Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic (Keystone Books) 1st Edition

OVERVIEW:I am an amateur mushroomer who has been casually identifying mushrooms in Southwestern Pennsylvania for about one year and wanted to get more serious about identifying edible mushrooms. Given its regional focus, this book seemed like the best place to start. I have found it to be an informative, practical guide with detailed descriptions and excellent photos of 100 regional mushrooms with a focus on edibility, as well as useful information on mushrooming in general. The book itself is compact and sturdy.DESCRIPTION (mostly objective):The main bulk of the book are the individual entries. It covers 100 mushrooms, about 75% of which are edible. It is divided into sections for each season with 13 mushrooms in the Spring section, 57 in Summer, 19 in Fall, and 11 in Winter. Each entry appears only once in the season in which it is most likely to be found, even if it can be found in multiple seasons. Each section is further divided into sub-sections for Gilled Mushrooms, Pored Mushrooms, and Neither Gilled Nor Pored Mushrooms. Each of these sections is further divided by color of spores. Entries are numbered consecutively 1-100. In each season, the text descriptions appear first, with the corresponding numbered photos at the rear of the section. There is only one color photo for each entry, but the photos (usually taken by the author) often show multiple views (top, side, underside) of the mushroom. An index includes both common and Latin names.Each entry is headed by the entry number, the mushroom's common/vernacular name(s), and its Latin name along with phonetic spelling, followed by a general prose description focusing on identification, growth habits, and edibility. After the prose description, are headings with detailed descriptions for Cap, Gills/Spores, Spore Print, Stem, Growth Habit, Edibility, Copycats, and Tips (for identifying, harvesting, preparing, growing etc.). Also included is a brief, highlighted "In a nutshell" description.In addition to the specific individual entries, the book includes general information on identifying mushrooms (w/illustrations), mushroom names, gathering mushrooms, edible & non-edible mushrooms, toxins, and preparing mushrooms, along with a handful of recipes.The author has a lifetime of experience with mushrooms, as both a hobbyist and a professional, especially in the Central Pennsylvania region, and the content of this book seems to be based on both personal experience and professional & academic study. His love of mushrooms is evident in his writing which, in turn, is easy and enjoyable to read. Technical information is presented without being overly academic. The book itself measures approximately 5" x 9.25" and weights a bit over 1 lb. The binding and covers seem quite sturdy and the rear cover flyleaf has a convenient ruler for measuring mushrooms.EDITORIAL (mostly subjective):This book focuses on wild mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic and I happen to live in that region. If you live elsewhere, this may not be the ideal book for you, though it may still be very useful and have content appropriate to where you live. Since I bought this book out of an interest in foraging for edible mushrooms, I find its focus on predominantly edible mushrooms to be ideal. As a novice, I appreciate that it is written with the layman in mind, though I have no doubt it will be of interest and use to experienced mushroomers as well. Given these foci, the book does not attempt to be a truly comprehensive guide, yet covers a substantial number of mushrooms in detail. As this and other guides recommend, if you are foraging for edible mushrooms you will want to use multiple sources of information.Unlike some other reviewers, I like the organization of the book by season. For me, it is a useful way to limit my focus to those mushrooms I'm most likely to see on an outing at a particular time of the year. However, I learned quickly to also consult adjacent seasons (see below). Initially, I had wished that the photos were included with each entry as opposed to a separate section at the end of each season. However, I have come to appreciate being able to peruse all of the photos at once for initial identification before referring back to the detailed written entry.Lastly, the book's size and construction make it a convenient & durable companion on hikes. Although it fits nicely in a cargo pocket, it is a bit heavy, but this is probably unavoidable unless it offered less content or were less well constructed. At first, the binding seemed rather tight and difficult to open all the way, but I believe this is rather an indication of its sturdiness. (As a book collector, I have an aversion to cracking a book's spine.) This is a book that is made to be taken on hikes and can take a beating.On the first two hikes I went on with this book, my girlfriend and I collected samples of eight different mushrooms and conclusively identified all eight with the help of this guide, one other guide, and spore prints. Much of the information in this book was spot-on accurate and really helped with identification. Although it was late October, only two of the mushrooms appeared in the Fall section of this book (Deadly Galerina, Honey Mushrooms), four in the Winter section (Brick Tops, Velvet Stems, Oyster Mushrooms, Inky Caps), one in the Spring section (Dryad Saddle), and one in the Summer section (Pear-Shaped Puffballs), though the Growth Habit description for each did include October in its range. Nonetheless, most were still easy to locate in the book since I was looking in both Fall & Winter sections. I used this book, while my girlfriend used another. Sometimes, she found a mushroom first and I was able to locate it easily in this book using the index. Of the eight mushroom we collected, seven were edible species, although we deemed only three of them fresh enough to eat (Oysters, Puffballs & Inky Caps). The following day we harvested several fresh oyster mushrooms and some puffballs, cleaned them, and sautéed them in butter. They were both delicious! Maybe later, if we're adventurous enough, we'll try the Inky Caps (they were just starting to come up) or maybe we'll just make ink out of them, the recipe for which is in this book.If you live in the Mid-Atlantic, and especially Pennsylvania, and are looking for a book on mushrooms, particularly with a focus on edibility, I can think of no better book to begin with or to add to your collection. I hope this review helps you in your search. Happy mushrooming!ADDENDUM:I wrote this review three years ago when I purchased this book as my first mushroom guide. Since then, it has been a most valuable resource and everything in the above review still stands. It is now one of four books I use for identification and is the first book I refer to as well as the most portable of the four.

Not only is the information on mushrooms invaluable, but Bill's stories are an absolute delight to read! The organization of the book into the seasons when mushrooms can be found is very helpful, particularly at the end of the mushroom season. If you are a regular hunter, you know that the signs of winter mean mushroom hunting, hiking, and loving the great outdoors are nearly over for a time. Quickly flipping to the winter mushrooms, there is hope in still venturing out to search for the few lesser known, but still wonderfully edible, mushrooms he writes about.As the description states, there are not a huge number of mushrooms discussed in this book, however; it is perfect for a beginner, or even intermediate mushroom hunter. Most people aren't going to need or want to learn about more mushroom than this book discusses. Even so, with mushrooms, it is always recommended to use several guides to assist in this sport that some consider dangerous. This is most often the book we choose to take out with us on our hunts as it is smaller in size than some books, it has thick sturdy glossy pages, the pictures are very good, and the descriptions are excellent.I have to admit that I have met Bill Russell and that my review could possibly be biased as a result. He is great person, and it would be really hard to seperate him from his book. However; just read his book and you will "know" him too! This is more than just a guide. If you live in the Pennsylvania area, and have the opportunity, I highly recommend going to his website to find out when he is speaking, or to go to his free wild mushroom identification sessions.

As a beginning mushroom hunter, I was looking for a book that describes mushrooms I may find in my area. This book fits the bill. The author's advice is good concerning safety, from what I can tell. With this book, and various YouTube videos, and other web sites, I can be confident about at least a few species of mushroom. However, I will take the author's advice, and get at least one more field guide before I branch out beyond a very few, easily identifiable mushrooms.This book is not an end-all, be-all book on mushrooms; nor was it intended to be. But if you live in the mid-atlantic region, it is a valuable addition to your library.Added May 3, 2011: I ate my first wild-harvested mushrooms a few days ago. Those "inkies" were pretty good. A friend says that the morels are starting to come out. I can't wait!About my first harvest... I almost gave up. I was 3/4 home when I saw a patch of "inkies". What a rush! The book is very clear and helpful. Half the people I talk with about mushrooms think I'm nuts because of the dangers. Do your homework. Get this book(and others), and enjoy the bounty!

I am very much a beginner shroomer. I also am an avid reference and non-fiction book reader. And reader in general. While I cannot speak to the accuracy of the descriptions and photos of the mushrooms (it did come highly recommended from my mushroom club) I can speak to how well written it is. The author is even has a sense of humor in his descriptions. I like how it is organizes by seasons and how each mushroom has its points as well. The only reason I do not give it 5 stars is that it is a pain to have to go back to to picture rather than having the picture right there with the description.

Returning from vacation to a front yard filled with at least a dozen different types of mushrooms rekindled my interest in these wonderful fungi. Bill Russell's book is an excellent read, with a casual style that imparts a lot of information.The book has a great introduction, basics of mycology and then is split into the characteristics of 100 commonly found mushrooms in this area of the country, separated by the time of year that they are found.I am looking forward to making spore prints and attempting to identify the variety of 'shrooms in our vicinity. I may even pluck up enough courage to eat some if I am sure I can identify them.