Product Description
This digital document is an article from Mushroom News, published by Thomson Gale on July 1, 2007. The length of the article is 2410 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Mushroom Council Nutrition Research Update.(mushroom council update)
Author: Mary Jo Feeney
Publication: Mushroom News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 55Issue: 7Page: 4(6)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
"This superb book does for fungi what Audubon did for birds and Freud for the psyche," wrote the New Haven Register. Time Magazine called it "Fascinating" in a lead review. The little-known kingdom of fungi is revealed as never before or since—from the potato blight to the hallucinogenic mushroom, the bread mold that produced penicillin and the prized truffle. Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles proves that a book about fungi can be compulsively readable. Sales soared the moment it reached the bookstores, and it has become a classic. Hard to put down, it is exciting from beginning to end.

Customer Reviews (3)

Enthusiastically recommended for anyone even the least bit curious about these unobtrusive life forms.
First published in 1965, Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles is a classic text exploring the true stories behind the fungi kingdom, from the potato blight that ravaged Ireland to the hallucinogenic properties of the LSD mushroom to the bread mold that produced penicillin and the truffle prized as a delicacy. Written in a conversational style accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles in an amazing tour de force of the spore-filled wonders. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone even the least bit curious about these unobtrusive life forms.

Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles
I'm really glad I decided to pick up a copy of Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles and start reading. It lead me into a world that I hadn't really though much about. I now have much more respect for fungi.

Who knew that fungi had such effects on our daily world? Yes, I love adding mushrooms to my homemade spaghetti sauce, I am aware that penicillin comes from bread mold, and being of Irish descent I know that the Great Hunger (the Irish Potato Famine) was caused by blight. However, as I drink my wine, eat my sandwich, or even take a deep breath of fresh air, I almost never think about how fungi is actually responsible for these things. Likewise, I had no idea of the potential of fungi in various avenues of modern medicine and the fight against world hunger. Conversely, I didn't have a clue about the great dangers and possible destruction that fungi could accomplish.

I found Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles completely fascinating. I learned a great deal but didn't feel like I was reading a stuffy biology text. The author artfully managed to keep my attention throughout the entire book without overloading me. I could see how each section directly affect me, my world, and the future of all people, both the good and the bad.

Freshing look at the 3Ms of musrooms, molds and miracles
Reviewed by Maria Hoeffer

Fungus.The mere word brings up stomach-turning images of hideous growths infesting the most unclean of bathrooms and refrigerators.But as Lucy Kavaler so eloquently and enjoyably explains in Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles, fungi is fascinating and necessary in our world.From gracing our salad plates to keeping us well with penicillin, fungi improves our lives every day.Though not always beneficial, Kavaler also explores the power and destructive abilities of the mighty fungi as well.

More soldiers were sent home from the South Pacific in World War II with fungal infections than from combat injuries, for example.The fungus causing the potato blight of Ireland changed the entire course of that country's history.Kavaler demonstrates both the beauty and the ugliness of these tiny organisms.Reading Kavaler's book is like talking with an entertaining friend.She's got a story for every topic and sprinkles enough juicy details into the science-y bits that you hardly realize you are learning quite a bit.

This book, originally published in 1965 has been recently re-issued.While this is a fabulous way to excite a new generation about fungus, some major updating is needed.References end in the early 1960s.Reading about the Cold War or the newly discovered field of genetics distances the contemporary reader from the otherwise engaging text.Likewise, while reading about a 1960's housewife may have helped draw in the 1965 reader, in 2007 it just feels archaic.

Overall, Kavaler breathes life into a topic often neglected like a moldy shower curtain.

Armchair Interview says: Mushrooms, Molds and Miracles teaches you a lot. ... Read more

Product Description
A trustworthy guide for identification of mushroomsof the southeastern United States.

This book is a comprehensive field guide to the mushrooms of the southeastern United States. Although it will stand on its own, it is intended to complement and serve as a companion to Mushrooms of Northeastern North America, also published by Syracuse University Press. Together these volumes form a foundation and reference for identifying mushrooms found in eastern North America from Canada to the subtropics of Florida and Texas.

Featuring more than 450 species, this volume includes detailed descriptions and rich color photographs. The photographs were selected for high-quality color fidelity and documentary merit and reflect some of the aesthetic appeal of the subject. The number of species described and illustrated in color is substantially more than has previously appeared in any other single work devoted to the mushrooms of the southeastern United States. Although this book contains the necessary detail required by advanced students and professional mycologists, it emphasizes identification based primarily on macroscopic field characters for easier use by a general audience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Right on.
For over 20 years I have been chasing mushrooms all over North America, and this was a great addition for my library.
Photography is top-notch, discriptions are accurate and informative.
They even added some recipes, and after trying one of them, I am looking forward to the others.
You will not be unhappy with this book.

An excellent field guide for regular folks
As an amateur, but avid, mushroom hunter, I buy new mushroom books almost as soon as they are released.Most of the general books are intended for the northern and western parts of the US where live most 'shroomers.I'm in Georgia, so this book was a most welcome addition to my library. The keys allow me to rapidly, correctly identify local fungi.
I'm highly pleased with my acquisition of Mushrooms of the Southeastern United States.

Southeastern Mushroom Book Review
This was the first book that I purchased that was written by Bessette and friends. Since then I have also acquired the North American Bolete book. They are outstanding quality wild mushrooming field guides for the United States.

A work of impeccable scholarship
"Mushrooms Of The Southeastern United States" is the combined and collaborative effort of four outstanding mycologists: Alan E. Bessette (Professor of biology, Utica College, Syracuse University); William C. Roody (Field Biologist, Wildlife Diversity Program, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources); Arleen R. Bessette (Botanical Photographer); and Dail L. Dunaway (Botanical Photographer and expert in the mushroom flora of the southeastern United States). Enhanced with color photographic plates, "Mushrooms Of The Southeastern United States" is organized according to species descriptions ranging from Chanterelles and Allies; to Gilled Mushrooms; to Fungi; and so much more. Enhanced with the inclusion of four appendices on Microscopic Examination of Mushrooms; Chemical Reagents and Mushroom Identification; Classification; and Mycophagy; "Mushrooms Of The Southeastern United States" also includes a glossary, a bibliography of recommended readings, an index to common names, and an index to scientific names. Comprehensive, informative, superbly organized and presented, "Mushrooms Of The Southeastern United States" is a work of impeccable scholarship and very strongly recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library reference collections and supplemental reading lists. ... Read more

Product Description
The newest addition to our well-known series of mushroom guides, MUSHROOMS OF HAWAII is a beautifully illustrated book filled with scenic photographs of Hawaii and detailed photographs of over 230 mushrooms species. An essential reference guide for the novice or advanced mycologist, this handy reference tool provides you with all the information you need to make your foraging a success, including chapters on mushroom identification, bountiful mushroom-hunting spots in Hawaii, and a guide to the seasonality of Hawaiian mushrooms. Whether hunting Copelandia cyanescens (“magic” mushrooms) in the pasture grasses high in the mountains of Maui or foraging for Laetiporus (chicken of the woods), one of the edible mushrooms found in Hawaii, this book is the must-have guide for fungophiles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Mushrooms of Hawaii
My grandson, Jason, had the priviledge to know the author, a professor at University of Hawaii, while he was achieving his degree.He was so impressed with him.Jason now is in his third year of med school in Honolulu.
I am looking forward to painting some of these wonderful specimens.Previously, I have already painted over 2,000 paintings of mushrooms!
Warm wishes, Leona Julian

Not comprehensive, questionably organized
This is a decent book, but I find many, many mushrooms which simply aren't represented.I also dislike the organization by vegetation zone; there's simply too much crossover in a place like Hawaii.There's no taxonomy key either, so I find myself falling back to the aging standard: Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi

Hawaiian mushrooms galore!
For anyone familiar with mushroom gathering in temperate zones, Hawaii would seem to offer scant picking . . . until you pick up MUSHROOMS OF HAWAII.Unbelievable! The mushrooms in Hawaii are harder to find, yes. Some are very different from what you're likely to encounter on the mainland.Some are old friends: morels. Others are well known, colorful enemies: Amanita muscaria.All are beautifully illustrated.Even if you aren't a hunter of wild mushrooms, the photographs alone will have you entranced. And there's a lot else in these pages as well, from recipes, to descriptions of the places where the elusive fungi grow.The bibliography is excellent, providing plenty of further reading for the aficionado and testimony to the careful research that went into this work.Is there anything wrong with it?I do have one complaint.It's much too nice to pack on a field trip. Maybe the authors will come out soon with a small field guide to take along.That way I can leave this volume safe at home where I can go over those great photos at my leisure and not worry about what might happen to the book when stuffed into a knapsack. ... Read more

Product Description
We might savor them in a salad or a sauce, wonder at their power to intoxicate or poison, marvel at their multifarious presence in the forestbut few of us realize that mushrooms, humbly thriving on decay, are crucial to life on Earth as we know it. In this book a distinguished biologist reveals the power of these curious organismsnot quite animal, not quite plantto enchant and instruct, to nourish and make way for all sorts of superior forms of nature. 16 color illus. 18 b&w.Amazon.com Review
Call them the foot soldiers of the forest floor. Unassumingand prolific, mushrooms clear a path for new life by expertly andefficiently recycling accumulated dead matter, from the tiniest leafto the tallest tree. It may sound like a dirty, thankless job, but asmicrobiologist and author Elio Schaechter enthusiastically notes, weshould be singing praises to the fungi of the Earth; without them, allbut the tallest of creatures would be buried under a global blanket ofdecomposing matter. Schaechter is obviously fascinated by his subject,and his spirit is contagious, making In the Company ofMushrooms as entertaining as it is informative. Though the bookserves as a guide to hunting, identifying, and classifyingmushrooms--including where to look, what tools are necessary, and howto discern the flavorful from the deadly--its primary aim is to conveythe wonders of the fungi world and its essential function innature. Along the way Schaechter discusses the history of the mushroomand its role in the diets and healing practices of both ancient andmodern cultures. He also offers such delectable tidbits as the factthat fungi are more closely related to humans than plants on theevolutionary scale. Mycology has never been so engaging. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Quirky, Informative, Readable
"In the Company of Mushrooms" is one of those quirky, informative, and eminently readable natural history books that inhabits the same sub-genre as "The Infinite River", "Near Horizons", and "Rats, Lice, and History".Even though I'm not a mushroom hunter myself, I enjoyed reading Schaechter's tale of mushrooms that can wreck trains, emit toxic fumes that have been used for rocket fuel, and send otherwise ordinary humans into gastronmical ecstasies (or gastrointestinal agonies, depending on the species).The author points out that you can eat any mushroom once, and then goes on to quote, "There are old mushroom hunters and bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old, bold mushroom hunters."

If you enjoy the thrill of a morel hunt and its tasty aftermath, or are an armchair naturalist who would like to read a well-written investigation into the secret life of fungi, "In the Company of Mushrooms" will both nourish and instruct you.Just remember that there are two tons of fungi for every human on the planet!

FANTASTIC !!!
As a 'shroomer' of some years, I have collected more than my share of mushroom field guides, but have alway wanted to know more than simply howto identify mushrooms. This is the perfect book for that purpose.Professor Scaechter covers everything and more, from history to language tocooking to biology to chemistry to toxins, and then onward to all kinds ofinteresting facts and insights that I wouldn't even have thought of askingabout.

Buy the field guides, of course, but buy this book if you lovemushrooms and mushrooming.

An unusual enthusiasm,wonderfully shared.
The author is one of those rare souls who can take an unpromising topic and, through some alchemy of affection and skill, render it not only palatable but positively fascinating.
Professor Schaechter is a lover of mushrooms. In his hands these seemingly ignoble denizens of rotting tree trunks and forest floors, neither plants nor animals, become not only interesting, but beautiful as well. He considers the biology and history of the mushroom, the uses and dangers; the entire interrelationship of human and fungus in fact, in a warm and engaging narrative style which brings the reader along for a most enjoyable biology lesson. Every branch of learning should have an Elio Schaechter.

(The "score" rating is an ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)

A terrific read
A terrific read not only for mushroom lovers but also for all nature lovers and for just the plain curious.Highly recommended for all public libraries.

Gretchen Falk, Reference Librarian, Park Forest Public Library ... Read more

Product Description
While close to seventy common species of mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest are listed here, there are hundreds of other varieties left out. That includes all of the myriad of tiny ones which, though lovely to see and photograph, are generally very difficult to identify. ... Read more

Product Description

" With its dense forests and plentiful rainfall, West Virginia and the rest of the Central Appalachian region is an almost perfect habitat for hundreds of varieties of wild mushrooms. For the mushroom hunter, this vast bounty provides sheer delight and considerable challenge, for every outdoor excursion offers the chance of finding a mushroom not previously encountered. For both the seasoned mycologist and the novice mushroom hunter, Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians serves as a solid introduction s of the region. Some 400 species are described and illustrated with the author's own stunning color photographs, and many more are discussed in the text. Detailed mushroom descriptions assure confident identifications. Each species account includes remarks about edibility and extensive commentary to help distinguish similar species. A comprehensive glossary of specialized mycological terms is provided.

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent Book
I live in Kentucky and this book works great for my area.I have nothing to add to the previous glowing reviews.This is just such a wonderful book I wanted to make sure it got as much high praise as it deserves!Well formatted, clear concise descriptions and nice pictures. Everything you would like to see in a mushroom book. Five Stars all the way!

Excellent Book
I live in Tennessee. I own about 40 mushroom books and this one is my favorite. It is great to have a book for identification that covers mushrooms found in the south so well. The pictures are excellent. Roody lists possible look-alikes in many of the excellent, detailed descriptions. He also comments on the edibility of each species. Should be an excellent book for beginners and seasoned mushroom hunters alike. Highly recommended.

One of the Best Mushroom Field Guides Ever!
I live in New York State and have been collecting mushrooms for years - edible and otherwise.I already own just about every other field guide to identifying mushrooms and other fungi, so when I saw this book for sale, I thought "do I really need another?"Well, it turns out I did.This book is fabulous!The pictures are first rate, and sometimes provide identifying detail that pictures in other books do not.While the "regulars" are there (mushrooms you find illustrated in almost every field guide) it also contains pictures of mushrooms that are common but not regularly pictured in other field guides. Consequently, it allowed me to solve a lot of long-standing "mushroom mysteries" in my backyard.The book contains longer than average "comments" on each species, often providing fascinating information.I highly recommend ths book!

Finally
After a decade of waiting for this book, I am certainly not disappointed. As an avid mushroom hunter, I have to say that this is the best field guide I have found. ... Read more

Product Description
This series looks at the life cycles of some familiar plants and animals. The stages are explained through simple text and photographs. Every spread builds on information presented in the previous one. At this stage, children should understand that animals move, feed, use their senses, and reproduce; and that flowering plants grow and produce seeds which, in turn, produce new plants. ... Read more

Product Description
Designed to introduce more aspects of natural history to children, this is an indepth exploration of mushrooms and toadstools. It features fold-out pages to aid immediate reference and a protective laminated cover. ... Read more

Product Description

How do mushrooms grow? Where are the best places to find mushrooms? This book takes an in-depth look at this familiar but fascinating living thing.

... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

A Great Field Guide for Mushroom Hunting and Exploration
This guide is fascinating to me as I am definitely a newcomer to identifying mushrooms.Although throughout my childhood I admired the strange mushrooms in our grass and garden - and then on tree trunks during forest explorations, I never thought to try to identify them! This book is now proudly in my library next to my birding, native plant and wildflower guides. It has the same quality of photographs and descriptions as the best of my field guides! I'll certainly take it on my next field exploration in the Midwest!

A first-rate, enthusiastically recommended resource.
Now in a fully revised second edition, Mushrooms and Other Fungi of the Midcontinental United States is a full-color field guide to wild mushrooms and fungi found in the midcontinental region of Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Each of 248 species is illustrated with an excellent color photograph (which almost always shows both the tops and the undersides of sample fungi), and its cap, gills, stalk, and annulus are all described in meticulous detail, along with information with regard to where each species is most likely to be seen, and its edible or toxic characteristics. An additional section devoted to commonly encountered slime molds rounds out this superb reference, written by emeritus professor of biology Donald Huffman. Useful to professional biologists and amateur nature lovers alike, Mushrooms and Other Fungi of the Midcontinental United States is a first-rate, enthusiastically recommended resource. ... Read more

Product Description

Takes an in-depth look at the ever-changing lives of some familiar plants and animalsand their development.

... Read more

Product Description
More than 1,000 species of mushrooms described in detail.Over 700 paintings and drawings reveal subtle field marks that cannot be captured into photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A bit too old school
While the descriptions in this book are helpful, the illustrations are inherently imprecise because they are non-photographic. The size of the book is good for taking into the field, but I'm put off by the old-school descriptions of mushrooms that have psychedelic/entheogenic properties. These important fungal allies are dismissed as "hallucinogenic" used by certain people for recreational purposes. Therefore they are labelled poisonous.

Overall, I found that I felt I couldn't trust the book to provide the kind of precision and accuracy that I need to be confident about my identifications. I would say use it as a secondary guide, or for an initial assessment of your fungal findings, but rely on more modern sources that also provide photographs.

mushrooms fieldguide
i used this book so far only in the fall. it was really good and helped me identify several different types. most were poisonous. this can be expected in the area and season i searched. i look forward to searching more in the spring. a great fieldguide with color illustrations.

Gaining mushroom knowledge
This Field Guide to Mushrooms is somewhat easy to understand, but requires the user to have basic knowledge of some characteristics of mushrooms.There could be mistakes in ID made. As with any mushroom guide, the user must pay strict attention, and be very careful.The print is very easy to read, and the pictures are extensive.I feel this would be a good book for the hunter who has some basic experience in the field.

close but no cigar
this is my 4th purchase of Fungi books and everyone of them have left much to be desired...this one is probably no.2 on the list as far as palatable though. 1. realize if you are trying to figure out wht fungi live in YOUR backyard/area yer already gonna be on a rather long frustrating journey unless you live in a select area.. (i.e. where the Author lives...).
as far as outline/overlay its decent but as always these books rarely cover enough fungi nor do ther pics tend to reflect actual fungi (at least here in southeast texas..) but then again i live in fungi hell (aka more fungi than you could truly imagine..).Im still in search of a more definitive text that you can feel relatively sure that "if" you follow the guidelines/pics/desriptions laid down you can eat without reading over your current life insurance/last will n testament...
Doc

If you are beginning, start with this one.
We own several different guides.Each has it's own strength.I recommend this as the first guide for those beginning to identify MR/Fungi.It covers most of the basic MR/Fungi family, but is not encylopedic as Arora's 'Mushrooms Demystified' attempts to be, nor does it have the number of color photographs that either the Falcon Guide 'North American Mushrooms' or Audubon's Field Guide.But it's one of the easiest to use beginning with 48 (mostly color) plates, then branching off into related species. ... Read more