Customer Reviews

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Most people buy this book simply because it is an Audubon Society book. (I made this mistake) It seems the author left out important information in an attempt to keep the book field guide sized. By including a few species from every part of the country, the author made this book of little use to anyone who lives in one place. On the other hand, it does have a lot of pictures... Even if they are small, hopelessly jumbled, and labeled with made-up names. (seriously) This book is for people that have some spare money and want to expand their library. I would highly recommend a couple of other books instead: Mushrooms Demystified (The comprehensive text for beginners and experts alike), and All the Rain Promises and More (The field guide).

I purchased this book becase it said Audubon. Thus I expected much more than I received. I was hoping to identify a few mushrooms I had found in my area. After spending a great deal of time, I was able to identify none. There are far better pictures available in other books. For instance the picture of the Shaggy Mane does not look at all like the Shags I have collected and eaten. All in all, a waste of money.

Though it's Audobon, it's not a comprehensive guide to North American mushrooms. Also grouped by colloquial or made-up names. This book has many mushrooms from all across the country but skips even more. If you use this for general identification you'll be lucky to identify anything. If you're looking to identify things get a book localized to the area you're in. Other than that, it has pretty pictures and can ID some of the most major mushrooms in the country.

-- JJ Timmins

I have heard that the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms is a definitive source for the identification of mushrooms in the wild. It has excellent cross referencing information as well as over seven hundred photographs of wild mushrooms; not drawings or paintings. It is an extremely comprehensive book on the mushrooms of North America.

Great book for someone who is interested in the different types of mushroom. Color illistrations make it easy to identify the various types including the posionous ones to stay away from. I live in the mountains where there are dozens of different mushrooms popping up all thru the seasons; take the book and go for a walk and you can identify the mushrooms you find with no trouble.

This book by Gary Lincoff is a must have for every mushroom hunter who wants to identify species for any reason. It has a good visual key to get you started in the right direction, then there are photos and detailed descriptions for each to narrow down the search. Get it if you want to id some common species.

This is absolutely the finest book available to have with you in the field. It is a great investment. Easy to use. Clearly written.