Our Top 10 Mushroom Book Recommendations: The Best Reads for Foraging, Cultivation, and Mushroom Enthusiasts

We’re pretty rabid for books over here. I was raised with the belief that if you can read it, you can do it—a mindset that has allowed me to dive deep into topics that fascinate me and develop skills I otherwise wouldn’t have had access to.

The Power of Reading

I’m always evaluating my own weaknesses and seeking out the best resources to grow in those areas. That usually means devouring every book I can find, tuning into podcasts, webinars, and YouTube videos, dropping in on lectures, and reaching out to friends and subject matter experts. This drive has been instrumental in building The Mushroom Conservatory to where it is today at what feels like a surreal pace.

When I started the Conservatory, I had a deep love for mushrooms, a lot of knowledge in the field, and some foundational entrepreneurial skills from previous ventures. But I had no clue how many new skills I’d need to make this ship sail at the level it’s meant to. So over the last few years, as we’ve grown, I’ve been on a relentless journey to strengthen existing abilities and develop new ones—whether it’s learning how to wholesale products to retail stores, planning events, managing a team, engaging with the public, handling PR, or writing curriculum that really hooks students.

If you have an amazing vision, and the only thing holding you back is missing a few skills, let this be your push to start learning. Grab some books. They don’t even need to be directly related to your field—sometimes the best insights come from seemingly unrelated disciplines. The more perspectives you collect, the better equipped you’ll be to tackle challenges creatively.

For instance, when we started wholesaling our mushroom kits in spring 2022, I had zero experience in wholesale, and there aren’t many books on the subject. I stumbled across Getting Your Specialty Food Product Onto Store Shelves: The Ultimate Wholesale How-To Guide For Artisan Food Companies by Jennifer Lewis. At first, I didn’t think it would be particularly relevant, but it ended up being one of the most valuable books I read that year. It gave me a strong foundation, and by April 2022, we were wholesaling. By fall, we were in 34 stores. By January 2023, we hit 100. Now we’re in nearly 350 retail stores. Jennifer’s book was pivotal in helping me gain traction so quickly. And that’s just one example. Over and over, books I’ve picked up on a whim have turned out to be treasured pieces of my toolkit.

ANYWAY, I know you’re here for some good mushroom book recommendations, so let’s get to it. That’s why I’m so passionate about reading—and why I love hosting mushroom growing events at libraries. We’ve had some fantastic events at Michigan libraries this fall, and I’ll be kicking off The Mushroom Renaissance Hands-On Tour at the Royal Oak Public Library tomorrow evening, 11/12/24. If you’re in the area, come join us!

My Top 10 Mushroom Book Recommendations

I’m always excited when a new book about mushrooms hits the shelves. I try to keep at least one mushroom book I haven’t read in the queue at all times. There are some absolute gems out there, but also some wildly inaccurate ones. When it comes to foraging, accuracy is crucial—you must be 100% sure before consuming any wild mushrooms. Always consult multiple sources, and if you’re new to foraging, lean on a local expert or one of the great mushroom ID groups on Facebook. We don’t do identification services, but we’d love to see what you’ve found—send us photos of your foraging discoveries here!

1. Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
   Author: Merlin Sheldrake
   Explore the hidden networks of fungi and their impact on the natural world. This is a beautifully written dive into the beauty of Kingdom Fungi that will leave you inspired and ready to explore all of the amazing things that are yet to be discovered in the wonderful world of mushrooms.
2. Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World
   Author: Paul Stamets
   A detailed guide on the ecological role of mushrooms and how they can be used for ecological restoration. This is a great book if you’re trying to understand how much of an impact mushrooms can make on the planet.
3. The National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mushrooms
   Author: Gary Lincoff
   A comprehensive field guide to North American mushrooms, perfect for foragers. Beautifully photographed specimens of commonly found mushrooms, this is a great reference guide.
4. Mushrooms of the Upper Midwest: A Simple Guide to Common Mushrooms
   Authors: Teresa Marrone & Kathy Yerich
   If you’re curious about foraging, this is an easy-to-use guide for identifying mushrooms in the Upper Midwest region. As always, use caution when eating foraged foods and make certain that you have a 100% accurate identification before you consume it.
5. The Fungal Pharmacy: The Complete Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms & Lichens of North America
   Author: Robert Rogers
   A deep dive into the medicinal properties of fungi and lichens. This is our all time favorite book for discovering the amazing potential that they have for wellness, it covers a lot of common illnesses and detailed potential solutions and it’s a fascinating read.
6. In Search of Mycotopia: Citizen Science, Fungi Fanatics, and the Untapped Potential of Mushrooms
   Author: Doug Bierend
   An exploration of the mycology community and the diverse world of fungi, an inspiring guide for Citizen Scientists.
7. Koji Alchemy: Rediscovering the Magic of Mold-Based Fermentation
   Authors: Jeremy Umansky & Rich Shih
   Koji is technically not a mushroom, but a gourmet fermented fungus – This is a fascinating look at the mycelium-based culinary art of koji fermentation.
8. Humongous Fungus: Underground & All Around
   Author: Lynne Boddy
   An engaging look at the strange and giant world of fungi, ideal for both curious beginners and seasoned mycologists. (We love this one for families with kids, but plenty of grown ups have enjoyed reading it on their own!)

9. Radical Mycology: A Treatise on Seeing & Working with Fungi
   Author: Peter McCoy
   A comprehensive guide to integrating fungi into daily life, covering everything from cultivation to remediation.
10. Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation: Simple to Advanced and Experimental Techniques for Indoor and Outdoor Cultivation
    Author: Tradd Cotter
    An in-depth manual for both beginner and advanced mushroom cultivators.  This book covers a huge range of detailed techniques.
11. Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms
    Author: Paul Stamets
    A classic text on mushroom cultivation for food and medicine. This has a ton of really great reference details on so many species of mushrooms and gives recommended temperature and humidity guidelines and notes on different nuances of growing different kinds. Very handy.
12. The Mushroom Cultivator: A Practical Guide to Growing Mushrooms at Home
    Authors: Paul Stamets & J.S. Chilton
    A beginner-friendly guide to mushroom cultivation techniques for home growers, lots of useful notes, tips & techniques.