Peterson Field Guide to Mushrooms of North America, Second Edition

In Maine, a botanist laid out all the mushrooms she had collected that morning for our inspection. She had collected over fifty different mushrooms with a disparate array of colors and shapes. She cautioned us that even an expert cannot always tell which variety is edible.

That comment brings me to the fun of this guide; as I paged through the beautiful illustrations, it was so much fun to play the guessing game: edible or poisonous? Needless to say, this reader did not establish a good track record of identifying safe mushrooms. It is wonderful to be aided by cautionary names such as Deathcap, Destroying Angel, and Sickener. But there is so much more in this comprehensive field guide published by the leader and authority in such books.

A major disappointment to me, however, was that my very favorite portobello mushroom (Agaricus bipods) was only listed as a button mushroom. Portobello was not to be found in the index, and I was left puzzled as to why. Despite that omission, this is a beautiful guide and an essential to any library.