David Arora

This is an exhaustive treatise on just about every fungus known to exist in North America. It's a big, thick paperback with info on individual species as well as how fungi lives and tips on cooking. Mushroom hunters tend to be nutty and David Arora is no exception; his dedication is total and he knows that it's a strange obsession. There's some humor in there as well. Alas this won't be useful for helping me initially ID a mushroom, but will instead be used to confirm or eliminate a suspect. show more It doesn't have enough color plates that are organized by color or type for that. I think I'll have to get the Audubon guide after all. show less

This book has turned into one of my unlikely little favorites. I pick it up and thumb through it so often that it has become a permanent fixture on my end table next to my reading chair. Its topic, compact size and beautiful photographs make it a great little guy to keep on the coffee table.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in mycology or nature in general. The photos are so beautiful that they are sure to stir the shudder-bug within just about anyone!
I consider this book to show more be a must-have! show less

The single best hip-pocket guide to mushrooms and mushrooming in the Western US. Well written and illustrated, witty and with some lovely recipies.

Just a little large for a field guide, but it still gets taken out into the field as the most comprehensive of all 'how to identify' book on mushrooms and fungi. A great reference book.