100 Best Mushroom Books of All Time

We've ranked the best mushroom books using expert recommendations, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. At Shortform, we know books. Our book guides are the best in the world. Learn why.

Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms book cover1

Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms

Paul Stamets

5.0
After years of living in awe of the mysterious fungi known as mushrooms-chefs, health enthusiasts, and home cooks alike can't get enough of these rich, delicate morsels. With updated production techniques for home and commercial cultivation, detailed growth parameters for 31 mushroom species, a trouble-shooting guide, and handy gardening tips, this revised and updated handbook will make your mycol
All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms book cover2

All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms

David Arora

5.0
Full-color illustrated guide to identifying 200 Western mushrooms by their key features.
Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World book cover3

Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World

Paul Stamets

5.0
Mycelium Running is a manual for the mycological rescue of the planet. That’s right: growing more mushrooms may be the best thing we can do to save the environment, and in this groundbreaking text from mushroom expert Paul Stamets, you’ll find out how.

The basic science goes like this: Microscopic cells called “mycelium”--the fruit of which are mushrooms--recycle carbon, nitrogen, and other essenti
How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence book cover4

How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence

Michael Pollan

4.9
Could psychedelic drugs change our worldview? One of America's most admired writers takes us on a mind-altering journey to the frontiers of human consciousness

When LSD was first discovered in the 1940s, it seemed to researchers, scientists and doctors as if the world might be on the cusp of psychological revolution. It promised to shed light on the deep mysteries of consciousness, as well as offer
Mushrooms Demystified book cover5

Mushrooms Demystified

David Arora

4.9
Simply the best and most complete mushroom field guide and reference book, MUSHROOMS DEMYSTIFIED includes descriptions and keys to more than 2,000 species of mushrooms, with more than 950 photographs. Mushroom authority David Arora provides a beginner's checklist of the 70 most distinctive and common mushrooms, plus detailed chapters on terminology, classification, habitats, mushroom cookery, mush
The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms book cover6

The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms

National Audubon Society

4.8
With more than 700 mushrooms detailed with color photographs and descriptive text, this is the most comprehensive photographic field guide to the mushrooms of North America. The 762 full-color identification photographs show the mushrooms as they appear in natural habitats. Organized visually, the book groups all mushrooms by color and shape to make identification simple and accurate in the field,
Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World: An Identification Guide book cover7

Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World: An Identification Guide

Paul Stamets

4.7
From the author of GROWING GOURMET AND MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS comes the only identification guide exclusively devoted to the world's psilocybin-containing mushrooms. Detailed descriptions and color photographs for over 100 species are provided, as well as an exploration of their long-standing (and often religious) use by ancient peoples and their continued significance to modern-day culture. Some of
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals book cover8

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

Michael Pollan

4.7
What should we have for dinner? For omnivore's like ourselves, this simple question has always posed a dilemma: When you can eat just about anything nature (or the supermarket) has to offer, deciding what you should eat will inevitably stir anxiety, especially when some of the foods on offer might shorten your life. Today, buffeted by one food fad after another, America is suffering from what can
Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation: Simple to Advanced and Experimental Techniques for Indoor and Outdoor Cultivation book cover9

Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation: Simple to Advanced and Experimental Techniques for Indoor and Outdoor Cultivation

Tradd Cotter

4.5
What would it take to grow mushrooms in space? How can mushroom cultivation help us manage, or at least make use of, invasive species such as kudzu and water hyacinth and thereby reduce dependence on herbicides? Is it possible to develop a low-cost and easy-to-implement mushroom-growing kit that would provide high-quality edible protein and bioremediation in the wake of a natural disaster? How can
10

The Mushroom Cultivator: A Practical Guide to Growing Mushrooms at Home

Paul Stamets and J. S. Chilton

4.5
The book you are about to read is a milestone in the new awareness of mushrooms. The Mushroom Cultivator by Paul Stamets and J.S. Chilton is easily the best source of information on growing mushrooms at home. The authors demystify the art of mushroom cultivation and put mastery of it within everyone's reach. If you have been searching for information on this topic, you will find it to be all that
The Complete Mushroom Hunter, Revised: Illustrated Guide to Foraging, Harvesting, and Enjoying Wild Mushrooms - Including new sections on growing your own incredible edibles and off-season collecting book cover11

The Complete Mushroom Hunter, Revised: Illustrated Guide to Foraging, Harvesting, and Enjoying Wild Mushrooms - Including new sections on growing your own incredible edibles and off-season collecting

Gary Lincoff

4.5
Do you know your mushrooms?

This is the only mushrooming book that will introduce you safely and with confidence to the not-so underground hobby of mushroom hunting and gathering. Gathering edible wild food is a lovely way to forge a connection to the earth. Mushrooms are the ultimate local food source; they grow literally everywhere, from mountains and woodlands to urban and suburban parks to your
Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms book cover12

Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms

Eugenia Bone

4.5
An incredibly versatile cooking ingredient containing an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and possibly
cancer-fighting properties, mushrooms are among the most expensive and sought-after foods on the
planet. Yet when it comes to fungi, culinary uses are only the tip of the iceberg. Throughout history fungus has been prized for its diverse properties—medicinal, ecological, even recreational—and has
sp
Mushrooms book cover13

Mushrooms

DK

4.5
An authoritative field guide to more than 450 species of wild mushrooms from around the world, "Mushrooms" shows the life cycle and features of a mushroom, what supplies are needed for mushroom foraging, and how to take a spore deposit.

A photographic field guide forms the heart of the book, providing information on size, range, and habitat; clear images and illustrations of specimens; and informat
Mushrooming Without Fear: The Beginner's Guide to Collecting Safe and Delicious Mushrooms book cover14

Mushrooming Without Fear: The Beginner's Guide to Collecting Safe and Delicious Mushrooms

Alexander Schwab

4.5
Is it safe or not? What gourmands and nature lovers need to know to harvest your own. Advice, with photographs, from an expert!

Novices eager to collect tasty wild mushrooms will find this unique guide invaluable. Unlike others, it focuses only on those types that are both safe to eat and delicious. Most importantly, it presents the eight rules of mushroom gathering in a straightforward fashion, in
Healing Mushrooms: A Practical and Culinary Guide to Using Mushrooms for Whole Body Health book cover15

Healing Mushrooms: A Practical and Culinary Guide to Using Mushrooms for Whole Body Health

Tero Isokauppila, Four Sigmatic, et al.

4.4
The one and only resource on using adaptogenic mushrooms to boost immunity and promote whole body health the natural way.

Adaptogenic mushrooms are one of today's buzziest superfoods, known for their ability to restore skin's youthful glow, increase energy levels, reduce brain fog, keep your hormone levels in check, and so much more. In Healing Mushrooms, you'll learn about the ten most powerful mu
16

Edible Wild Mushrooms of Illinois and Surrounding States: A Field-to-Kitchen Guide

Joe McFarland

4.3
Lavishly illustrated with nearly three hundred gorgeous full-color photos, this engaging guidebook carefully describes forty different edible species of wild mushrooms found around Illinois and surrounding states, including Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky. With conversational and witty prose, the book provides extensive detail on each edible species, including photographs of poten
The Fungal Pharmacy: The Complete Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms and Lichens of North America book cover17

The Fungal Pharmacy: The Complete Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms and Lichens of North America

Robert Rogers and Solomon P. Wasser

4.3
In The Fungal Pharmacy, noted herbalist Robert Rogers introduces readers to more than 300 species of medicinal mushrooms and lichens found in North America. These fungi, Rogers explains, have the capacity to heal both the body and, through the process of myco-remediation, the planet itself. Throughout the book, he documents their success in optimizing the immune system and treating a wide range of
Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms book cover18

Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms

Greg Marley

4.3
2011 Winner, International Association of Culinary Professionals Jane Grigson Award2011 Finalist, International Association of Culinary Professionals in the Culinary History categoryThroughout history, people have had a complex and confusing relationship with mushrooms. Are fungi food or medicine, beneficial decomposers or deadly "toadstools" ready to kill anyone foolhardy enough to eat them? In f
19

Radical Mycology: A Treatise On Seeing & Working With Fungi

Peter McCoy

4.3
Fungi are found throughout the world, often playing critical roles at the center of all ecological webs. As culturally important foods and medicines, as well as instigators of religious practices, they have been intimately tied to the development and spread of human societies. And yet, despite their numerous influences on the history of the world, fungi are completely disregarded by the majority o
20

The Mushroom Hunters: On the Trail of Secrets, Eccentrics, and the American Dream

Langdon Cook

4.3
In the tradition of Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief, and Mark Kurlansky’s Cod—a renowned culinary adventurer goes into the woods with the iconoclasts and outlaws who seek the world’s most coveted ingredient . . . and one of nature’s last truly wild foods: the uncultivated, uncontrollable mushroom.

Within the dark corners of America’s forests grow culinary tr
21

Fantastic Fungi: How Mushrooms Can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save the Planet

Paul Stamets

4.3
Companion to the film Fantastic Fungi.

Contributions from Michael Pollan, Andrew Weil, Eugenia Bone, and many more experts make Fantastic Fungi an awe-inspiring visual journey through the exotic, little-known realm of fungi and its amazing potential to positively influence our lives.

An all-star team of professional and amateur mycologists, artists, foodies, ecologists, doctors, and explorers joine
22

The Mushroom Fan Club

Elise Gravel

4.3
Join Elise Gravel as she explores the science of some of nature’s weirdest and wildest characters—mushrooms!

Elise Gravel is back with a whimsical look at one of her family’s most beloved pastimes: mushroom hunting! Combining her love of exploring nature with her talent for anthropomorphizing everything, she takes us on a magical tour of the forest floor and examines a handful of her favorite alien
23

The Kingdom of Fungi

Jens H. Petersen

4.3
The essential photographic guide to the world's fungi

The fungi realm has been called the hidden kingdom, a mysterious world populated by microscopic spores, gigantic mushrooms and toadstools, and a host of other multicellular organisms ranging widely in color, size, and shape. The Kingdom of Fungi provides an intimate look at the world's astonishing variety of fungi species, from cup fungi and lic
24

Psilocybin: Magic Mushroom Grower's Guide: A Handbook for Psilocybin Enthusiasts

O. T. Oss, O. N. Oeric, et al.

4.3
In the 1970s two of the most influential thinkers of the psychedelic era gathered what was then known about psilocybin botany and culture and presented it in Psilocybin: Magic Mushroom Grower's Guide. Writing under pseudonyms, the McKenna brothers provided simple, reliable, and productive methods for magic mushroom propagation, including black-and-white photographs that showed the techniques of th
Mushrooms of the Northeast: A Simple Guide to Common Mushrooms book cover25

Mushrooms of the Northeast: A Simple Guide to Common Mushrooms

Teresa Marrone

4.3
Hundreds of full-color photos with easy-to-understand text make this a great visual guide to learning about more than 400 species of common wild mushrooms found in the Northeast. The species (from Morel Mushrooms to Shelf Mushrooms) are organized by shape, then by color, so you can identify them by their visual characteristics. Plus, with the Top Edibles and Top Toxics sections, you'll begin to le
26

Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fungi of Coastal Northern California

Noah Siegel and Christian Schwarz

4.3
A comprehensive and user-friendly field guide for identifying the many mushrooms of the northern California coast, from Monterey County to the Oregon border.

This exhaustive reference helps readers learn to find and identify 750 species of mushrooms common to coastal California. Each entry has a photograph, along with well-researched, up-to-date information on the fungi's description, ecology, and
27

Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest

Steve Trudell, Joe Ammirati

4.2
A must-have guide for mushroom hunters in the Pacific Northwest

Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest is a compact, beautifully illustrated field guide to 460 of the region's most common mushrooms. In addition to profiles on individual species, it also includes a general discussion and definition of fungi, information on where to find mushrooms and guidelines on collecting them, an overview of fungus
Mushrooms of the Midwest book cover28

Mushrooms of the Midwest

Michael Kuo and Andrew S. Methven

4.2
Fusing general interest in mushrooming with serious scholarship, Mushrooms of the Midwest describes and illustrates over five hundred of the region's mushroom species. From the cold conifer bogs of northern Michigan to the steamy oak forests of Missouri, the book offers a broad cross-section of the fungi, edible and not, that can be found growing in the Midwest’s diverse ecosystems.

With hundreds o
True Hallucinations book cover29

True Hallucinations

Terence McKenna

4.2
Like a lovely psychedelic sophist, McKenna recounts his adventures with psychoactive plants in the Amazon Basin. Either a profoundly psychotic episode or a galvanizing glimpse into the true nature of time & mind, McKenna is a spellbinding storyteller, providing plenty of down-to-earth reasons for preserving the planet.
Preface
1 The Call of the Secret
2 Into the Devil's Paradise
3 Along a Ghostly Trai
Mushrooms of the Southeast book cover30

Mushrooms of the Southeast

Todd F. Elliott

4.2
An essential reference for mushroom enthusiasts, hikers, and naturalists

Mushrooms of the Southeast is a compact, beautifully illustrated guide packed with descriptions and photographs of hundreds of the region’s most important mushrooms. In addition to profiles on individual species, the book also includes a general discussion and definition of fungi, information on where to find mushrooms and col
Peterson Field Guide To Mushrooms Of North America, Second Edition: The Classic Illustrated Nature Reference for Safe Foraging book cover31

Peterson Field Guide To Mushrooms Of North America, Second Edition: The Classic Illustrated Nature Reference for Safe Foraging

Karl B. McKnight, Joseph R. Rohrer, Kirsten McKnight Ward, Kent H. McKnight

4.2

A new edition of the classic, bestselling field guide to mushrooms from Peterson Field Guides.Peterson Field Guide To Mushrooms is a portable-sized field guide for mushroom identification―the ultimate, most comprehensive manual for North American mushrooms available.Toadstools, truffles, boletes and morels, witches’ butter, conks, corals, puffballs and earthstars: mushrooms are both mysterious and

Midnight Magic: A Tarot Deck of Mushrooms book cover32

Midnight Magic: A Tarot Deck of Mushrooms

Sara Richard

4.2

Featuring dark, dreamy illustrations of the beautiful fungi of the forest discover your fortune with Midnight Magic, which reflects the themes and archetypes of the traditional Rider Waite.Welcome to a tarot deck of mushrooms, where you’ll find 78 unique tarot card designs based on the mysterious world of mushrooms. Based on the symbolism of the Rider Waite deck, these cards depict traditional tar

Go Forth and Forage: A Guide to Foraging Over 50 of the Most Common Edible & Medicinal North American Mushrooms book cover33

Go Forth and Forage: A Guide to Foraging Over 50 of the Most Common Edible & Medicinal North American Mushrooms

Whitney Johnson

4.2
34

A Peterson Field Guide to Mushrooms: North America

Kent H. McKnight, Vera B. McKnight, et al.

4.2
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.
Scientific American September 2026 book cover35

Scientific American September 2026

Scientific American

4.2

Scientific American covers the most important and exciting research, ideas and knowledge in science, health, technology, the environment and society. It is committed to sharing trustworthy knowledge and enhancing our understanding of the world .

36

The Book of Fungi: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species from Around the World

Shelley E. Evans Peter Roberts

4.2
Colorful, mysterious, and often fantastically shaped, fungi have been a source of wonder and fascination since the earliest hunter-gatherers first foraged for them. Today there are few, if any, places on Earth where fungi have not found themselves a home. And these highly specialized organisms are an indispensable part of the great chain of life. They not only partner in symbiotic relationships wi
37

Mycomedicinals: An Informational Booklet on Medicinal Mushrooms

Paul Stamets

4.2
MycoMedicinals:an Informational Treatise on Mushrooms, Third EditionBy Paul Stamets. Written by a mycologist and mushroom cultivator with more than 30 years of experience in the field, this full-color resource guide describes and documents the health benefits of 17 different species of mushrooms. Newly updated and expanded, MycoMedicinals: an Informational Treatise on Mushrooms includes answers to
Entangled Life: The Illustrated Edition: How Fungi Make Our Worlds book cover38

Entangled Life: The Illustrated Edition: How Fungi Make Our Worlds

Merlin Sheldrake

4.2

Merlin Sheldrake’s New York Times bestseller, Entangled Life, is now a lavish visual journey into the hidden lives of fungi.When we think of fungi, we likely think of mushrooms. But mushrooms are only fruiting bodies, analogous to apples on a tree. Most fungi live out of sight yet make up a massively diverse kingdom of organisms that supports and sustains nearly all living systems. Fungi provide a

39

Appalachian Mushrooms: A Field Guide

Walter E. Sturgeon

4.2
From one of the region’s foremost mushroom hunters—Walter E. Sturgeon—comes a long-overdue field guide to finding and identifying the mushrooms and fleshy fungi found in the Appalachian mountains from Canada to Georgia. Edibility and toxicity, habitat, ecology, and detailed diagnostic features of the disparate forms they take throughout their life cycles are all included, enabling the reader to id
How to Forage for Mushrooms without Dying: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Identifying 29 Wild, Edible Mushrooms book cover40

How to Forage for Mushrooms without Dying: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Identifying 29 Wild, Edible Mushrooms

Frank Hyman

4.2
Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms of New England and Eastern Canada book cover41

Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms of New England and Eastern Canada

David L. Spahr

4.2
This beautifully illustrated guidebook provides specific, easy-to-understand information on finding, collecting, identifying, and preparing the safer and more common edible and medicinal mushroom species of New England and Eastern Canada. Author David Spahr, a trained commercial photographer, here combines his mycological expertise and photographic skill to produce an attractive and detailed overv
The Psilocybin Mushroom Bible: The Definitive Guide to Growing and Using Magic Mushrooms book cover42

The Psilocybin Mushroom Bible: The Definitive Guide to Growing and Using Magic Mushrooms

Dr. K. Mandrake PhD, Virginia Haze

4.2

This second edition of the best-selling The Psilocybin Mushroom Bible is the most comprehensive source of information on the market regarding mushroom cultivation, harvesting, and consumption. This book uses detailed, straightforward language and high-resolution color, step-by-step photos to ensure readers can understand and apply everything they need to know about growing mushrooms. The Psilocybi

Christopher Hobbs's Medicinal Mushrooms: The Essential Guide: Boost Immunity, Improve Memory, Fight Cancer, Stop Infection, a book cover43

Christopher Hobbs's Medicinal Mushrooms: The Essential Guide: Boost Immunity, Improve Memory, Fight Cancer, Stop Infection, a

Christopher Hobbs L.Ac., AHG

4.2
44

The Kingdom Fungi: The Biology of Mushrooms, Molds, and Lichens

Steven L. Stephenson

4.2
The ubiquitous fungi are little known and vastly underappreciated. Yet, without them we wouldn’t have bread, alcohol, cheese, tofu, or the unique flavors of mushrooms, morels, and truffles. We can’t survive without fungi.

The Kingdom Fungi provides a comprehensive look at the biology, structure, and morphological diversity of these necessary organisms. It sheds light on their ecologically importan
45

The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross

John M. Allegro

4.2
s/t: A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East
Professor Allegro (Univ. of Manchester) has hitherto been known for his several excellent books on the Dead Sea Scrolls. In an unusual reversal, he has now produced a book that will make The Passover Plot seem the last refuge of theological ultra-conservatism. The thesis of the book is simple
Psilocybin Mushrooms in Their Natural Habitats: A Guide to the History, Identification, and Use of Psychoactive Fungi book cover46

Psilocybin Mushrooms in Their Natural Habitats: A Guide to the History, Identification, and Use of Psychoactive Fungi

Paul Stamets

4.2

A full-color guide to psilocybin mushrooms—how to forage, identify, grow, and use them—with detailed descriptions, 300 stunning photographs, tips for dosing safely, and more, from a world-renowned mycologist.The past decade has seen an explosion of interest in using psilocybin (aka psychoactive or “magic”) mushrooms for recreational and medicinal purposes.In this comprehensive, full-color referenc

47

Mr. Bloomfield's Orchard: The Mysterious World of Mushrooms, Molds, and Mycologists

Nicholas P. Money

4.1
Stinkhorns, puffballs, the "corpse finder," deadly Galerina, Satan's bolete, birch conks, black mold, the old man of the woods--the world of fungi is infinitely varied and not a little weird. Now, in Mr. Bloomfield's Orchard, Nicholas Money introduces readers to a dazzling array of fungi, from brewer's yeast and Penicillium to the highly lethal death cap. We learn of Madurella, which can erode bon
48

Shroom: Mind-bendingly Good Recipes for Cultivated and Wild Mushrooms

Becky Selengut

4.1
Chef and cooking teacher Becky Selengut's Shroom feeds our enduring passion for foraged and wild foods by exploring 15 types of mushrooms, including detailed how-to's on everything home cooks need to know to create 75 inventive, internationally-flavored mushroom dishes.

The button mushroom better make room on the shelf. We're seeing a growing number of supermarkets displaying types of mushrooms tha
Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada book cover49

Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada

Timothy J. Baroni

4.1
A must-have for mushroom hunters in the northeast

The Northeast is one of the best places to find mushrooms; they are both abundant and spectacularly diverse. Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada is a compact, beautifully illustrated guide packed with descriptions and photographs of more than 500 of the region's most conspicuous, distinctive, and ecologically important mu
Mushrooms of the Rocky Mountain Region book cover50

Mushrooms of the Rocky Mountain Region

Vera Stucky Evenson

4.1
A Must-Have for Mushroom Hunters in the Rockies

In Mushrooms of the Rocky Mountain Region, Vera Evenson describes more than 220 species of the region’s most conspicuous, distinctive, interesting, and ecologically important mushrooms. This comprehensive guide features introductory chapters on the basics of mushroom structure, life cycles, and habitats. Profiles include color photographs, keys, and
51

Treasures from the Kingdom of Fungi: Featuring Photographs of Mushrooms and Other Fungi from Around the World

Taylor F. Lockwood, Taylor F Lockwood

4.1
52

The Essential Guide to Cultivating Mushrooms: Simple and Advanced Techniques for Growing Shiitake, Oyster, Lion's Mane, and Maitake Mushrooms at Home

Stephen Russell

4.1
From the basics of using mushroom kits to working with grain spawn, liquid cultures, and fruiting chambers, Stephen Russell covers everything you need to know to produce mouthwatering shiitakes, oysters, lion’s manes, maitakes, and portobellos. Whether you’re interested in growing them for your own kitchen or to sell at a local market, you’ll soon be harvesting a delicious and abundant crop of mus
53

Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds

George W. Hudler

4.1
Mushrooms magically spew forth from the earth in the hours that follow a summer rain. Fuzzy brown molds mischievously turn forgotten peaches to slime in the kitchen fruit bowl. And in thousands of other ways, members of the kingdom Fungi do their part to make life on Earth the miracle that it is. In this lively book, George Hudler leads us on a tour of an often-overlooked group of organisms, which
The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins book cover54

The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins

Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing

4.1
What a rare mushroom can teach us about sustaining life on a fragile planet

Matsutake is the most valuable mushroom in the world--and a weed that grows in human-disturbed forests across the northern hemisphere. Through its ability to nurture trees, matsutake helps forests to grow in daunting places. It is also an edible delicacy in Japan, where it sometimes commands astronomical prices. In all its
55

The Rebel's Apothecary: A Practical Guide to the Healing Magic of Cannabis, Cbd, and Mushrooms

Jenny Sansouci and Frank Lipman

4.1
Learn how to improve your health and wellness with the healing magic of cannabis, CBD and medicinal mushrooms.

When health coach and wellness blogger Jenny Sansouci learned that her father was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, her extensive knowledge of the latest alternative therapies was put to the test. Jenny dove into the world of cannabis and mushrooms and their medicinal properties -
The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries book cover56

The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries

R. Gordon Wasson

4.1
The secretive Mysteries conducted at Eleusis in Greece for nearly two millennia have long puzzled scholars with strange accounts of initiates experiencing otherworldly journeys. In this groundbreaking work, three experts—a mycologist, a chemist and a historian—argue persuasively that the sacred potion given to participants in the course of the ritual contained a psychoactive entheogen. The authors
Mushrooms of the Northwest: A Simple Guide to Common Mushrooms book cover57

Mushrooms of the Northwest: A Simple Guide to Common Mushrooms

Teresa Marrone

4.1
Get This Great Visual Guide to Mushrooms in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington!

Hundreds of full-color photographs with easy-to-understand text make this a perfect visual guide. Learn about more than 400 species of common wild mushrooms found in the Northwest states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The species (from Morel Mushrooms to Shelf Mushrooms) are organized by shape, then by color, so you can i
58

Psilocybin Mushrooms: The Complete Guide to Cultivation, Safe Use and Effects of Magic Mushrooms

Marteen Baker

4.1
North American Boletes: A Color Guide to the Fleshy Pored Mushrooms book cover59

North American Boletes: A Color Guide to the Fleshy Pored Mushrooms

Alan Bessette, Arleen Bessette, William C. Roody

4.1
North American Boletes is the first comprehensive guide to an extraordinary and highly prized group of mushrooms known for their beautiful colors, distinctive features, relative abundance, and edibility. The scope of this work goes beyond the identification of species. The authors consider the symbiotic relationship that boletes share with higher plants and trees, their geographical distribution,
Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae book cover60

Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae

Jeff Lowenfels

4.1
“Accomplishes what few other books have—helping growers use mycorrhizae to improve the immune systems of plants. This natural union between plants and fungi is the foundation of our food web.” —Paul Stamets, author of Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World

Teaming with Fungi is an important guide to mycorrhizae and the role they play in agriculture, horticulture, and hydroponics. A
61

100 Edible Mushrooms

Michael Kuo

4.1
With a dash of humor and a dollop of science, Michael Kuo selects the top 100 mushrooms best suited for cooking. Like Kuo’s very popular book Morels, 100 Edible Mushrooms is written in the author’s inimitable, engaging, and appealing style, taking the reader on the hunt through forest and kitchen in search of mycological pleasures and culinary delights.

Kuo describes in detail how to identify each
62

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night

Joyce Sidman, Rick Allen

4.1
A 2011 Newbery Honor Book


Come feel the cool and shadowed breeze,
come smell your way among the trees,
come touch rough bark and leathered leaves:
Welcome to the night.

Welcome to the night, where mice stir and furry moths flutter. Where snails spiral into shells as orb spiders circle in silk. Where the roots of oak trees recover and repair from their time in the light. Where the porcupette eats de
63

Decomposing the Shadow: Lessons from the Psilocybin Mushroom

James W. Jesso

4.1
Decomposing The Shadow presents a psychological model for the experience of the magic psilocybin mushroom. It explores what the experience of this psychedelic medicine exposes to us about the nature of mind, emotion, society, psychospiritual maturity, and reality itself. This book is about facing the darkness within each of us, developing the courage of emotional honesty, and investigating how the
Scientific American 20th January 2026 book cover64

Scientific American 20th January 2026

Scientific American

4.1

Scientific American covers the most important and exciting research, ideas and knowledge in science, health, technology, the environment and society. It is committed to sharing trustworthy knowledge and enhancing our understanding of the world .

65

A Field Guide to Mushrooms of the Carolinas

Alan E. Bessette

4.1
Mushrooms in the wild present an enticing challenge: some are delicious, others are deadly, and still others take on almost unbelievable forms. This field guide introduces 650 mushrooms found in the Carolinas--more than 50 of them appearing in a field guide for the first time--using clear language and color photographs to reveal their unique features.

What's included:
Hundreds of full color photog
66

Magic Mushrooms: The Psilocybin Mushroom Bible – A Guide to Cultivation and Safe Use

Hank Bryant and Israel Bouseman

4.1
Scientific American April 2026 book cover67

Scientific American April 2026

Scientific American

4.1

Scientific American covers the most important and exciting research, ideas and knowledge in science, health, technology, the environment and society. It is committed to sharing trustworthy knowledge and enhancing our understanding of the world .

68

Astounding Mushrooms

Alain Bellocq and Jaroslav Maly

4.1
A heartfelt appreciation of the beauty and diversity of fungi.

Astounding Mushrooms features gorgeous full-color photographs of more than 200 mushroom species in their wild habitat. The close-up images reveal every size of growth, every shade of color, every shadow of silhouette, and every detail of texture. Chapter text sheds light on this unique living species, neither animal nor plant. Concise c
Mushrooms: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar North American Species book cover69

Mushrooms: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar North American Species

James Kavanagh

4.1
When foraging for wild mushrooms, it is critical to be able to positively identify edible and poisonous species. Mushrooms is your guide to familiar, widespread North American species. This beautifully illustrated pocket guide highlights over 60 familiar edible species and 14 poisonous species and includes tips on identifying and harvesting wild mushrooms. Laminated for durability, this lightweigh
70

Mushrooms of Northeast North America: Midwest to New England

George Barron

4.1
A full-color photographic field guide to mushrooms and fungi of the northern United States, from the Midwest to New England. Featured in USA Today, this must-have reference has spectacular photos and excellent species information.
71

The Third Mushroom

Jennifer L. Holm

4.1
"a follow-up to The Fourteenth Goldfish"
72

Sacred Mushroom of Visions: Teonanácatl: A Sourcebook on the Psilocybin Mushroom

Ralph Metzner

4.1
Over 30 contributors share their expertise on the chemical, biological, cultural, psychological & experiential dimensions of psilocybin mushrooms. Teonanácatl was the name given to the visionary mushrooms used in ancient Mesoamerican shamanic ceremonies, mushrooms that contain psilocybin, the psychoactive agent identified by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD. The rediscovery of t
73

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

Orson Miller and Hope Miller

4.1
North American Mushrooms is a field guide to more than 600 edible and inedible mushrooms that can be found across the United States and Canada. Filled with full color photographs, detailed identification information, and illustrated keys and glossaries to assist with identification, this book also features mushroom lore and helpful information on gathering and using wild mushrooms.
74

National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes: North America

National Audubon Society

4.1
Covering both freshwater and saltwater species, this fully revised edition brings a new level of accuracy and usefulness to the original fishes field guide published over 20 years ago.

Over 700 new full-color photographs, 286 black-and-white illustrations, and 637 maps combine to make this book the most comprehensive field guide available to the fishes of North America.

•635 species covered in detai
Mushrooming with Confidence: A Guide to Collecting Edible and Tasty Mushrooms book cover75

Mushrooming with Confidence: A Guide to Collecting Edible and Tasty Mushrooms

Alexander Schwab

4.1
Picking mushrooms in the woods on a sunny day can be fun for the whole family . . . but only if you do it safely! Here mushrooms are divided into four identification categories so anyone can recognize what he or she is looking—and forage without worry!

There are thousands of different species of fungi, so it can be hard to tell which are edible and which are poisonous when you are picking them for
76

The Great Encyclopedia of Mushrooms

Jean-Louis Lamaison, Jean Marie Polese

4.0
77

Mushroom Magick: A Visionary Field Guide

Gary Lincoff, Arik Moonhawk Roper, Erik Davis, Daniel Pinchbeck

4.0
For centuries hallucinogenic mushrooms have participated in a sublime relationship with humankind, thanks to their psychoactive chemicals that shift and modify the human mind. Arik Roper's exquisite painted portraits of magic mushrooms illustrate more than 90 of the known hallucinogenic species from around the world. He captures their powerful auras, adding to a tradition of Mushroom art that stre
The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants book cover78

The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants

Department of the Army

4.0
Anyone who has spent serious time outdoors knows that in survival situations, wild plants are often the only sustenance available. The proper identification of these plants can mean the difference between survival and death. This book describes habitat and distribution, physical characteristics, and edible parts of wild plants—the key elements of identification. Hugely important to the book are it
79

The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America

Don Lattin

4.0
“[Don Lattin] has created a stimulating and thoroughly engrossing read.” —Dennis McNally, author of A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead, and Desolate Angel: Jack Kerouac, the Beat Generation, and America

It is impossible to overstate the cultural significance of the four men described in Don Lattin’s The Harvard Psychedelic Club. Huston Smith, tirelessly working to promote
80

Mycorrhizal Planet: How Symbiotic Fungi Work with Roots to Support Plant Health and Build Soil Fertility

Michael Phillips

4.0
Regenerative practices for the farm, garden, orchard, forest, and landscape

Mycorrhizal fungi have been waiting a long time for people to recognize just how important they are to the making of dynamic soils. These microscopic organisms partner with the root systems of approximately 95 percent of the plants on Earth, and they sequester carbon in much more meaningful ways than human "carbon offsets"
81

Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America

Roger Phillips

4.0
The ultimate illustrated handbook on mushrooms.

More than 1,000 handsome color photographs by Roger Phillips illustrate this comprehensive guide to mushrooms and other fungi of North America, in all their astonishing variety.

Amateur collectors, expert mycologists and armchair naturalists will welcome the reissue of this valuable reference.

Each photograph has a neutral background to eliminate distra
82

The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts: Finding, Identifying, and Cooking

Katie Letcher Lyle

4.0
Edible wild plants, mushrooms, fruits, and nuts grow along roadsides, amid country fields, and in urban parks. All manner of leafy greens, mushrooms, and herbs that command hefty prices at the market are bountiful outdoors and free for the taking. But to enjoy them, one must know when to harvest and how to recognize, prepare, and eat them. The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruit
83

Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, the Natural History of Where We Live

Rob Dunn

4.0
Discover the "fascinating" and surprising science of the creepers, crawlers, wrigglers, and runners that live in our homes (The Washington Post) -- and learn why they're essential to our everyday lives.


However domesticated our houses appear, they are wild beyond imagination. Look down in the basement, up in the attic, under the floorboards, and even in the showerhead, and you'll find life everywhe
84

Healing Mushrooms: Effective Treatments for Today's Illnesses

Georges M. Halpern

4.0
This easy-to-use guide begins by describing how ancient cultures utilized mushrooms to combat disease. It then explains how modern science has refocused its attention on the healing properties of mushrooms and, along the way, discovered wonderful new properties. Included are chapters that examine the folklore, health benefits, and culinary uses of mushrooms, including detailed instructions for buy
85

Macrofungi Associated with Oaks of Eastern North America

Denise Binion, Steve Stephenson, William Roody, Harold H. Burdsall, Orson K. Miller, Larissa Vasilyeva

4.0
Macrofungi Associated with Oaks of Eastern North America, which was written as a companion to Field Guide to Oak Species of Eastern North America, represents the first major publication devoted exclusively to the macrofungi that occur in association with oak trees in the forests of eastern North America. The macrofungi covered in this volume include many of the more common examples of the three gr
Plants and Fungi: The Definitive Visual Encyclopedia (DK Definitive Visual Encyclopedias) book cover86

Plants and Fungi: The Definitive Visual Encyclopedia (DK Definitive Visual Encyclopedias)

DK

4.0
87

Foraging New England: Edible Wild Food and Medicinal Plants from Maine to the Adirondacks to Long Island Sound

Tom Seymour

4.0
From beach peas to serviceberries, hen of the woods to Indian cucumber, ostrich ferns to sea rocket, Foraging New England guides the reader to the edible wild foods and healthful herbs of the Northeast. Helpfully organized by environmental zone, the book is an authoritative guide for nature lovers, outdoorsmen, and gastronomes.
Fungi: Discover the Science and Secrets Behind the World of Mushrooms book cover88

Fungi: Discover the Science and Secrets Behind the World of Mushrooms

Lynne Boddy and Ali Ashby

4.0
89

The Pocket Guide To Mushrooms

Jean-Marie Polese

4.0
90

Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic

Bill Russell

4.0
To most Americans, mushrooms are the brown lumps in the soup one uses to make a tuna casserole, but to a select few, mushrooms are the abundant yet often well-hidden delicacies of the forests. In spite of their rather dismal reputation, most wild mushrooms are both edible and delicious, when prepared properly. From the morel to the chanterelle and the prolific and aptly named chicken of the woods,
91

Medicinal Mushrooms: An Exploration of Tradition, Healing, & Culture

Christopher Hobbs L.AC.

4.0
Medicinal Mushrooms is a modern handbook for exploring and understanding the rich traditions of healing fungi in Eastern and Western cultures. Author Christopher Hobbs thoroughly documents and details the nutritional and health benefits of over 100 species of edible fungi. Here is the most complete work on the cultural, health-promoting, and medicinal uses of mushrooms ever published!
92

Shroom: A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom

Andy Letcher

4.0
Is Santa Claus really a magic mushroom in disguise? Was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland a thinly veiled psychedelic mushroom odyssey? Did mushroom tea kick-start ancient Greek philosophy?

Much stranger than the fictions it has inspired, the world of the magic mushroom is a place where shamans and hippies rub shoulders with psychiatrists, poets and international bankers. The magic mushroom was redi
93

Texas Mushrooms: A Field Guide

Susan Metzler, Van Metzler

4.0
Mushrooms in Texas? Yes, it's true. One of the best-kept secrets in the Lone Star state is that mushrooms can be found in almost every region. Thousands of species of mushrooms flourish in Texas from the desert and semiarid regions of West Texas to the moist and acid soils of East Texas, where species that can also be found in South America live alongside those that might be spotted in Malaysia an
The Scout's Guide to Wild Edibles: Learn How to Forage, Prepare & Eat 40 Wild Foods book cover94

The Scout's Guide to Wild Edibles: Learn How to Forage, Prepare & Eat 40 Wild Foods

Mike Krebill

4.0
Ever seen a tasty-looking plant or mushroom in a yard or forest but weren't sure if it would taste good...or even be edible? In The Scout's Guide to Wild Edibles, renowned forager Mike Krebill profiles 40 widely-found edible wild plants and mushrooms of North America, in a guide small enough to fit right in a pocket. The author offers clear color photos and positive-ID tips for each plant, along w
95

The Practical Mushroom Encyclopedia Identifying, Picking and cooking with Mushrooms

Peter Jordan

4.0
96

Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada

George Barron

4.0
97

Mushrooms of Colorado and the Southern Rocky Mountains

Vera S. Evenson

4.0
98

The Rainbow Beneath My Feet: A Mushroom Dyer's Field Guide

Arleen Bessette

4.0
Arleen Rainis Bessette and Alan E. BessetteA unique and useful reference guide to some of the more common and best color-producing dye mushrooms of North America.
99

100 Cool Mushrooms

Michael Kuo, Andy Methven

4.0
All mushrooms are cool, but the ones discussed in 100 Cool Mushrooms are especially cool. Authors Michael Kuo and Andy Methven cover a broad spectrum of notable North American mushrooms: from common fungi that are widely distributed and frequently found, to rare mushrooms that are not found in field guides; from the beautiful to the ugly (and even disgusting).

Each is described and shown, including
Scientific American July/August 2026 book cover100

Scientific American July/August 2026

Scientific American

4.0

Scientific American covers the most important and exciting research, ideas and knowledge in science, health, technology, the environment and society. It is committed to sharing trustworthy knowledge and enhancing our understanding of the world .