great book for the pacific northwest

books:


	• Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi David Arora Ten Speed Press, 1986 - 1020 pages average customer review:based on 39 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Very Well Written

It's a big book and covers a lot. The pictures are great. If you're looking a mushroom bible, this appears to be it.

The title describes it best

Perhaps the best affirmation of this book is how I acquired it: it was assigned as a textbook in an evening class at a local community college, "Mushroom Identification and Taxonomy". That was 15 years ago. It was a regular 4 credit hour class, using microscopes to examine spores etc. I can't imagine what other book would have been used because it is so detailed and carefully organized. As other reviewers have commented, it is indeed heavy but I have still found it worthwhile to stuff into my rucksack when I go afield. My copy is weather-beaten and the pages are marked up and highlighted. The photos are excellent and I wish there were more of them. Arora is an excellent writer; the text is clear. He has a good sense of humor and an obvious passion for mushrooms. When it comes to safety he is completely serious. The section on the deadly Amanitas is especially helpful because he carefully explains the field marks and arms the reader with the knowledge of how to identify them. I have come to appreciate the incredible variety of mushrooms because the book has greatly increased my awareness. Just as I have learned to identify many birdcalls and native plants--which enriches my time in the forest--I find myself drawn to the beauty of mushrooms, even tho I can't identify most of them. I am purchasing a copy for my brother-in-law and his wife. When I saw the reviews I felt I had to add my favorable comments. And by the way, it is oriented to folks like me who want to learn to identify the edible varieties. All his listed species have a line for "Edibility". While the vast majority are "not recommended", "inedible", "unknown", etc., some are labeled as "Edible and choice!", a happy find. This book sets the standard for mushroom identification.

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An Encylopedic Guide

At 959 pages you won't carry this one to the field. We own several other MR/Fungi Guides, each has it's own strength. This one gets credit for attempting the greatest number of species. The Keys for each genus attempts to follow a logical step-by-step decision tree progression. When it works, it's great. But there are many times when the distinctions are just not clear cut, and it doesn't. That's more a function of the complexity of MR/fungi and nature than it is the author's fault. The lack of many color photographs is a minus, as is the very fine print used throughout. The author is a good educator. His knowledge and experience, as well as great sense of humor come through in his discussion. The book clearly identifies a West Coast bias, but adds observations from other experts in other geographic areas. This was recommended to us as the definitive guide. Maybe so, but if I was starting out, I would first use one of the simpler guides such as the Peterson Field Guide.

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great book for the pacific northwest

This is a great book if you are interested in identifying the mushrooms in the forests and countryside of the PNW. Takes some getting used to the taxonomic nomeclature but is a good read, clearly presented and entertaining for beginners and experts alike. Not that many colour plates is the only downside of the book, but you mustn't be tempted to try to i.d. mushrooms by appearance especially if you intend to eat them. Use the keys! Highly recommended book.

Wild Mushroom Field Guide Review

One of, if not thee, most comprehensive field guide for wild mushrooming ever published. Amazing work.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Nothing is more elusive and mysterious than the wild mushroom. David Arora celebrates the gathering and study of wild mushrooms with engaging style, wit and simple terminology. Mushrooms Demystified includes descriptions, photographs, and keys to over 2,000 species. There is a Beginner's Checklist of the 70 most distinctive and common mushrooms plus detailed chapters on terminology, classification, habitats, mushroom cookery, mushroom toxins, and the meanings of scientific mushroom names.

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