hunger (the Irish Potato Famine) was caused by blight. However, as I drink my wine, eat my sandwich, or even take a deep breath of fresh air, I almost never think about how fungi is actually responsible for these things. Likewise, I had no idea of the potential of fungi in various avenues of modern medicine and the fight against world hunger. Conversely, I didn't have a clue about the great dangers and possible destruction that fungi could accomplish.

I found Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles completely fascinating. I learned a great deal but didn't feel like I was reading a stuffy biology text. The author artfully managed to keep my attention throughout the entire book without overloading me. I could see how each section directly affect me, my world, and the future of all people, both the good and the bad.

Reviewed by Maria Hoeffer

Fungus. The mere word brings up stomach-turning images of hideous growths infesting the most unclean of bathrooms and refrigerators. But as Lucy Kavaler so eloquently and enjoyably explains in Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles, fungi is fascinating and necessary in our world. From gracing our salad plates to keeping us well with penicillin, fungi improves our lives every day. Though not always beneficial, Kavaler also explores the power and destructive abilities of the mighty fungi as well.

More soldiers were sent home from the South Pacific in World War II with fungal infections than from combat injuries, for example. The fungus causing the potato blight of Ireland changed the entire course of that country's history. Kavaler demonstrates both the beauty and the ugliness of these tiny organisms. Reading Kavaler's book is like talking with an entertaining friend. She's got a story for every topic and sprinkles enough juicy details into the science-y bits that you hardly realize you are learning quite a bit.

This book, originally published in 1965 has been recently re-issued. While this is a fabulous way to excite a new generation about fungus, some major updating is needed. References end in the early 1960s. Reading about the Cold War or the newly discovered field of genetics distances the contemporary reader from the otherwise engaging text. Likewise, while reading about a 1960's housewife may have helped draw in the 1965 reader, in 2007 it just feels archaic.

Overall, Kavaler breathes life into a topic often neglected like a moldy shower curtain.

Armchair Interview says: Mushrooms, Molds and Miracles teaches you a lot.

As a former student, I was witness to Mr. Akers ability to register information in a reasonable fashion that was not recondite. As a student with interest in Ethnomycology ,these texts present a clear fundamental knowledge base, with regards to the historicity of the subject. I would recommend this book to any one with interest in Ethnomycology. Although R Gordon Wassons findings have been widely publicized, the majority of other essays accompanying in this book were not available. For the first time to many, these esoteric texts can now be read. "The Sacred Mushrooms of Mexico"
is a must read for any beginner who finds mycology a wondrous field.

"The Sacred Mushrooms of Mexico: Assorted Texts" is a must-have for mushroom fanatics wild about finding obscure Spanish-language reference papers now translated into English for the first time. Edited by Brain P. Akers, "Sacred Mushrooms" sets out to fill holes in bibliographies dating back to the sixties and seventies, digging out newly re-found scholarship on the Matlatzinca, Mixtec, Mixe, and other Central American sacred mushroom rituals from papers that are widely credited but (until now) never read. While some of the content in these rediscovered texts goes over territory well documented in Wasson-era accounts, the cultural richness of these obscure references reveals a vast depth of real shamanic knowledge, and demonstrates full breadth of Central American mushroom spirituality.

While listing the collection of texts in this volume might be enlightening to some, I think it would be more fitting to reprint some of the more tasty bits I came across, in no particular order. The first is from Walter S. Miller's research on the Mixe tonalamatl, a sacred calendric text, and its relation to the lore of sacred mushrooms. Here is a nice snippet:


"Another type of mushroom puts one to sleep, causing visions. The vision induced is always the same: two dwarfs or elves (dos enanitos o duendes), a male and a female, appear to the one who eats the mushrooms. They speak to him and answer his questions. They provide him with information as to where lost things can be found. If he has had anything stolen, these dwarfs or elves identify the thief and the location where the stolen item is hidden. If one plans a trip, he is told what kind of luck he will have."

This is just one mention of the hombrecitos, or the little men, who pervade mushroom mythology. While these little tikes may have been turned into cartoon characters by McKenna et. al., they are treated with the respect of gods and angels, for it is they who deliver the power of wisdom and healing to the curanderos. From a translated account by Luis Reyes G.:


"14. If something inside of you hurts, then with their little hands they will massage you. You feel as though "they settled your stomach." Your stomach and innards will make noise while they are extracting the sickness from you."

From a scientific point of view, I find it fascinating how the physiological effects of the mushrooms (hallucinations, visions, tremors, sickness, purging) are treated with such mystical reverence in these cultures. To hear them tell it, a visit with these santitos (little saints) can cure any disease, help you find lost objects, let you see who's talking smack behind your back, and reveal your future. And if all you see is "snakes and jaguars" and other frightening things, it is because you have disrespected the mushroom spirits and are not worthy of their gifts! It is a totally airtight ontology: If the mushrooms don't work, it's your fault for not believing enough. How's that for priming the experience?

Even though the material "Sacred Mushrooms of Mexico" may seem like a refresher course (another visit with Maria Sabina? Really?), I found myself glued to the accounts in these papers as if I was reading it all for the first time. Why? There's a freshness here that comes with finding anthropological material in it's original form, not cribbed and re-worked by scholars trying to service their own agenda. These rediscovered texts are not only a great addition to any library of mushroom lore, they are essential to understanding the Central American culture and ritual that came to define modern mushroom mythology.

[...]

As a former department mate of Dr. Akers, I had the pleasure of anticipating this book as he relayed bits of the tales within it. I was witness to his mighty effort to acquire the texts and permissions, and to work through the translations in order to assemble this unique collection of articles about the discovery and research into the phenomenon of hallucinogenic mushrooms. I began to read, prepared to find a collage of interesting pieces on mushrooms and rituals. I was taken instead on a journey, beginning with the first whispering accounts of the existence of these mushrooms and their uses, and culminating with their story rupturing through the TV screens of America and into the common culture. Dr. Akers' multidisciplinary background allows him to approach this topic from a variety of angles. His introduction escorts you gently into the world of the mushroom, the people and the cultures involved. The seven chapters are coordinated together into a delightfully cohesive work. It creates in the reader an evolution of understanding that perhaps parallels in some form what the researchers and public experienced over the decades spanned by the various publications. This is a book that will take a long time to properly sample and consider, with its multiple layers of story, backup fact and supplementary information. It is a fascinating foray for experts and laypeople alike.

fantastic, shame you can't get it anymore

This is the first in a four book sequence by British author Roger Taylor called "The Chronicles of Hawklan". One night in the middle of a snowstorm, Hawklan arrives at the ancient sealed castle of Anderras Darion. He has no memory of his personal history or even his name. The locals of the village below the castle re-name him Hawklan and he finds he is a natural healer of great ability with a store of knowledge that he doesn't know the origins of.

The real story of this book starts with the arrival of a harmless looking tinker who sells goods to the village people. However, what he sells are not what they seem. This leads Hawklan on a quest to discover the source of the poison that has been sold to the people he loves, and it's the start of world changing events for everyone, with Hawklan as the unexpected catalyst.

This book is well paced and written and Hawklan and his friends are characters which grow on you with affection. However, this book is really only an introductory novel in some ways, but if you enjoy fantasy its well worth reading.

The other books in this series are:
The fall of Fyorlund
The Waking of Orthlund
Into Narsindal

I only used two chapters of this book. When I visited the waterfalls described in these two chapters, I found the information up to date and accurate. It covered everything I wanted to know before I went.

A very good book that helped me discover some great places in the Catskills. Thanks to this book I was able to take some great photographs. The book is well written and gives directions, history, and advice to finding the waterfalls.

Common Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of New York is a handy book and a good starting point for the budding amateur mycologist. It gives you a nice overview of what you want to keep your eyes open for. I finally found some boleti edulium as a result. However, it is in no way comprehensive. The myriad of mushroom varieties in New York State is mindboggling. This book makes it seem like there are a couple dozen edibles and a couple dozen poisonous types. Actually walking around in the woods puts this book in perspective. For every mushroom I have found that is included in this book, I have probably found 5 that are not and of those 5, one or two might look promising, but are not a perfect match with the mushrooms described in this book. This is a good supplement and if you live in NY State, it is probably something you should buy. However you should still have a big mushroom book with lots of listings for all those other mushrooms you will certainly find and wonder about.
As to the cooking portion of this book... I would have preferred simpler recipes that emphasize the flavors of the mushroom rather than the cheesy (pun intended) dishes that are given. The food styling and artificial light photography is not very appealing either. ...nice idea, but not very inviting execution.

Finally, a field book for mushrooms tuned to the local fungi. I have a "field" book that weighs 11# and has more than 1200 mushrooms in it. It covers two continents and is so comphrehensive you can't rely upon it for anything. It came from the publishert with six slipped in corrections, two of which involved deadly shrooms. This gem covers my region, only the safest choices, and is clear about the dangerous choices. So what if I can't safely pick some rarely seen variety, or some variety that is a near replica of virosa treacherosa. Who wants a liver transplant anyway?

This book is what the title says - The complete mushroom book. It is the only book you need. Read it, learn and you can be safe picking all mushrooms in Sweden and the rest of the world. And then you can make the most delicius dishes with help from Antonio Carluccio's recipes. He is the most marveleus mushroom expert both in the woods, fields and citchen. I am very impressed!
Bo Johnsson

This book by an Italian, Antonio Carluccio, transplanted to England covers the botanical classifications of edible mushrooms and fungi, tips on collecting, a guide to identifying edible and toxic mushrooms, and a large collection of mushroom recipes. It has many things to recommend it, but it also should be given more than a cursory thought if you have an interest in purchasing the book.

As a compulsive book collector, I often justify the purchase of a book solely on the presence of one good idea comprising not much more than a page or two, but you may not have such liberal criteria when laying out the long green for a book, especially for bone white plants.

The devil's advocate view of this book is that:

It's coverage of mushroom identification and distinction of culinary from toxic is weak in that the book does not give a consistant photographic coverage to all species. I would be extremely nervous if I knew someone was using only this book as a field guide. A quick comparison photographs for the edible boletus badius on page 33 with the toxic russula emetica on page 71 shows how similar two very different mushrooms can look. The comparison is scarier when you see that the two species flourish at the same time of the year. My main point is that to a non-mycologist, this appears to be a very inadequate field guide. Much better would be one species per page with much more consistant coverage over all species.

While the title of the book refers to all mushrooms, it's emphasis is clearly on wild mushrooms. About 75 percent of all the recipes call for wild mushrooms, primarily morels and many of the recipes calling for cultivated species call for unusual or expensive species, up to and including truffles.

So what does that leave for the non-mushroom hunter living in Brooklyn? Here are some reasons for buying this book:

The well written text and good photography provides a worthy vicarious experience of the thrills of mushroom hunting in Devon, England.

The recipes give several worthy methods for preserving mushrooms, including drying and pickling. This is the material I would pick to primarily justify the purchase. I have not seen it anywhere else.

Even if you substitute the humble Pennsylvania button mushroom or the slightly more upscale cremini for the blue stocking morels and procinis, you get a wealth of recipes to add to a vegetarian diet. The recipes draw heavily from French and Italian cuisine, but they include a broad selection from various oriental cuisines as well. Even a fair number of German and Spanish dishes are included. Oddly, there seems to be practically no recipes for the portobello.

You also get useful practical tips on handling and eating mushrooms. The book makes it clear that almost every mushroom is healthier to eat cooked than to eat raw. I have heard it said that even our darling little Kennet Square button mushrooms have toxins which must be cooked to remove the toxins. Give the raw mushrooms a pass the next time you hit the salad bar. The information on taking special care with raw mushrooms and alcohol is pretty chilling, but again, as testified by the long popularity of Coq au Vin, this danger is eliminated by thorough cooking.

In general, I would rate the culinary advice on mushroom technique to be very useful.

Since I am very fond of cookbooks on single subjects, I recommend this book for the recipes and techniques and background on mushroom culture and collection in the wild, as long as you keep the wild part to your armchair. The price is a bit high, so I would not click on the order button without some check on alternate titles, especially the volume by Jane Grigson, `The Mushroom Feast' which I have not yet had the pleasure to sample.

I got this book primarily for its photos and general information. That pretty much sums up the book.

If you want a guide book get "Mushrooms Demystified" - Great book.

If you want to read about and take a look at some interesting and beautiful mushrooms, get this book.

Its good in that it has a lot of general information (ie mushroom cultivating) but I would never use this book alone to properly identify a mushroom, nor to use in the field.

Instead it is a good book to take a look at after using a proper guide to confirm that all the characteristics add up, and also to salivate at the hopes of finding some of the great edibles described within.

I have read quite a few mushroom books in my course of book reviewing, but I would have to say this is one of the best. This book has great coverage on propagation, cultivation, identification and collecting. I like the decision to leave out mushrooms of unknown edibility because it makes the book much more manageable.
The photography is excellent. I liked the addition of habitat shots of where certain mushrooms grow. This would surely help anyone who is a collector.
This book stayed on track and didn't try to be all things to all people. For instance, in the cultivation section, they tell you what to read for more information depending on the type of mushroom.
This book has great information on all levels and is helpful guide for the novice to expert gardener.

Came in condition as promised, in timely manner. Great pictures - justs what I needed.

covers all the basics.. in detail.. includes basic taxonomic keys and useful materials.

spent compost it can use to fodder for livestock , soil conditioner and fertilizer in addition to can ferment it to compost of Volvariella volvacea

Miles and Chang have done a great service to all students and aspiring mushroom cultivators with the publication of Mushroom Biology. This small, information dense book covers all aspects of mushroom cultivation, from the biology of mushroom development to the science underlying cultivation. As such, it is the perfect textbook for an upper level undergraduate course specifically focused on edible mushrooms.

The book approaches the mushroom largely from a theoretical and conceptual standpoint and is divided into four parts. The first part introduces the edible mushroom by elaborating its role and importance to man and the environment. The second part delves deeply into the biology and genetics of the edible mushroom. Here, the reader learns much about the classification of fungi, the biology of the fungi, the nutritional and environmental requirements of the fungi as organisms, and most importantly, the genetics and breeding of the edible fungi. The third part of the book covers mushroom production and is divided into three chapters which delve concisely into the phases of mushroom cultivation and aspects of biotechnology related to mushroom production leading up to the present time. The fourth part of the book briefly details current developments in mushroom cultivation focusing specifically on Asia. The fifth and final part of the book provides the reader with a long and useful list of references as well as cultivation parameters for many of the known, edible mushrooms.

Although this book is not nearly as detailed as Miles and Chang's previous publication, Edible Mushrooms and Their Cultivation (CRC Press 1989- no longer in print), it can serve as an excellent starting point for students and aspiring cultivators. The book's major strength is its introduction and definition of terminology common to mycology and mushroom cultivation. While there is not a lot of information on cultivation techniques per se, the scientific basis for the techniques is brilliantly and concisely explained. For those individuals who desire detailed information on the cultivation of mushrooms, books such as The Mushroom Cultivator and Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, both by mushroom guru and eco-activist extraordinaire Paul Stamets will provide more than enough information.

Readers of this book will find that it will enable them to speak intelligently about mushrooms from both a theoretical and an applied standpoint. For those individuals wishing to develop a detailed knowledge of the fundamental concepts involved in mushroom cultivation, this book can not be beat.