Simply the best and most complete mushroom field guide and reference book, MUSHROOMS DEMYSTIFIED includes descriptions and keys to more than 2,000 ...
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reviews
May 29, 2009
Ken-ichi
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This is one of the most amazing biological guides ever. In addition to being an almost comprehensive guide to most macroscopic fungi of the western US, it is also weird, hilarious, and just plain wacky. Pretty much every time I grab it to look something up, I come across some new gem from Arora. Here's one I just found:
Since so few bracket fungi are edible, they are ignored by most people and barely mentioned in many popular mushroom books. As I am also ignored by most people (anMore...
Jun 23, 2007
Wayne
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I will actually be "currently reading" this book for the rest of my life - at least during those months that the mushrooms are out.
The most extraordinary thing about it is that it's actually fun to read -- no small feat for what's fundamentally a guidebook. Arora leads you to approach the overwhelming task of figuring out the wild mushroom in your hand like a mystery, and like many mysteries you end up chasing down dead ends, eliminating suspects, and enjoying every minute More...
The most extraordinary thing about it is that it's actually fun to read -- no small feat for what's fundamentally a guidebook. Arora leads you to approach the overwhelming task of figuring out the wild mushroom in your hand like a mystery, and like many mysteries you end up chasing down dead ends, eliminating suspects, and enjoying every minute More...
Jul 27, 2010
I attended HSU and took Fleshy Fungus as a class, this was one of the textbooks. Super awesome paired with field collection!
Oct 25, 2010
Ahme
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This book is super great for learning but it's also fun to read. He thanked his wife saying "...she did not provide countless house or selfless assistance without which this book would have not been possible."
Nov 18, 2010
Cheryl
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Best book out there for mushrooming(with its smaller companion All the rain promises and more)
Feb 18, 2010
Bramble
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Possibly the best field guide on anything, anywhere. But won't fit in your pocket.
Sep 05, 2011
Jayme
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Everything you ever wanted to know about mushrooms and then some. This is a doorstop of a mushroom guide for anyone interested in learning about hunting and identifying. Photos are black and white, with a section of colour plates in the middle of the book. Gives very detailed information about habitat, edibility, spore prints, fruiting bodies, etc. There are also several scientific keys included in the book to help you identify each mushroom species properly.
Dec 17, 2009
Masha
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I have not actually read through this hefty tome, but I have perused used it and deem it a favorable fact that I and fellow consumers of found fungi are still intact, and much the happier for our mushroom meal, many thanks to Arora. Great photos, fun to read. I do disagree with him about his rankings of the tastiness/desirability of some fungi. He underestimates, in my opinion. But his is an American perspective.
Dec 08, 2007
Luke
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A lot of good information but just because he says one or another mushroom tastes good doesn't mean he's right. Giant puffballs taste like funky, chemical marshmallows - they are not "eminently edible."
But if you like campy fungophile in-jokes: "better kicked than picked," etc., this is your book.
If you're not interested in wild mushrooms, probably not for you. But who knows?
But if you like campy fungophile in-jokes: "better kicked than picked," etc., this is your book.
If you're not interested in wild mushrooms, probably not for you. But who knows?
Sep 28, 2009
Mykle
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One of the great reference books of our times! I have so often leafed through this book for the simple sheer pleasure of it, that I have found myself in the forest identifying wild mushrooms that I didn't realize I knew anything about. I can think of no higher praise.
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Sep 02, 2010
Dave
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Incredible resource. After almost 1000 pages I'm still more than a bit mystified, but I've started bringing fungi home and trying to work through identifications. I'm sure years of mycological fun await!
Jan 02, 2008
Barnacle
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another mushroom book that I have used, but never read cover to cover. but will probably be reading this book and using it as a tool for a long time, perhaps till the day I die.
Dec 27, 2007
Jonathan
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This is my most used reference book ever... I got it in college for a class called Mushrooms, history and culture in 2000 and it has seen much use since.
Oct 19, 2008
Chris
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Brilliant. The best of the best. Detailed, comprehensive, easy to use, and hilarious.
I would never have expected as much from a field guide.
I would never have expected as much from a field guide.
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May 26, 2008
Christopher
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Perhaps the best field guide for the educated North American amateur. If only it were biased towards the midwest rather than the west coast...
Dec 07, 2007
Sarah
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bet you didn't think a 10 lb book of dichotomous keys could be fascinating AND funnnnnny....
Dec 17, 2009
A newly developed interest. David Arora is a leading expert from and still living in Santsa Cruz.
Aug 22, 2007
Electra
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I love this book. Yes it's a good key to identifying fungi, but it's also super entertaining.
Feb 11, 2012
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