The mushroom trailguide
(Books)

Includes index.

Bibliography: p. 239-[240].

This book is an identification guide for common North American mushrooms geared especially for those who would like to sort the edible mushrooms from the inedible. The book begins with a brief introduction of several pages that describes how to use the guide, some common fallacies about determining whether a mushroom is poisonous, and some general cooking suggestions for mushrooms. The book is then divided into two main sections covering the gilled and the non-gilled mushrooms. Once you have determined whether the mushroom you have in hand has gills or not, you consult the general drawings at the front of each section to make an initial identification of the mushroom. For gilled mushrooms, Glick adds the additional step of making a spore print to check the spore colors. In each of the two main sections, there are shorter subsections describing individual members of the main families. These sections include more detailed black-and-white drawings, labeled with colors or points to notice for identification purposes. For each entry, information is provided about the cap, gills, stem, where and when the mushroom is usually found, spore color, edibility, and cooking suggestions, where relevant. At the back of the book is a bibliography and index. The book very much focuses on identification for consumption purposes. One nice feature is that Glick takes care to note those mushrooms whose edibility varies amongst humans, the ones that will make some people ill but not others. She also notes mushrooms that must be cooked before eating, or mushrooms that should not be consumed with alcohol, or mushrooms that can only be eaten in small quantities without ill effect. The mushrooms described in detail are generally those that are either good for eating, very poisonous, or look-alikes for edible mushrooms. Unfortunately, in the interests of brevity, many common mushrooms that don't fit into one of these categories, including some of my favorites from the backyard, aren't included. Thus, the book is more a connoisseur's guide than a complete identification guide. Nevertheless, the text and descriptions are exceptionally clear.