Customer Reviews

All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

David Arora is one of the world's foremost experts in the field of mushrooms and other types of fungus. This pocket guide is filled with photos and information that is invaluable in the field. His great sense of humour adds a lot of fun to his books.

When I first came to the Pacific Northwest, I saw a poster tacked upon a library notice board, inviting all to join the local Mycological Club's Great Spring Hunt through forest & field. When I got to the point of amassment I was amazed at the collection of jesters, artisans, gourmands & woodland elves, camouflaged by outer layers of normal, placid humans. This Hip Pocket & self-contained field guide for beginners hunting wild mushrooms from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast, from the deserts of northern Mexico to Alaska is a delight. Funny people, funny fungus, funny photos & lots of useful information! I love it & it's a keeper! ......................

Great book on the topic.

Fairly easy to find the species, etc...

I eagerly waited for this book to arrive to me because of all the rave reviews I read about it. Then when I found out it was a guide for WESTERN mushrooms (extending to Colorado; I live in the Midwest) I thought, Crap, I'm gonna half to return it. But the more I kept browsing through it, the more I wasn't going to return it. I LOVE this book! This is a good read even if you don't live in the area it covers. Some of a species described in the book I have actually found in my area.
The photography is excellent, and many times show different angles of the 'shroom. The descriptions are very clear and easy to understand and extra comments, stories and some cooking suggestions are included. However, this guide doesn't include all of the species; it's only made to be an easy-to-carry field guide. I would suggest a more in-depth guide as a compliment to this one. I've heard good things about Mushrooms Demystified (same author), and I am so impressed with this book that I am going to buy it as well.

Great on the coffee table, great in the field. This book is a whole lot more than the description suggests. Try and find Yellow Feet (a prolific edible in the west) in any other book.

This dandy little paperback is full of color photographs as well as very vivid descriptions, from immature to mature specimens. Makes hunting for the edible fungi easy and lots of fun. This should be used as a companion piece to the MUSHROOMS DEMYSTIFIED and can be kept right in your pack in the field!

If anyone wants to learn about wild mushroom hunting/eating, this the best book one can get! After you read it, spend a little extra for mushrooms demystified. It's the answer to the answer.

This is the book you must have if you are even casually interested in wild mushrooms. I am replacing a copy that some cretin stole from me. It is a reader's digest version of the big book by David Arora that is also indispensable. Great photographs and very good descriptions of the most commonly encountered species. A nice touch of humor to make it more than just a reference. Don't miss this one!

Absolutely the best pocket-sized reference around. I lost my copy (or it was stolen!) and am reordering another. Contains identification keys that are usable in the field (less dependence on spore prints and microscopic exams than some of the others). Great photos make field ID easy. It seems I nearly always find what I'm looking for in this little book. Don't leave home without it!

Lots of wonderful little stories, great photos, and clear, concise descriptions. A must-have for anyone who enjoys nature and especially loves mushies. Look for the recipes throughout the book.