Like the fact that with each specimen it describes what they could be confused with and the differences. This book is geared more towards amateur mycologists, mushroom nerds, and any with more than a passing curiosity about mushrooms. Nevertheless I do feel that the fact that his book is detailed and comprehensive enough to satisfy Cab (much of the time) should also be taken as indicating that this is obviously not an introductory-level text. Mushroom identification groups on the internet are fantastic, however, providing little to no information alongside low quality pictures will provoke little response. It is not “complete” as the title suggests, but is a great resource nonetheless for people wanting to learn more about the mushrooms they find in the woods.

However, it's worth checking above for the most recent editions and user reviews, as great new books might have been published that could also be excellent choices.

That is the down side of this book, there is no key to identification so you need a rough idea where you’re starting or you may just end up thumbing through hundreds of pages until you stumble upon a genus that looks similar and work backwards. Due to the large number of species listed, there aren’t as many photos as one would like, but that’s a common problem with all printed guides – there isn’t space for all the pictures while also including an exhaustive number of species. It includes a clear picture and illustration of the species, a brief description, the size, habitat, similar species, smell, taste, and season. Rather than provide real-life photos, this book offers up detailed drawings to demonstrate the differences between mushroom species.

The ratings/reviews displayed here may not be representative of every listing on this page, or of every review for these listings. For more than 30 years, amateur mushroom foragers have been using David Pegler’s guide to brush up on their species identification skills. The first mushroom identification book I bought was the book ‘Mushrooms’ by Patrick Harding published by the well-known ‘Collins Gem’. The book is terrific in that the photos and drawings are accurate, and the descriptions are comprehensive. This handbook is designed to be simple to use and follow, so it’s crammed full of helpful features, such as a fungi calendar, identification tables and both photos and illustrations.Remember, patience and continuous practice in the field are key to honing your mushroom hunting skills and cultivating your appreciation for the captivating world of fungi. Have you looked over the book “Fruits of the Forest: A Field Guide to Pacific Northwest Edible Mushrooms” by Daniel Winkler, by chance? It seems every forager thinks they can create a mushroom foraging book — there are so many self-published guides online. There are over 600 photos, simple descriptions and easy techniques to help you identify these tasty wild edibles for yourselves, and learn how to avoid some important poisonous lookalikes. The book includes a number of recipes and full color photographs to help readers incorporate these mushrooms into their daily life.

Our collection of mushroom ID books includes titles written by renowned experts in the field, as well as books geared towards beginners. I presume you are referring to the small-format Collins GEM "pocket guide" by Harding rather than the "Collins How to ID" (by Harding et al) that I mentioned above?The very best mushroom identification books are ones that focus regionally instead of nationally or worldwide. Fungarium is part of the Welcome to the Museum series of books, which covers a range of topics, from anatomy to astronomy.

This foraging guide is designed to help identify edible mushrooms (fungi) and their poisonous lookalikes growing in the UK.Examples of prose from the books include: “The sweet smell of freshly cooked mushrooms wafted through the air, bringing back fond memories of my mother” and “Foraging for wild mushrooms is a deeply rewarding experience that connects us with nature’s abundance and the rich tapestry of flowers that the Earth provides. Always keep aside a specimen of anything you collect to eat and if it is a species you have not eaten before then sample just a little—even good edibles can cause upsets in some people (many people can’t eat strawberries or nuts for example). It also rarely uses common names, which leads to issues finding the fungi if all you have is a common name from another book or guide or an old or new scientific name. There are seasonal charts listing the times of year you can expect to find the 122 edibles featured!