National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mushrooms

Rating:
Summary: good photographs but it could be better
Review: Comparing many books on mushrooms I am still looking for a great combination of features. 1) must be portable and not the size of a large size volume; 2) color photographs, possibly full page, in a natural setting, possibly at natural size; 3) text adjacent to photograph; 4) warnings on look-alike mushrooms when looking at one mushroom specifically; 5) usage of scientific names as primary references instead of common names. While this field guide excells in many of the above, each page has three color photograps, thus often the mushroom displayed is 20% the size of the actual real mushroom. Also, the text pages are separate from the photograph pages due to different type of paper used (text is on white paper), so while the picture may be on page 200, the text is on page 400. Another disappointment was the prevalent usage of common names instead of scientific names, which can be a turn-off for readers who are not from North America and couldn't care less of the local mushroom naming.

Rating:
Summary: very informative and easy to use
Review: Having to make a fungi collection I found this book very useful in identification.

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Summary: Good supplemental book
Review: I own about a dozen mushroom books and have recently added this one to my collection. "Rooming" can be a dangerous pursuit and, like almost all are aware, absolute identification is required. I don't think I would personally feel competent with this book alone, nor any other for that matter. I feel there are better books but these are very heavy monstrosities. This one, like a few, can be carried into the field while the larger, more definitive guides await at home, or in the car. The pictures are good but I prefer a "Peterson Guide" type approach to indicate what, exactly, I should be looking for. My only other personal objection is that I prefer a guide that uses their Latin name since this knowledge will be more easily transferable from one book to another.

In sum: It's a fine addition to a collection of other books on the subject. It's a decent field guide for someone who has a bit of knowledge on the subject beforehand.

Rating:
Summary: A poor choice
Review: I purchased this book becase it said Audubon. Thus I expected much more than I received. I was hoping to identify a few mushrooms I had found in my area. After spending a great deal of time, I was able to identify none. There are far better pictures available in other books. For instance the picture of the Shaggy Mane does not look at all like the Shags I have collected and eaten. All in all, a waste of money.

Rating:
Summary: very disappointed
Review: I was hoping to identify at least a few of the 11 different mushrooms in my garden. Unfortunately not a single one is shown in the picture plates. I am now in search of a better book.

Rating:
Summary: exellent book
Review: if you are going to buy a mushroom guide buy thi

Rating:
Summary: Get Mushrooms Demystified
Review: Most people buy this book simply because it is an Audubon Society book. (I made this mistake) It seems the author left out important information in an attempt to keep the book field guide sized. By including a few species from every part of the country, the author made this book of little use to anyone who lives in one place. On the other hand, it does have a lot of pictures... Even if they are small, hopelessly jumbled, and labeled with made-up names. (seriously) This book is for people that have some spare money and want to expand their library. I would highly recommend a couple of other books instead: Mushrooms Demystified (The comprehensive text for beginners and experts alike), and All the Rain Promises and More (The field guide).

Rating:
Summary: Get Mushrooms Demystified
Review: Most people buy this book simply because it is an Audubon Society book. (I made this mistake) It seems the author left out important information in an attempt to keep the book field guide sized. By including a few species from every part of the country, the author made this book of little use to anyone who lives in one place. On the other hand, it does have a lot of pictures... Even if they are small, hopelessly jumbled, and labeled with made-up names. (seriously) This book is for people that have some spare money and want to expand their library. I would highly recommend a couple of other books instead: Mushrooms Demystified (The comprehensive text for beginners and experts alike), and All the Rain Promises and More (The field guide).

Rating:
Summary: Most comprehensive mushroom field guide available
Review: The Audubon Society does it again, and again. This book is the most comprehensive field guide to North American mushrooms I've been able to locate. I loved it so much, I had to order another copy because my old one wore out.

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Summary: great mushroom id book
Review: This book by Gary Lincoff is a must have for every mushroom hunter who wants to identify species for any reason. It has a good visual key to get you started in the right direction, then there are photos and detailed descriptions for each to narrow down the search. Get it if you want to id some common species.