Field Guide to the Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania And the Mid-atlantic (Keystone Book) [Paperback]

Bill Russell (Author)

Book Description

Series: Keystone Book | Publication Date: October 30, 2006

To most Americans, mushrooms are the brown lumps in the soup one uses to make a tuna casserole, but to a select few, mushrooms are the abundant yet often well-hidden delicacies of the forests. In spite of their rather dismal reputation, most wild mushrooms are both edible and delicious, when prepared properly. From the morel to the chanterelle and the prolific and aptly named chicken of the woods, mushrooms can easily be harvested and enjoyed, if you know where to look and what to look for. Bill Russell's Field Guide to the Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic helps the reader learn just that--specifically for the often-neglected East Coast mushrooms of the United States and Canada. Suited to both the novice and the experienced mushroom hunter, this book helps the reader identify mushrooms with the use of illustrations, descriptions, and environmental observations. Russell's fifty years of experience in hunting, studying, and teaching about wild mushrooms have been carefully distilled into this easy-to-use and well-designed guide. The book is divided into the four seasons, each with its unique mushroom offerings. Each mushroom section includes a detailed description, information about the mushroom's biology, tips on where the mushroom is most likely to be found, and a short 'nutshell' description for quick reference. The book also includes color photographs of each of the mushrooms described. Russell's Field Guide to the Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic shows the reader not only how to identify the most common mushrooms found in the region but also how to avoid common copycats--and what to do with the mushrooms once they're identified and harvested. With both color illustrations and insightful descriptions of one hundred of the area's most common mushrooms, Field Guide is an indispensable reference for the curious hiker, the amateur biologist, or the adventurous chef.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This small and convivial volume is packed with stories, lore, reminiscences, humor, and, best of all, practical advice. If you want to collect mushrooms--for the table, or simply to learn about these fascinating life forms--this book is indispensable. --Charles Fergus, author of Wildlife of Pennsylvania and Common Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of the Northeast

This excellent guide to mushrooms will be useful far beyond the region in the title. Overall, a delightful treatment. --D.L. Richter, Choice

About the Author

Bill Russell has been giving mushroom workshops, walks, and talks since 1960. In 1992 he developed unique mushroom cultivation methods that resulted in his business, Mushroom Kingdom Laboratories, which specializes in the commercial propagation of wild mushrooms. Founder and past president of the Central Pennsylvania Mushroom Society, Russell is a longtime resident of State College, Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: Pennsylvania State Univ Pr (October 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0271028912
• ISBN-13: 978-0271028910
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 4.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Plants > Mushrooms

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful, November 26, 2007

By 

A. D. Cox (northern PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Field Guide to the Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania And the Mid-atlantic (Keystone Book) (Paperback)

I was able to meet the author of this book. I found both the book and the author very helpful. Bill has been hunting mushrooms all his life, and actually Penn State Press came to him to write this book and with good reason. The book has great photos and useful descriptions that are useful for the novice mushroom hunters, but plenty helpful for the experinced too. The author also give mushroom walks. I can't wait to go on one.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" and editor "Of A Predatory Heart"

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Field Guide to the Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania And the Mid-atlantic (Keystone Book), January 9, 2007

By 

E. Jones (North East PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Field Guide to the Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania And the Mid-atlantic (Keystone Book) (Paperback)

As a PA resident, I found this book invaluable. It is clearly written, and has great photos as well. Anyone intersted in mushrooms should... make that must, have several references, but if you live in this part of the world this is the first book to look at! Other books I've read are not always clear as to a specific mushroom's distribution. I know the fungi in this book are found here, and that focus makes identification so much easier.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Mushroom Guide - I Highly Recommend, February 16, 2007

By 

Buds "4bliss" (Psychedelic Central, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Field Guide to the Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania And the Mid-atlantic (Keystone Book) (Paperback)

It is a wonderful book. Lots of color photographs and packed with detailed descriptions of mushrooms. The field guide allows the reader to identify mushrooms that are common to the Mid Atlantic, but also the Eastern United States. Included are many tasty recipes that make mushroom hunting the joy that it is. It is an essential guide for both amateur and professional alike.