Fungipedia: A Brief Compendium of Mushroom Lore (Pedia Books)

Reading ‘Fungipedia’ is like looking through a mycological kaleidoscope, where each turn of the page reveals fresh facets of intriguing fungal insight. Lawrence Millman distills his encyclopedic knowledge in this gem of a book, making connections between the local mushrooms on your lawn to some of the most bizarre fungi the earth has seen.This is pure delight for mycophiles, an instant classic that blends scientific knowledge, ethnography, surprising facts and figures, with doses of earthy humor throughout. An ideal bathroom reading companion for those five minutes when you find yourself sitting down, you’ll peruse a few more ‘letter chapters’ of ‘Fungipedia’ and suddenly be off on unexpected pathways of exploration.Imaginative masterpieces create new ideas by representing reality in unexpected ways, and this little purple book with its cover graced by a bright red fly agaric, is one of these. Already I look forward to periodic returns to the various entries as I move along my mycological journey and see deeper meanings in this condensed compendium.

I just started reading this book and I’m amazed of the strangeness of the fungi that this book presents and I’m enjoying it. I usually read non-fiction physics and astronomy books, and although these two topics bring surprises and are weirder than fiction itself, like electrons being in different places at the same time (Superposition) and a photon of light literally taking from thousands of years to one million years to exit the center of the Sun, I thought I was already got used to the weirdness of science; but not surprised at the same time since this is what nature brings us.Just like Richard Feynman once said “I think nature’s imagination is so much greater than man’s. She’s never going to let us relax.”

This book is not only wonderfully fascinating but laugh-out-loud funny. Driest sense of humor I've ever had the pleasure of reading. LOVE this book. It's written in an encyclopedic style but with a 'short-story' bent. If you have any interest or curiosity in mushrooms and fungi, this is a must have for your home. Cool looking book with great and fun information inside.

I thot dis was coloring buk. They don let me haves no pens r pencils in here. Pitchers tastested gud tho.

Perfect for a reader with a short attention span or limited time to get into book.

This small book that will almost fit in a back pocket of a pair of pants, is more than the hoped for “basic window on fungi” that Millman seeks to provide. It succeeds in ushering the reader into the world of wonder that such living things offer, but it does so with wry whit and deep knowledge very few books on living entities convey. Millman is a master at compiling scientific observations, historical events and biographical information about specific components of the fungal world into micro-stories that will inspire a small smile and a new perspective on the natural world. In its own, unique way, it is the long-needed fungal-focused tome to complement Henry Beston’s Herbs and the Earth (1935). Take Millman’s volume with you the next time you venture into the unpaved world and when the time to take a rest arrives, open to some random page and read a few entries. Then look around – it will be a newer, richer world than it was moments before.

I bought my copy of Fungipedia at a "fascinating fungi" walk led by the author. Even though the book is set up alphabetically by topic, like an encyclopedia, I read it cover-to-cover over a couple of weeks - a few pages each evening to relax at the end of the day. It's full of good information, some already familiar to me, and some new to me. The organization gave the reading a bit of a pick-up-sticks feel to it, but that was pleasant enough and not a problem for me. I don't think it would be a problem for any reader who already has an interest in the subject matter. Thanks for the good information and enjoyable reading!

Lawrence Millman's Fungipedia is amusing and concise, especially appropriate for persons who lack the time or background to tackle a full-length mycology textbook. The alphabetic entries can be examined in any order, and include many critical concepts. There are some slips, such as a possible implication that downy mildews are usually considered ascomycetes (page 104), but I found nothing that seriously detracts from this compact and delightful little reference that manages to cover fungi from A to Z. Highly recommended.

I liked the book, it was a fun read. The entries are a little short, and some could use more information to be detailed. I think this a good intro book to a lot of different aspects of mycology. The cover is nice as its purple with the amanita.