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Reviews tagging 'Drug use'
Mushrooming: An Illustrated Guide to the Fantastic, Delicious, Deadly, and Strange World of Fungi by Diane Borsato
1 review
lastblossom's review
funny
informative
fast-paced
Thanks to NetGalley and The Experiment for an advance copy.
tl;dr
Great illustrations and a lot of personal touches make this a compelling read. Should not be considered a field guide.
Thoughts
This is not a field guide. The opening paragraphs make this clear, but I feel like I should also open with this, because on the surface it looks like a field guide. There are detailed illustrations, scientific names, and descriptions of several fungi (along with other non-fungus things of interest). But this book reads more like a foraging journal than a field guide. The author includes stories of personal experiences and anecdotes shared by other mycology enthusiasts. Several scattered sections step out of the guidebook format to discuss things like organizing a mushroom hunt in the international district, mushroom events, and cultural relevance. It's a much more personal read than I expected, akin to listening to an enthusiast share their thoughts over coffee. This is not the kind of book you'd take out with you while foraging, but it's definitely the kind you'd read on a comfortable afternoon just for fun. The illustrations are absolutely stunning in their color and detail, and might be worth the price of admission alone. Would make a great read for any mushroom fan.
tl;dr
Great illustrations and a lot of personal touches make this a compelling read. Should not be considered a field guide.
Thoughts
This is not a field guide. The opening paragraphs make this clear, but I feel like I should also open with this, because on the surface it looks like a field guide. There are detailed illustrations, scientific names, and descriptions of several fungi (along with other non-fungus things of interest). But this book reads more like a foraging journal than a field guide. The author includes stories of personal experiences and anecdotes shared by other mycology enthusiasts. Several scattered sections step out of the guidebook format to discuss things like organizing a mushroom hunt in the international district, mushroom events, and cultural relevance. It's a much more personal read than I expected, akin to listening to an enthusiast share their thoughts over coffee. This is not the kind of book you'd take out with you while foraging, but it's definitely the kind you'd read on a comfortable afternoon just for fun. The illustrations are absolutely stunning in their color and detail, and might be worth the price of admission alone. Would make a great read for any mushroom fan.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use
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