“All That the Rain Promises and More…” by David Arora, is a great book for learning the identification of mushrooms.

If I could only buy one book to learn the world of  mushrooms, this would be it. This book is a companion to the  book ” Mushrooms Demystified”, which is known as the bible of mushroom guides, and is also written by David Arora. Since it is pocket size, it easy to carry, and the cast of mushrooms has been narrowed to a manageable size. Mushroom books can be overwhelming, especially for beginners. David has included a well rounded, common grouping here to learn.

The book has a “quick key” on the inside covers front and back, and is an efficient way to get in the right family. It then starts out with instructions on how to use the book. A general but thorough discussion on types of mushrooms, and the when and where of finding them is included.

The book is divided into general types and families. The descriptions of  each individual mushroom is complete and easy to read. Color pictures are included with each description,  and are of high quality. Almost all of the pictures are from the field, giving a good idea of what they look like in nature.

The book also includes stories about different people, and their most memorable mushrooms hunts. There is also a few mushroom type stories and anecdotes. They lighten the book up and give it a very personal touch and feel. David also lets us know again, that mushrooms are not dangerous and should be taught to children, and loved ones.

Where there is not room to cover a mushroom or one of it’s relatives, The book notes a page in “Mushrooms Demystified” for further investigation.  “All That the Rain Promises and More” was one of my first mushroom identification books, and it didn’t take me long to buy “Mushrooms Demystified”(we will cover it on another day). The two work well together for identification in the field and then further investigation at home or camp.

You can find this book at your local book store, as well as on-line. Vargo’s, here in Bozeman, carries a good selection of mushroom books, and I check on it regularly!