North American Mushrooms is a field guide to more than 600 edible and inedible mushrooms that can be found across the United States and Canada. Filled with full color photographs, detailed identification information, and illustrated keys and glossaries to assist with identification, this book also features mushroom lore and helpful information on gathering and using wild mushrooms.
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From the Back Cover
With more than 600 brilliant color photographs, detailed line drawings, informative and illuminating descriptions, and critical identification keys, NORTH AMERICAN MUSHROOMS is the definitive guide to the fungi of the United States and Canada. This comprehensive book for expert and amateur alike offers tips on how, where, and when to collect wild mushrooms; suggestions for culinary uses; a section on mushroom toxins; and pictorial keys and glossaries to aid the user in precise identification. This is a must-have reference book for anyone interested in wild mushrooms, their uses, and their habitats.
Dr. Orson K. Miller, Jr. is one of the preeminent mycologists in the United States. His wife and research partner, Hope H. Miller is the author of a wild mushroom cookbook.
Dr. Orson K. Miller, Jr. is one of the preeminent mycologists in the United States. His wife and research partner, Hope H. Miller is the author of a wild mushroom cookbook.
About the Author
Dr. Orson K. Miller Jr. is one of the premier mycologists in the United States. His career has included work with the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, many books and articles on mushrooms, and national television and radio appearances as a mushroom expert. He taught biology and mycology at Virginia Tech for many years.
Hope Miller is a mushroom expert in her own right and is the author of cookbooks featuring the bounty of North American mushrooms.
Hope Miller is a mushroom expert in her own right and is the author of cookbooks featuring the bounty of North American mushrooms.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
61 of 62 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a good book in the right hands. If you are looking for the definative book on mushrooms, it hasn't been published. The closest equivalent to definative is the David Arora Mushrooms Demystified. This book by Miller is a FIELD GUIDE (and maybe 1/5 the size and weight of Demystified), it is very, very short on the number of species covered ('only' hundreds out of thousands). Do not use this book to decide if you have harvested an edible mushroom. There are a great many edible mushrooms that look like a great many inedible and poisonious mushrooms and YOU CANNOT DO IDENTIFICATION BY COMPARING PICTURES.
Understand I am not in any way dissing this book; Miller knew his stuff, and this is an excellent guide. I bought a copy when it was first available, and it has already seen several days in the field. I learned about it from a well respected expert who had also purchased a copy. But I also already had a well used copy of Arora, and I have been foraging for many years, and I have gotten instruction from people like Larry Evens, Gary Lincoff and David Arora, and I STILL MAKE MISTAKES. The critical feature of a field guide is the Key that walks you through the identification process. This book (Miller) has a somewhat simplier key, that I can run through quickly (and larger type which is nice for old eyes in the middle of the forest). I would never eat off the identification from this book or any other. I have already found semi-common specimens where I know the species, that Miller doesn't cover. It's a nice addition to a library that also includes something specific for your region, plus Arora's Demystified. I would take the time to put a plastic cover on it, and it is a good bit heavier than the Audubon guide.... Read more ›
Understand I am not in any way dissing this book; Miller knew his stuff, and this is an excellent guide. I bought a copy when it was first available, and it has already seen several days in the field. I learned about it from a well respected expert who had also purchased a copy. But I also already had a well used copy of Arora, and I have been foraging for many years, and I have gotten instruction from people like Larry Evens, Gary Lincoff and David Arora, and I STILL MAKE MISTAKES. The critical feature of a field guide is the Key that walks you through the identification process. This book (Miller) has a somewhat simplier key, that I can run through quickly (and larger type which is nice for old eyes in the middle of the forest). I would never eat off the identification from this book or any other. I have already found semi-common specimens where I know the species, that Miller doesn't cover. It's a nice addition to a library that also includes something specific for your region, plus Arora's Demystified. I would take the time to put a plastic cover on it, and it is a good bit heavier than the Audubon guide.... Read more ›
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
[A note on my perspective -- I'm interested in learning about, identifying and collecting all species of mushrooms, whether they're edible or not. This review is generally geared toward people like me, with a broad interest. If you just want to collect chanterelles and morels, there may be better options.]
I've been mushroom hunting for two years now and this is the fourth mushrooming book I've owned. I have looked at a number of other guides in bookstores and libraries. The first two books you should buy are "Mushrooms Demystified" (MD) and "All the Rain Promises and More," both by Arora. Demystified is the bible, and All the Rain is the pocket book that slips into your back pocket when you're out in the field. The two books are linked, e.g. "to learn more [about a mushroom in Rain] see MD pages xxx-xxx.
This Falcon guide is a good supplement, and has many more color pictures than either of the Arora books (which are fun to look at, but should NOT be used to identify mushrooms). There are two major upsides to this book:
First, it almost exclusively uses scientific terminology and names. If you look at enough books and talk to enough people, it's easy to get confused by mushrooms that have five different common names. Although the Arora guides supply the scientific terms too, he also uses common names a lot. The Falcon guide basically forces you to learn scientific names and terminology which is important to avoid confusion and possibly risky mistakes.
Second, the authors of the Falcon guide have personally collected and sampled a large number of the mushrooms featured in their book. They can provide a unique perspective about the edibility and habitat of mushrooms identified through the Arora books.... Read more ›
I've been mushroom hunting for two years now and this is the fourth mushrooming book I've owned. I have looked at a number of other guides in bookstores and libraries. The first two books you should buy are "Mushrooms Demystified" (MD) and "All the Rain Promises and More," both by Arora. Demystified is the bible, and All the Rain is the pocket book that slips into your back pocket when you're out in the field. The two books are linked, e.g. "to learn more [about a mushroom in Rain] see MD pages xxx-xxx.
This Falcon guide is a good supplement, and has many more color pictures than either of the Arora books (which are fun to look at, but should NOT be used to identify mushrooms). There are two major upsides to this book:
First, it almost exclusively uses scientific terminology and names. If you look at enough books and talk to enough people, it's easy to get confused by mushrooms that have five different common names. Although the Arora guides supply the scientific terms too, he also uses common names a lot. The Falcon guide basically forces you to learn scientific names and terminology which is important to avoid confusion and possibly risky mistakes.
Second, the authors of the Falcon guide have personally collected and sampled a large number of the mushrooms featured in their book. They can provide a unique perspective about the edibility and habitat of mushrooms identified through the Arora books.... Read more ›
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Overall, this book is great for the beginner. It includes great color photographs of every mushroom covered. Though it contains only 180 species of mushrooms across North America, it is still a great field guide for the beginner. The book also contains a very easy and clear-cut method for classifying the mushrooms that you found. It is definitely good classification and identification practice for the beginner. Overall, it is a good field guide with nice color pictures.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a good book on identifying common mushrooms but please be aware that you cannot learn to truly do this without learning from an expert--either someone who has extensive field training under an expert or is an accomplished academic in the area themselves. My training came from the late great, amateur mycologist, Herb Saylor, and also the eminent professor, Dr. Harry Thiers. I took all of Dr. Thiers's mycology classes back in the early 80s before he retired, and it was an honor and a priviledge to study under him (although I was a psychobiology major, I wanted to learn something about botany and mycology). I have many good general mycology field guides in my library but none are a substitute for an experienced expert. That having been said, Miller covers many of the important species in this book, although for brevity's sake many less common species were omitted. All in all a decent field guide if you remember never to eat anything you are not absolutely sure of. Remember, "When in doubt, throw it out."
12 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Over six hundred color photos and line drawings offer important identification keys
July 18, 2006
Format:Paperback
If only one field guide to North American mushrooms is to be obtained for a reference holding, make it NORTH AMERICAN MUSHROOMS: A FIELD GUIDE TO EDIBLE AND INEDIBLE FUNGI. Over six hundred color photos and line drawings offer important identification keys and a comprehensive survey of where and how to gather wild mushrooms. Pictorial keys throughout enhance suggestions for location and identification as well as culinary use, and come from one of the most respected mycologists in this country, also a professor of Botany and Curator of Fungi. He's written six books on fungi and has authored 105 new species new to science in his papers: his is a masterpiece including sturdy binding for solid field use.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
good guide
This mushroom guide could use better photographs but it is still the best one out there for hunters and identification.
Published 4 months ago by Ann Eberhart
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not what I expected
The book is a heavyweight (figuratively and literally) field guide to fungi, but it is hard to locate & identify mushrooms unless you already know your scientific shroom lingo. Read more
Published 9 months ago by MammaJamma
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book!
I still use this book often. Over the years I've used this book as a reference for many of the mushrooms shown on my YouTube channel, MiWilderness. Read more
Published 9 months ago by MiWilderness
5.0 out of 5 stars
A bible, really
It is a good, comprehensive book, well illustrated. It is also large and heavy, almost like a bible. Useful as a reference at home, definitely not a field guide. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Laszlo
4.0 out of 5 stars
I am overall impressed.
I am a beginner to mushroom hunting and found this book very informative. Like with any other field guide you cannot go by only the pictures, you must read everything. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Samantha
5.0 out of 5 stars
good book
This is a great field guide with lots of info and color pictures.I especially liked the info about the different types of toxins.
It's as heavy as a brick. Read more
It's as heavy as a brick. Read more
Published on December 29, 2010 by Violet
4.0 out of 5 stars
North American Mushrooms, yada, yada, yada.
This is a great reference and very helpful in identification. Has many good quality pictures with the fact and comments equally as defining. Read more
Published on December 2, 2010 by Patterson P. Patrick
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing dichotomous key!
I own several mushroom identification books, but this is my favorite! The entire book is based off an amazingly easy to follow dichotomous key that makes it easy for anyone with a... Read more
Published on November 14, 2010 by EmilyJ
4.0 out of 5 stars
North American Mushrooms Guide
The North American Mushroom Guide has been very helpful in our spring time mushroom hunting ventures. Read more
Published on July 2, 2010 by Harry
5.0 out of 5 stars
book
North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi (Falconguide) I attended a class on identifying mushrooms and this book was highly recomended and I under stand... Read more
Published on January 30, 2009 by Adeline M. Chambers
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 31
books:
See all 31 books this book cites
- Mushrooms of North America by Orson K. Miller on page 89, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Flora Agaricina Neerlandica (Flora Agaricina Neerlandica , Vol 3) by C. Bas in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Diseases of Trees and Shrubs, Second Edition (Comstock Book) by Wayne Sinclair in Back Matter
- Amanita of North America by David T. Jenkins in Back Matter
- Mushrooms of Idaho and the Pacific Northwest: Vol. 1 Discomycetes (Northwest Naturalist Books.) by Edmund E Tylutki in Back Matter
See all 31 books this book cites
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