Customer Reviews

Introductory Mycology

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Last month I began browsing my 1962 edition of Introductory Mycology. Lo and behold I read through the whole book over a weekend. This book was our bible for the Mycology 100 course in grad school. I was noticing how good the narrative and drawings were in this classic. The book is not a glitzy tome so common in textbooks today. Each class of fungi is dealt with separately and there are extensive references at the end of each chapter. Of course because of the date of my edition some of the references are dated. However, the basic science here is solid and presented in a pedagogical manner. The chapter on class Basidiomycetes deserves special mention. The basidium development narrative is just superb. If you have an interest in fungi and want to delve deeper into this important living group then get this book. It will serve you well for years to come just as it has done for me.

The text is a good introduction to fungi with several excellent black and white pictures and illustrations. The text also contains an extensive glossary of mycological terms. However, as other reviewers have indicated, the text appears to be written for people with at least a general biology background. As a microbiologist, I find this book to be a perfect reference for fungi.

This textbook is designed and geared towards individuals with already a basic understanding of fungi. Unlike the title, one should be acquinted with basic terminology so that the reading is more instructive and helpful. Once a basic understanding is established, this book can be a great aid when exploring the world of fungi either scientifically or for leisure purposes only. The figures are very useful and the book is well organized and easy to follow.

I studied Mycology for some time and I can say this is a most in any library. It provides an excelent background, and with modern complementations it becomes a great source of knowledge...

This is an excellent introduction to the fungi, however the cost is extremely prohibitive. The coverage is good, and its strong points are in morphological description and taxonomy. It is less impressive in molecular aspects of mycology. Given the high price of this volume, I highly recommend checking it out from a library to see if it meets your needs and expectations before deciding to purchase. And keep in mind that there are more affordably priced alternative pathways to introduce you to the fungi, such as The Fifth Kingdom by Kendrick.