North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi

Dr. Orson K. Miller Jr. and Hope H. Miller
Falcon (2006)
ISBN 9780762731091
Reviewed by Juanita Watson for Reader Views (8/06)

“North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi” is a comprehensive field guide that features most of the fungi one may encounter in the United States and Canada.  This field guide is part of “A Falcon Guide” series and is a necessary asset to the library of any wild mushroom, or edible plant disciple. 

“North American Mushrooms” is authored by the husband/wife team of mushroom enthusiasts. The Miller’s have a long and extensive history in the world of fungi – they have worked all over North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Asia, and recently have carried out their field work in Biodiversity studies in the Greater Antilles and Belize.  Orson is a Professor Emeritus of Botany and curator of Fungi from Virginia Tech, and is one of the leading mycologists in the United States.  His wife, Hope, has authored a wild mushroom cookbook, taught classes, and supports Orson’s work in the field.  Basically, these people live and breathe mushrooms.

This comprehensive book has beautiful pictures, easy to understand keys, detailed drawings, interesting fungi information, listings of toxins, and useful information on habitat.  This is not only a practical field guide but an interesting read into the world of wild mushrooms.  In the wide range of selections available in the genre of field guides, I would recommend “North American Mushrooms” along with a couple area specific resources to round out a definitive package.

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