Praise for In the Company of Mushrooms
"Elio Schaechter's In the Company of Mushrooms is a delight from start to finish, a truly splendid account of an obsession. It's everything about mushrooms: their extraordinary biology, history, appearance, flavours, folklore, cuisine, gathering and more. A passionate work, admits Schaechter. Laced with stories and arcane knowledge (did you know that truffle-hunting pigs are all sows, chasing a sex hormone the fungus secretes?), this is a dream of a book.""Elio Schaechter has written an entertaining account of the arcane world of hunting and identifying wild mushrooms...Schaechter several times disclaims his book as a guide, and he is quite right. This book is not a guide to collecting mushrooms; rather, it is a guide to thinking about them."
"[A] funny and fascinating book."
"[A] charming memoir...[In the Company of Mushrooms] is 'science writing' (usually an oxymoron) at its very best."
"Elio Schaechter's In the Company of Mushrooms is likely to stoke the ardor of mushroom lovers; it's certainly bound to increase their knowledge of this most intriguing plant."
"`Crimini!' I exclaimed, halfway through this charming story of one man's love affair with mushrooms. `Fungi aren't quite as yucky as I thought.'...[A]long with a wealth of lore about the natural history of fungi and the social history of the people who hunt them, Schaechter provides a lengthy list of clubs in the United States and Canada where amateurs can learn mycogastronomy firsthand. In short, here's a book where you're sure to find a good story with an uplifting morel."
"An enthusiastic journey through mushroom lore and science."
"A wonderful book by an amateur in the best meaning of the word. Schaechter makes a convincing case for E.O. Wilson's biophilia hypothesis--the suggestion of an inborn affinity human beings have for other forms of life. This book is not a field guide on how to distinguish edible from poisonous mushrooms; it is filled with stories about fungi and the people who study them (as he reminds us, story and history derive from the Greek work for 'learning by inquiry')."
"[An] engaging book."
"[Schaechter] covers the whole mushroom: biology and life history, common wild and cultivated species, clubs and collecting, eating, and hallucinogenic and poisonous mushrooms. The author enthusiastically entertains and informs the reader with his worldwide experiences as a mushroom gatherer and gourmet and as a consultant to the Boston Poison Center...Not a detailed field guide, cookbook, or textbook, this work is an excellent choice for the curious but perhaps biology-deficient reader who would like to know a little more about mushrooms."
"Full of curiosity, taste, and surprise, these ebullient forays into the nature of mushrooms are more than warm and appreciative. They are an invitation to--nay, immediate membership in--the grand fellowship and company of mushroom hunters."
"This is a delightful book, written with enthusiasm, passion and humour. Elio Schaechter, a microbiologist by profession is also a naturalist whose ability to tell a tale and at the same time impart scientific information through his anecdotal style of writing is very refreshing. This book (the text of which is interspersed with line drawings and which includes some striking colour photographs at its centre) would make an excellent gift (or personal purchase) for any naturalist, but will be of particular interest to the amateur collector of fungi as well as the professional mycologist. A gem of a book, representing excellent value for money."
"Which mushroom can be used to polish silver? Why did the USDA place a temporary ban on shiitakes? Just how do fungi handle sex with not just two but thousands of genders? In the Company of Mushrooms tells all. And Elio Schaechter is himself the best of company--witty, graceful, and possessed by wonder."
"An intelligent and delightful tour of the mushroom world. It serves as an excellent introduction to the mushroom microcosm, yet contains enough novel and insightful material to appeal to even the most jaded mushroom hunter or mycologist. I recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in nature."
"Schaechter succeeds admirably in making the fungi understandable for someone not versed in biology or genetics. Very pleasant reading."
"This book is a delightful foray into the world of fungi. Schaechter, a microbiologist, takes us on a tour of the world of mushrooms and mushroomers, serving up his insights, firsthand experience, and scientific expertise with a healthy dose of good humor. He leads us through field and forest, book shops and laboratories, demonstrating how mushrooms and mushrooming became his own hobby and passion. In the Company of Mushrooms is a book both for experienced mushroomers and for beginners--for those who have a hobby and those who are searching for one."
