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The Mushroom Hunter's Field Guide
The Mushroom Hunter's Field Guide is the guide that tells when, where, and how to find delicious edible mushrooms and how to avoid poisonous ones. Beginners as well as experts will be able to identify mushrooms in a matter of minutes. All of the mushrooms included are illustrated in beautiful color, adding visual enjoyment to the textual materials. The descriptions are tinged with wit and wisdom, making the use of this guide an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
This edition of The Mushroom Hunter's Field Guide should be useful throughout the United States and Canada, but users should remember that each region has certain species peculiar to it, and it is impossible to include all of them here. The coverage is best for the Northeast, Great Lakes region, Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific Northwest. It includes most of the truly fine edible wild mushrooms, whether they are common or rare. It also includes the most dangerous ones in order that collectors may recognize them for what they are.
"Whether you are picking mushrooms to eat, or simply want to identify the many strange and beautiful mushrooms you find on walks through the woods, this field guide is highly recommended."-- American Horticulturalist
"This is the mushroom forager's Bible. Don't go into the wilderness without it."--Creative Living
". . . should be on the bookshelf of all serious amateurs, and the professionals will also find it helpful."--Mycologia
The late Alexander H. Smith was Professor Emeritus of Botany, University of Michigan. Nancy Smith Weber is Associate Professor of Forest Science, Oregon State University.
This edition of The Mushroom Hunter's Field Guide should be useful throughout the United States and Canada, but users should remember that each region has certain species peculiar to it, and it is impossible to include all of them here. The coverage is best for the Northeast, Great Lakes region, Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific Northwest. It includes most of the truly fine edible wild mushrooms, whether they are common or rare. It also includes the most dangerous ones in order that collectors may recognize them for what they are.
"Whether you are picking mushrooms to eat, or simply want to identify the many strange and beautiful mushrooms you find on walks through the woods, this field guide is highly recommended."-- American Horticulturalist
"This is the mushroom forager's Bible. Don't go into the wilderness without it."--Creative Living
". . . should be on the bookshelf of all serious amateurs, and the professionals will also find it helpful."--Mycologia
The late Alexander H. Smith was Professor Emeritus of Botany, University of Michigan. Nancy Smith Weber is Associate Professor of Forest Science, Oregon State University.
- GenresFood
324 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1971
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 15, 2013
I have owned and treasured this title for a great many years. As a budding amateur mycologist, I obtained autographed copies of the first two editions of "The Mushroom Hunter's Field Guide" at the age of twelve, when I first learned to navigate dichotomous keys. Subsequently, I bought everything written by Alexander H. Smith (Dr. Nancy Weber's father) that I could lay hands on. As one of the leading pioneers in American mycology, Dr. Smith succeeded in crafting a user-friendly identification guide for laymen. His daughter, Dr. Weber, collaborated with him on the revised and enlarged (3rd) edition of this title, which features all-color illustrations and includes technical information on each species' spores to aid in identification.
Though some of the featured species' scientific names have changed since this edition was first published, the mushrooms themselves have not. I still consult this book from time to time in making identifications. The descriptions are crisp, accurate and concise, including information on edibility. The color photos are excellent; specimen photos are representative of the species.
Dr. Weber is a professor emeritus at Oregon State University, where she taught mycology for a number of years. She was recently featured on an excellent Oregon Field Guide (PBS) segment on fungi, which may be viewed here: http://watch.opb.org/video/2365118930/
Other mushroom identification field guides have been published since this title first came out, but Drs. Smith and Weber's "The Mushroom Hunter's Field Guide" will always stand out as a classic in the field. I highly recommend it.
Though some of the featured species' scientific names have changed since this edition was first published, the mushrooms themselves have not. I still consult this book from time to time in making identifications. The descriptions are crisp, accurate and concise, including information on edibility. The color photos are excellent; specimen photos are representative of the species.
Dr. Weber is a professor emeritus at Oregon State University, where she taught mycology for a number of years. She was recently featured on an excellent Oregon Field Guide (PBS) segment on fungi, which may be viewed here: http://watch.opb.org/video/2365118930/
Other mushroom identification field guides have been published since this title first came out, but Drs. Smith and Weber's "The Mushroom Hunter's Field Guide" will always stand out as a classic in the field. I highly recommend it.
March 20, 2022
Good book, a must, and it will scare you.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews