Product Description
A full-color photographic field guide to mushrooms and fungi of the northern United States, from the Midwest to New England. Featured in USA Today, this must-have reference has spectacular photos and excellent species information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

This book is a good starting guide
I've read this book from cover to cover and have now found and enjoy eating several of the species that are covered.If you live in the great lakes region and want to start learning about fungus in the field, this is a good guide for you.It contains most the Fungus in the region and will not overwhelm you with species which don't exist in your area.

This will teach you the anatomy of fungi and show you the proper terms that describe the shapes and structures of a mushroom.Along with a good dichotomous key, this book also has very clear photos and descriptions of each mushroom you may encounter.

I do agree with a complaint from a previous reviewer who mentioned that this book overlooks the Grifola frondosa (maitake) which is widely distributed in the areas this book covers.I don't think it merits a one star.

Another problem I found with this book is the picture of the picture of Omphalotus olerius (Jack O'Lantren)I have come across this species several times and I've seen it look a lot closer to a Cantherellus cibarius than this book makes it seem.

I have learned a lot from this book when I first started collecting and I still find myself going back to it at times.It's still one of my favorite regional field guides.

Great for Beginner
Colorful photos, easy to read, and a good layout.Overall benefical to have along when out on hikes or camping.I've used this in the upstate New York areas, Adirondack Mountains, etc.

Mushrooms of northeast north america
it is a good book to get a sense of what is beautiful in my area. but I would like more description on the eatable mushrooms with more pictures.

awesome photos
This book had great photos that allowed me to identify many of the fungi in my yard and woods.I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in nature.

Mushrooms of Northeast North America
As a beginner in my new hobby, I needed a book that would be easy to use,with enough technical info to keep me from making mistakes. This book does it all for me. ... Read more

Product Description
The authors give full reliable descriptions for over 300 species of mushroom. Another 123 species are described by comparisons adequate for identification. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A helpful guide for experienced mushroomers
This field guide covers ascomycetes and basidiomycetes from southern California to the Rocky Mountains, and north to Alaska. Besides the major groups of fungi, there is a good description of how mushrooms grow, aglossary of mycological terms, mycological collections & societies, andinstructions on successful collecting.

I own quite a few field guides onmushrooms, and rated this one a 3 because it probably would not appeal tofirst-time mushroomers. Mushrooms are described according to the latinname, but the common name is not included in the title. There is a list ofcommon names in the back of the book, which is helpful, but would be moreso if included in the title. There are not enough drawing and photos toassist amateurs in sure identification. There are several pages of colorphotos in the center of the book, and many b/w line drawings throughout. Anice feature is a series of keys for different species. You match up thequalities of your specimen and discard those that do not, until the correctname is found.

Although this is not the field guide I would pick upfirst to identify a mushroom, I have found its thoroughness helpful innarrowing down the possibilities because of the book's detaileddescriptions. ... Read more

Product Description
A full-colour photographic field guide to over 600 mushrooms and fungi of Ontario, Québec and Atlantic Canada as well as the northeastern United States. Spectacular photos and excellent species information combine to make this a must-have reference book. Includes notes on edibility. ... Read more

Product Description
This identification handbook describes over 230 species of mushrooms and toadstools that are commonly found in Britain and Europe. Portable and clear, it is a useful guide for those who collect mushrooms. Each mushroom or toadstool entry includes: photograph/artwork and a clear description of what it looks like; details of size, habitat and season when it can be found; an indication of whether it is edible or poisonous; and the names of similar species with which the mushrooms or toadstools could be confused, and details of the differences between them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

perfect size
This little book is the perfect size to slip into your pocket on those long country rambles. I shall be using it all the time as I love mushrooms and want to be able to identify the edible ones without fear of poisoning myself.Highly recommended ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:A NEGLECTED SCIENCE.(Editorial Boston Daily Glote, July, 1877-)We believe American botanists have classified almost every green herb growing on this continent. Collectors of bugs etherize a new species of beetle now and then, and the fact is noted at the Natural History Rooms. A strange bird-track is found in Berkshire County rocks, or a new fish appears in the Amazon River. Amherst vies with Harvard in the race for the longest name and the clearest type in honor of the discovery.Yet, right under our feet are a race of beings about which the schools tell us nothing. When the child kicks them over, we call them toadstools. When the cook broils them, they are mushrooms. This is the limit of popular knowledge. There are a few English authorities on this neglected science, namely, Cooke, Berkeley, Smith, Badham, and Hussey. In this country, Dr. Curtis and Mr. Ravenal, both of South Carolina, are worthy the name of experts. Mr. Charles James Sprague of this city has made a valuable contribution to the Boston Library of the Natural History Society of original correspondence and foreign works on the subject. Mr. Charles Frost of Vermont is a living authority in this science. Besides these, with an occasional exception, American literature shows the ingenuity of professional writers in weaving the web of other men's thoughts and researches on this subject into diverse forms for the magazines.There is no magic test bv which edible fungi may be distinguished from their poisonous neighbors. The species commonly eaten can be propagated from the manure of the horse. So it has become the mushroom of commerce, while everything else is called a toadstool. Yet there are probably one thousand kinds in this State, many of which are no lessesculents than their more favored cousins. Th... ... Read more

Product Description
The Impact of Mushrooms on Human Consciousness and Religion, by James Arthur. This book uncovers the natural link between man, consciousness, and God, due to mankind ’s age-old symbiotic relationship with mushrooms. This discovery may at first seem abstract, wishful thinking, or even impossible; yet as evidence presented on these pages unfolds, one may find that its understanding does not require as much of a leap of faith as first thought. The author believes this to be the most significant discovery in the entire field of religious knowledge, revealing what has been, until now, hidden away in our spiritual history. According to the author, we may at last be able to open ourselves to an entirely new and valuable consciousness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Quick and to the point
This book isn't very long, but it offers some interesting counterpoints totraditional theology. It exposes readers to a subject that's not spoken of in our culture. A great read if your looking for something new to think about. I also recommend Terence McKenna's "Food of the Gods".

Who in the world gives this book five stars?
As one very partial to the purported subject of this book, i.e. ethnomycology, I was extremely disappointed with this book.

My gripes:

All material is presented as fact without any sort of attempt to reference his sources. James has clearly read a lot of material, but it was just too easy to spot his predecessors because he seemed to throw in slipshod regurgitations of the well known generalities of McKenna, Wasson, Allegro and the like. There were no specifics. No ideas. And it went on and on in a very sloven mien.

The formatting and packaging of the book was sloppy and cheap.

The images were extremely poor. Some worthless. There was no numbering or labeling system for the pictures to quickly reference them from the text. This was INCREDIBLY ANNOYING because several pages had two to four pictures on them.

One of the most aggravating things about this book was the injection of completely irrelevant material: conspiratorial paranoia, self righteous indignation of traditional interpretations of religious institutions, and a few sentences dedicated to his "apparent" position as a "leading expert" in the field under discussion. If this were the case, I would have to judge, by this book, that the field is in dire straights.

My actual reaction is to give this book two stars because I enjoy this subject a lot and he does cover a lot of ground in a hundred pages and I'm sure it's difficult to get this type of research published. But the number of five-star reviews in this forum is RIDICULOUS and NOTHING about the vast and wide array of information in this book is deductively tied or considered. It's just WAY too amateurish of a product for anyone of serious intention to consider this as anything other than a curiosity.

Please know this: I truly mean no disrespect to the author and what I have thus far said says nothing about the truth or validity of the ideas presented in this thesis. You can definitely pick up his deep love for this subject, but I can't give him a pass just for his passion. You have to have EVIDENCE. You have to be able to write COHESIVELY. You have to have an EDITOR. You have to have IDEAS. In this book not only are the ideas not his own (I'm pretty sure every significant notion in this work had it's precursors in Wasson, Allegro, McKenna, and others), but the sloppy retelling of others work does nothing more than damage the image and effort of those author's who are much more talented and dedicated to the backbone of scientific inquiry and far more capable of making an intelligible case.

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK.

Start with "Food of the Gods" by Terrence McKenna. Trust me.

Valuable Information !
This is a most interesting book, it explains the basic global presence and use of the Amanita Muscaria mushroom throughout history. It is almost hard to accept that such a seemingly insignificant thing has had so much and can have so much influence on life, however this book reveals that this is clearly the case. I strongly recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand so called reality !

Low Resolution and Black and White Images
Sadly James Arthur is dead and his work will not be completed. I really enjoy this little book.While I love to visit with this book the photographs are black and white small and poorly resolved.Too bad because the website I learned about the book from said the book was better.The book says see the website.The color pictures on the website are also small so I lament that I may never see the evidence realistically presented.
Mr. Arthur's thesis is very convincing and it makes you wonder why his ideas are not more mainstream.

Consciousness Update
James Arthur presents almost-forgotten knowledge.It's like forgetting how to breath until someone reminds you.You take in a deep-deep breath, as if it's for the first time you've had a breath of truth in eons.Knowledge updates are uploaded regarding Christmas, Shamanism, Ancient Cultures, Communion and more.This presentation of refreshing ideas is liberating. ... Read more

Product Description
Genetics and Breeding of Edible Mushrooms is the first book not only to explore the breeding programs for Agaricus bisporus (the button mushroom), but to view the subject in the context of the large range of edible mushrooms which are currently under cultivation worldwide. From the background and general objectives of culture collection and breeding to the genetic systems and molecular biological approaches to breeding, the authors' coverage is in-depth and current, filling a gap which exists in the field. The innovative applications of breeding programs for specific purposes, including the provision of a food source, the production of high value fungal metabolites, the upgrading of lignocellulosic wastes and wastewater treatment, are also discussed.
S. T. Chang and J. A. Buswell are at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, China and P. G. Miles is at the State University of New York at Buffalo, USA ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An important addition to the mushroom breeder's library.
This book is oriented toward those interested in developing improved strains of edible mushroom species.Highlighted species include Flammulina velutipes (enokitake), Lentinula edodes (shiitake), Agaricus bisporus (common white button, portabella, crimini), Coprinus cinereus (woolly inky cap) among others.Caution, this is not a how-to-grow book, but a technical reference for breeders.Reviewed by THE MUSHROOM GROWERS' NEWSLETTER, April 1993 issue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Perfect for elementary reports
The titles in 'A Class of Their Own' series provide excellent surveys for libraries interested in the six major classifications of living organisms based on the latest scientific data. Judy Wearing's BACTERIA surveys staph, strep and other bacteria while her FUNGI covers mushrooms, toadstools, molds and others, Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone's ANIMALS surveys mammals, birds, reptiles and other animals and their PLANTS surveys flowering plants, ferns and other plants; David M. Barker's ARCHAEA covers salt-lovers and other types of archaeans, and Rona Arato's PROTISTS tells of algae and amoebas and other protists. All are perfect for elementary reports.
... Read more

Product Description
Many mushrooms—or the "fruits of fungi"—are extremely valuable, wild-gathered products which are utilized for both their medicinal properties and as food. In many of the world's tropical and temperate forests, they are the primary source of income for the people who live there.

These forests range from temperate woodlands and small forests to high altitude forests in the Himalaya and tropical miombo woodlands in south-central Africa. In south-west China, over 200 species of wild fungi in 64 genera are commercially traded while in Europe and North America, woodlands and small forests are the source of many highly-prized mushrooms and an essential resource for many small enterprises and collectors. Yet the increased demand for timber has resulted in the rapid expansion of forestry, which in turn has destroyed the natural habitat of many fungi, unbalancing both forest economics and ecology.

Despite the economic, social and cultural values of fungi, there is a general lack of understanding of their importance to local livelihoods and forest ecology. This book fills this gap and extends the People and Plants Conservation Series beyond the plant kingdom into the related world of fungi and mushrooms. It demonstrates the crucial roles that fungi play in maintaining forest ecosystems and the livelihoods of rural people throughout the world while providing good practice guidelines for the sustainable management of this resource and an assessment of economic value. It brings together the perspectives of biologists, anthropologists and forest and woodland managers to provide a unique inter-disciplinary and international overview of the key issues. ... Read more

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Product Description