Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of the World [Hardcover]

Ian R. Hall (Author), Steven L. Stephenson (Author), Peter K. Buchanan (Author), Wang Yun (Author), Anthony L. J. Cole (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2003

Mushrooms are among the most intriguing and striking inhabitants of the natural world, as highly regarded for their distinctive flavors and uses in cooking and medicine as for their sometimes strange, often beautiful shapes and forms. Some are medicinal, others poisonous or even lethal. Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of the World is a well-rounded look at mushrooms, including their cultivation, ethnobotanical uses, and the fascinating roles they play in nature. The authors provide expert advice on how to identify and distinguish between edible and poisonous wild mushrooms and how to record important details, with suggestions for taking photographs and preparing spore prints. More than 250 stunning photographs accompany the text. Truly international in its coverage, this engaging introduction to the world of mushrooms will appeal to naturalists, students, photographers, chefs, hikers, and potential growers from around the world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Outstanding tips on how to cultivate the top eight species grown and eaten worldwide. Beautifully illustrated with outstanding photographs, certainly the best this reviewer has ever seen."—J. Dawson, Choice, February 2004 (J. Dawson Choice )

"The authors, both biologists and mycologists, present clear scientific information. An A–Z listing gives descriptions, a few facts about each mushroom, cautionary rules, and tips on cooking, when appropriate."—Kathi Keville, American Herb Association Quarterly Newsletter, Winter 2006 (Kathi Keville American Herb Association )

"This is an ambitious undertaking ... and the result is a highly informative and useful text that doubles as a field guide. This book is sure to become an essential resource for mushroom aficionados and mycology professionals."—Northeastern Naturalist, December 2005 (Northeastern Naturalist )

Book Description

This well-rounded look at mushrooms includes their cultivation, ethnobotanical uses, and the fascinating roles they play in nature. The authors provide expert advice on how to identify and distinguish between edible and poisonous wild mushrooms and how to record important details.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 372 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881925861
• ISBN-13: 978-0881925869
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,663,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steven L. Stephenson is a research professor at the University of Arkansas, but prior to moving to his current position, he spent 27 years as a professor of biology at Fairmont State College (now University) in West Virginia. He has collected and studied fungi and slime molds from the polar regions to the tropics and on six continents.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Guide for the Mushroom Lover, December 8, 2004

By 

Greg Speichert "garden guy" (Cedar Lake, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of the World (Hardcover)

I have read quite a few mushroom books in my course of book reviewing, but I would have to say this is one of the best. This book has great coverage on propagation, cultivation, identification and collecting. I like the decision to leave out mushrooms of unknown edibility because it makes the book much more manageable.
The photography is excellent. I liked the addition of habitat shots of where certain mushrooms grow. This would surely help anyone who is a collector.
This book stayed on track and didn't try to be all things to all people. For instance, in the cultivation section, they tell you what to read for more information depending on the type of mushroom.
This book has great information on all levels and is helpful guide for the novice to expert gardener.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good, March 24, 2007

By 

Turd Ferguson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of the World (Hardcover)

I got this book primarily for its photos and general information. That pretty much sums up the book.

If you want a guide book get "Mushrooms Demystified" - Great book.

If you want to read about and take a look at some interesting and beautiful mushrooms, get this book.

Its good in that it has a lot of general information (ie mushroom cultivating) but I would never use this book alone to properly identify a mushroom, nor to use in the field.

Instead it is a good book to take a look at after using a proper guide to confirm that all the characteristics add up, and also to salivate at the hopes of finding some of the great edibles described within.

3.0 out of 5 stars Good all around book on Wild Mushrooms, August 23, 2010

By 

Cwn_Annwn (Copenhagen, Denmark) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of the World (Hardcover)

After a long intro there is lots of information on how mushrooms are cultivated. The bulk of this book is information about and pics of various wild mushrooms. As a field guide its semi-usable but I'm sure there are books out there that are better suited for that job. Granted I am a sub-novice at this stuff but I was only able to identify with 75% certainty three different types of mushrooms that I ran across in soccer fields and parks close to my home. The best thing in this book for me though was the beautiful photographs of various mushrooms in their natural habitat.