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dantastic's review
4.0
All That the Rain Promises, and More is a great guide for Mushroom hunters in the western half of the US and is both informative and hilarious. Each mushroom picture is accompanied by a description and a list of key features (including edibility). There are sidebar topics including recipes and a people's tales of epic mushroom hunts. The pictures of mushroom hunters are fairly funny. It seems like each one features a big beard, big hair, or both.
The humor is a big selling point for me. I laughed at descriptions of several mushrooms and smiled wide when one of the mushrooms was described as "probably edible."
My gripes are fairly minor. Some of the pictures could be clearer considering how much some poison mushrooms look like a more benign or edible variety. The book's western focus is a little vexing but that's not really the book's fault.
The humor is a big selling point for me. I laughed at descriptions of several mushrooms and smiled wide when one of the mushrooms was described as "probably edible."
My gripes are fairly minor. Some of the pictures could be clearer considering how much some poison mushrooms look like a more benign or edible variety. The book's western focus is a little vexing but that's not really the book's fault.
dkai's review
A classic for a reason, it's a nifty guide at a portable size. I'd say it's probably not comprehensive enough on its own to identify unfamiliar mushrooms to you, but a good starting point
adularia25's review
4.0
It is only 4 stars because it frequently references Mushrooms Demystified (MD), another book by David Arora, in the various detailed mushroom descriptions. And while I understand the necessity for that in order to keep this book a good size for fieldwork, this really isn't a stand alone book if you want to get into the full spectrum of possible mushrooms out there.
Which means I'll have to get my hands on Mushrooms Demystified to complete my collection!
Which means I'll have to get my hands on Mushrooms Demystified to complete my collection!
bibliophile_gurl's review
5.0
Best guidebook I've founds so far! Great size to take along with you in the field, enjoyable read, and contains recipes for cooking as well as other uses for wild mushrooms.
agrandreflection's review
5.0
A brilliant guide! Accessible and well organized, it gives wonderful tips regarding edibility, as well as preparation suggestions.
sawyerbell's review
4.0
This was a Christmas gift and I've been anxiously awaiting the mushrooms that the autumn rains promise. Just got back from a long forest walk and it was so much fun to find and learn more about dozens of different kinds of mushrooms using this handy guide.
bookwisp86's review
5.0
An excellent beginner guide to mushrooms interspersed with wild stories and some of the best pictures I have ever seen in a book. Mostly geared towards West Coast identification but if you have even a slight interest in mushrooms then buy it for the humor if nothing else.
dandelionfluff's review
5.0
Alright, first of all, THE COVER. This pretty much explains it all; this book was compiled by a man who adores mushrooms, is filled with pictures of fungi fanatics wearing caps, dancing through the woods, playing flutes... I showed this to my mother who simply went, "Ah, the 60's. And 70's." All this juxtaposed with stories inspired by their extreme love of various fungus, but despite the silliness, this guide does everything it can to be a very serious reference. Identifications are concise yet very detailed, focusing on exactly what you need to know in order to properly identify your mushroom. They even flat-out tell you that if you're not sure, don't eat it. Common sense, you'd think, but there are some people who'd risk poisoning in their quest for woodland whimsy.
But yes. Mushrooms mushrooms mushrooms. You can live for them, dye with them, and eat to your heart's content so long as you do so with proper experience and education under your belt. This is a good book to have along with Mushrooms Demystified. Oh, and note that this guide is mostly for the west coast folks, especially California.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. Just flipping through was fun, and I truly want to g mushroom hunting with someone who actually knows what they're doing. We've lost the art of foraging for food. Maybe mushroom hunts really could bring back that spirit.
But yes. Mushrooms mushrooms mushrooms. You can live for them, dye with them, and eat to your heart's content so long as you do so with proper experience and education under your belt. This is a good book to have along with Mushrooms Demystified. Oh, and note that this guide is mostly for the west coast folks, especially California.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. Just flipping through was fun, and I truly want to g mushroom hunting with someone who actually knows what they're doing. We've lost the art of foraging for food. Maybe mushroom hunts really could bring back that spirit.