Wets your appetite

A review of a book with the self-explanatory title "Fungi of Northern Europe, Vol 1: Larger Fungi (Excluding Gill-Fungi)" by Bo Mossberg, Sven Nilsson and Olle Persson. 

This is the first of two volumes of a field guide to the large fungi of Northern Europe. This volume covers all groups of "mushrooms" except the gill-mushrooms. It's most notable for its excellent colour plates, which make an almost three-dimensional impression (at least to me!). Bo Mossberg should be commended for his work on the illustrations and the book could be purchased as a small work of art, if for no other reason. Otherwise, it's a good rule not to use old books about mushrooms since our scientific knowledge of their toxicity might change. The Swedish edition of this book considers the false morel (Gyromitra esculenta) edible after 10 minutes of cooking or after drying, but later the Swedish authorities reclassified this species as too unsafe and not recommended for human consumption... Oops. That being said, this book and its companion volume are good introductions to mushrooms and might wet your appetite for more, both figuratively and otherwise...