Mushrooming An illustrated guide to the fantastic, delicious, deadly, and strange world of fungi

This curious compendium of all things fungi will be welcomed by amateur mycologists, avant-garde artists, intrepid woods trampers, cautious cooks, and even armchair readers. Covering over 120 fungi species found in forests, woodlands, grocery stores, and dank basements, it includes edibles, hallucinogens, medicines, and aphrodisiacs. Each entry provides richly colorful illustrations accompanied by identifying features, field notes, and serious advice on whether consumption will bring hallucinogenic adventure, gustatory glee, or agonizing death. The fungi names alone will grab your attention: hedgehog mushroom, dog vomit slime mold, lobster mushroom, plums and custard. Sprinkled throughout are whimsical accounts of fungi-enthusiast adventures, like fungi hunting in Chinatown, chatting on a park bench with one's favorite SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) "mother," and the infinity burial suit, "a stylish black outfit that covers the body from head to toe, embroidered with spore-infused yarn in a dendritic pattern." This guide merits an enthusiastic recommendation for both public and academic libraries. The illustrations alone, saturated with eye-pleasing, earthy colors, are worth the price.

Borsato (Outdoor School: Contemporary Environmental Art) and Oseid (What We See in the Stars) take a joyful, artistic approach to the enjoyment of mushrooms and their inherent qualities. This is not a field guide; it's short-form creative nonfiction presented in alphabetical order with accompanying beautiful illustrations. Readers should not expect to be able to confidently identify various mushrooms, or the occasional non-chloroform plant, slime mold, or symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), but they will be treated to tidbits that will likely make them pause and express amazement. The art in this book deserves its own gallery space. Readers who experience trypophobia, a fear of holes, should note that images throughout the book detail the spots, frills, and holes in mushrooms. The book also touches upon a wide range of subjects such as feminism, whiteness, and death by mushroom hunting not caused by ingesting poisonous mushrooms. VERDICT This book would complement environmental art and nature lovers' collections. It also pairs well with works about Beatrix Potter's artwork, Paul Stamets's contributions to mycology, and Eugenia Bone's Mycophilia. A beautiful artistic exploration and tribute to mushrooms for their own beauty and value.--Naomi Toftness