Customer Reviews

Mushrooms of Western Canada

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This is a gem of a bookon mushroom but it is limitedto the species found in Northwest NorthAmerica: Nonetheless the book should be on the reference shelf of any writer and researcher keen on writing or knowing about mushrooms.I am not an expert in the study of mycology and my knowledge of mushroom relates to those used in culinary practices. Such day to day varieties a cepes, chanterelle, morel, portobello, shiitake, to name a few which I use in various dishes, though a few of them are mentioned, it is not to say that one cannot enrich his/her knowledge of the subject by perusing the book. However, as a lay person, I find the book loaded with descriptionsof some of the common and no socommon varieties, with each type identified as to its botanical name and characteristic. There are several which are poisonous and they are properly identified.What I like most and would like to refer to the readers is the definition of the mushroom on page 10 in the para titled:What is Mushroom". To a lay personthe definition gives the bsic knowledge about mushroom. The illustrations, incidentally, are so beautifully presented thatone would be tempted instantly to look for, pluck and eat.

While the artwork is great, and the descriptions are good, the guide is lacking the good step by step key that many other books have. I have found myself turning through many pages, looking at pictures to try to find the species of a new mushroom I found. Many other books have simple, step by step id keys that when followed, take you directly to the right mushroom, or at least a page with a few similar ones. The key at the beginning of this one only sorts mushrooms by spore colour, and does not include any information about habitat or size.