Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi

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Summary: necessary reading
Review: If you don't own this one, then you are not serious about mushrooms! A comprehensive guide that is easy to follow. Good technical level that is missing from a lot of guide books out on the market.

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Summary: Authoritative, comprehensive and a hoot to read!
Review: If you're looking for the one fail-safe book on wild mushrooms, this is it. The keys contained within it are both comprehensive and easy to follow, and (as far as I can tell) every conceivable North American fungus is described within the book's pages. In addition, the book is actually fun to read -- Arora's got a great sense of humor, and he manages to strike a balance between rigorous taxonomy, humorous anecdote and eccentric perspective -- this book is the tops in its field, as far as I'm concerned. Buy it!

Rating:
Summary: Overwhelmingly informative.
Review: More information than the typical hunter would likely use. A good mix of factual knoledge and personal experience. Very entertaining and easy to understand.

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Summary: Excellent
Review: Mushrooms Demystified is the most useful single book I know of on the subject. The dicotomous keys are a powerful identification tool, and the descriptions are right on target. From beginning concepts such as "What is a fungus?" to technical microscopic details, Mushrooms Demystified is accurate and easy to understand. Humor and wit round out the text which is wonderfully well written. It is not a picture book, but it does have enough pictures to make a positive identification. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the intriguing kingdom of fungi. Im wearing out my second copy.

Rating:
Summary: The Greatest
Review: Mushrooms Demystified is the most useful single book I know of on the subject. The dicotomous keys are a powerful identification tool, and the descriptions are right on target. From beginning concepts such as "What is a fungus?" to technical microscopic details, Mushrooms Demystified is accurate and easy to understand. Humor and wit round out the text which is wonderfully well written. It is not a picture book, but it does have enough pictures to make a positive identification. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the intriguing kingdom of fungi. Im wearing out my second copy.

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Summary: Don't pick without it!!
Review: Not only is this book the most comprehensive and easiest to use guide on the market, it's necessary! *DO NOT* pick wild mushrooms to eat unless you own this book! As a mycologist of 25 years and gourmet cook, I relish wild mushroom dishes, but please: YOU CANNOT IDENTIFY MANY EDIBLE MUSHROOMS BY SIGHT ALONE! Spend the money to get this book and pick safely. I'm so glad it's finally fall, I'm going out to pick a basket of chantrelles for dinner! Yeay!!!!

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Summary: The Gospel According to David;-{)
Review: The best treatment of West Coast mushrooms available today. Using Arora's concise descriptions, I have increased my knowledge of fungi with each foray. This is an enjoyable and informative text that is littered with fungi stories. When is the next edition arriving?

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Summary: Fabulous field guide for the western US
Review: This book is indispensible for mushroom hunting on the west coast. I had a copy of the first edition for 10+ years and wore it to a scotch-taped frazzle. I finally treated myself to the second edition, and I'm so glad I did! This one has more species, more photos, and an expanded geographic scope (more info on SW and mountain states, and the rest of the US to a lesser extent).

Unfortunately, I recently moved to the southeast. I still turn to Arora for rough ID, but it can't be denied that Mushrooms Demystified is not as helpful in this area. But until I find a good comprehensive field guide to the region, MD will still be my standby.

Rating:
Summary: Huge!! Comprehensive, but has a few faults.
Review: This book really gets into those fungi!! I got this book for my wife and I to use as our complete reference book on mushrooms. The book is a little intimidating because it gets so in-depth. And definitely lacks in good pictures. However, after reading a lot in this book you really start to learn a deeper side to those mysterious fungi. Great humor and candor mixed in throughout the book. The step by step ID section has been right-on in helping to identify mushrooms. There are quite a few I have been unable to identify if only I had a great picture of it! Some of the Step by step groups are so extensive its easy to get lost in them without ever finding your mushroom. By far the the most complete book on mushrooms I've seen but probably not for the total beginner. I will be looking for a companion to this one with more color pictures to help. Don't get me wrong, if you want to really get into mushrooms, or already are into them, this book is a must.

Rating:
Summary: Huge!! Comprehensive, but has a few faults.
Review: This book really gets into those fungi!! I got this book for my wife and I to use as our complete reference book on mushrooms. The book is a little intimidating because it gets so in-depth. And definitely lacks in good pictures. However, after reading a lot in this book you really start to learn a deeper side to those mysterious fungi. Great humor and candor mixed in throughout the book. The step by step ID section has been right-on in helping to identify mushrooms. There are quite a few I have been unable to identify if only I had a great picture of it! Some of the Step by step groups are so extensive its easy to get lost in them without ever finding your mushroom. By far the the most complete book on mushrooms I've seen but probably not for the total beginner. I will be looking for a companion to this one with more color pictures to help. Don't get me wrong, if you want to really get into mushrooms, or already are into them, this book is a must.