If you're ready to venture into the captivating world of fungi we have some books for you! Whether you're drawn to culinary mushrooms, understanding mushroom species, or exploring medicinal mushrooms' cognitive enhancement, this list will get you started on the right foot.

We've spent time collecting and selecting the best of the best, hitting on all the key areas of mycology (that's the study of fungi!) with this list: taxonomy, chemistry, history & culture, cultivation, and even cuisine. Each one offers unique perspectives and practical wisdom.

1. Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora

If there's a "Bible of mushroom guides," this one is it. First published in 1979, 'Mushrooms Demystified' is considered the gold standard even today. It covers over 2,000 mushroom species with detailed descriptions and over a whopping 950 photographs. This book is both full of detail and personality.

The book even includes a beginner's checklist for 70 of the most common mushrooms to help you start your journey without overwhelming yourself. There are even chapters on Latin and Greek scientific names, culinary mushrooms, toxins, habitats, and classification.

It's great for anyone serious about mushroom identification, foragers seeking a comprehensive reference, and readers who appreciate engaging prose alongside science.

2. The Fifth Kingdom by Bryce Kendrick

The 'Fifth Kingdom' is an indispensable resource for any beginner who wants to go from simple identification to understanding fungi on a deeper level. The 'Fifth Kingdom' is a textbook that allows the readers to dive deep into Mycology. At many of the top universities of the world this book is the academic foundation for classes in Mycology. You can always go deeper, but this is the jumping off point into the real science of fungi. ​

The 'Fifth Kingdom' was written by world-renowned mycologist Byrce Kendrick.

It starts with the basics: how fungi differ from plants and animals, the distinction between true fungi and pseudofungi, and the modern classification system. Later on it even goes into kingdoms, nomenclature, biodiversity, reproduction, evolutionary pathways, and more.

If you want to build a genuine scientific literacy in Mycology this is the book for you.

3. Mushrooms Poisons and Panaceas by Denis R. Benjamin

This book is absolutely critical for anyone planning to forage, cook, or consume wild mushrooms. The book was authored by Denis Benjamin, a medical expert who blends scientific rigor with engaging storytelling. 'Mushrooms Poisons and Panaceas' covers the full spectrum of mushroom-human interactions, ranging from the delicious to the deadly.

The book opens with fascinating history and cultural attitudes toward mushrooms across civilizations, then systematically covers edible species with nutritional information, medicinal mushrooms with documented health benefits, and a comprehensive section on poisonous species with detailed toxin descriptions. Crucially, Benjamin includes full color photographic inserts for identification during medical emergencies, chapters on diagnosis and treatment of mushroom poisoning, and practical guidelines for foragers.

Whether you're interested in culinary mushrooms, medicinal applications, or simply want to stay safe while foraging, this book provides authoritative, accessible information that could literally save your life. If you want safety and scientific accuracy when foraging, this book is for you!

4. Shroom: A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom by Andy Letcher

Andy Letcher's 'Shroom' stands out because it systematically deconstructs popular misconceptions about psychedelic mushrooms while revealing a far more interesting true history. Letcher uses his background studying theology to bring a unique interdisciplinary perspective to the history of magic mushrooms, examining how magic mushrooms actually became significant in Western culture.

Letcher provides a through examination of narratives around the historical use of mushrooms and presents a new narrative of the development of magic mushroom use in Western culture. The real story centers on the 1950s when ethnobotanist Gordon Wasson traveled to Mexico, encountered indigenous shamanic mushroom use and then published his groundbreaking 1957 Life magazine article. This historical perspective is crucial for understanding not what mushrooms are, but what they mean to contemporary culture.

The book handles the sensitive subject of psilocybin with intellectual rigor, contextualizing modern psychedelic research, including promising clinical applications for depression and PTSD, within proper historical perspective.

This book is fantastic for anyone interested in the cultural history of mushrooms and psilocybin in Western culture.

5. Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms by Eugenia Bone

Eugenia Bone is an accomplished food writer who became president of the New York Mycological Society. She brings her unique perspective as someone who entered mycology through a passion for eating mushrooms to her book 'Mycophilia' which explores fungi as exotic delicacy, medicinal cure, poison, and hallucinogen. It asks: what makes mushrooms matter to humans?

The book begins with mushroom forays and festivals, capturing the community aspect of mushrooming. It then weaves through scientific chapters on fungal biology and mutualism, explores the lucrative and complex world of truffle cultivation, examines ethnomycology and indigenous mushroom use, and questions common medicinal mushroom claims with a healthy skepticism.

What makes this book special is its recognition that understanding fungi matters not just scientifically but culturally. Food, tradition, community, and personal passion all play roles in human relationships with mushrooms.

6. A Mushroom Word Guide: Etymology, Pronunciation, and Meanings of Over 1,500 Words by Robert Hallock

One of the biggest barriers to learning mycology is the bewildering array of scientific terminology. Greek and Latin names of mushrooms, genus names, and specialized vocabulary can make beginner friendly books feel impenetrable. Hallock's 'Mushroom Word Guide' addresses this directly by defining over 1,500 mushroom related words and word elements.

Each entry includes the etymology, pronunciation guide, and meanings, with a specific mushroom species that demonstrates how each word element is used. Rather than reading like a dry dictionary, it becomes an interactive guide to understanding how mushroom names encode information about appearance, habitat, and characteristics. Once you understand the words that mycology relies on, suddenly scientific names become decipherable and helpful to you.

While this isn't a book to read cover to cover initially, having it as a reference transforms the experience of using field guides and mycology texts.

7. Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake

Merlin Sheldrake's 'Entangled Life' stands as a masterpiece of science writing that fundamentally shifts how you perceive the fungal kingdom. Rather than treating fungi as separate subjects of study, Sheldrake examines fungi as organisms with their own logic, intelligence, and ways of being.

The book's central revelation is the mycelial network, the "Wood Wide Web." The Wood Wide Webs are vast underground fungal networks connecting trees and plants across miles. Sheldrake describes research showing that about 90% of plants depend on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrient exchange, and that these relationships have existed for 400 million years. He explores how fungi break down complex problems and connects this to consciousness and intelligence in non-animal life.

The book also covers psychedelic mushrooms with sophisticated neuroscience, examining psilocybin's effects on depression, anxiety, and addiction with respect to both traditional and cutting-edge research. Sheldrake's writing style blends rigorous science with philosophy and personal reflection, making dense material genuinely engaging. This book can really shift your perspective.

8. Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World by Paul Stamets

Paul Stamets is perhaps the world's most famous mycologist for a reason. In 'Mycelium Running' he articulates a visionary thesis: growing mushrooms could be among the most important things humans do for environmental restoration.

The book introduces "mycorestoration," which Stamets breaks into four components: mycoremediation (using fungal mycelium to decompose toxic waste), mycofiltration (using fungi to clean water and reduce pathogens from agricultural runoff), mycopesticides (using entomopathogenic fungi to control insect pests without chemical toxins), and mycoforestry (using mushrooms to enhance forest and garden health).

Stamets provides specific examples: certain fungi can break down petroleum products, others can neutralize agricultural chemicals, and cultivated mushrooms grown alongside vegetables can increase yields by 4-6 times. The book includes practical guidance on inoculation methods, log and stump culture, species selection for different environments, and how mushroom cultivation can be reimagined as ecological healing.

9. Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms by Paul Stamets

Another classic by Paul Stamets is 'Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms' which is key reading for any would-be mushroom grower.

The book includes precise growth parameters for 31 mushroom species, covering everything from basic oyster mushrooms to more exotic varieties like shiitake, reishi, and lion's mane. Chapters address substrate formulation, inoculation methods, liquid culture techniques, various growing systems, casing strategies, and comprehensive troubleshooting guides. Stamets combines traditional knowledge from centuries of mushroom cultivation with modern scientific understanding and his own innovations.

The book can work for home or commercial growers since many techniques can be scaled down for hobby use or expanded for commercial operations. Additionally, Stamets provides recipes and discusses the nutritional and medicinal properties of cultivated species.

10. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms

The National Audubon Society is synonymous with quality nature guides and this is no different. In this field guide they provide one of the most practical resources for North American mushroom identification. This extensively illustrated guide features 700+ mushrooms photographed in natural habitats and organized by color and shape for intuitive visual identification.

Each species entry includes physical descriptions, edibility information, season, habitat, range, look-alikes, spore print characteristics, and folklore. The most recent edition, updated for the first time in decades, reflects how climate change is affecting mushroom distributions and includes conservation status information. With nearly 2,900 high-quality photographs taken by 965+ photographers, visual identification becomes more reliable than with text alone.

The book strikes an excellent balance between portability and comprehensiveness since it's manageable to carry in the field but contains far more species than smaller pocket guides. The organization by visual characteristics means you can start identifying by what you see before you need to understand technical terminology. If you want to forage in North America this book is almost a requirement to own.

The National Audubon Society Field Guide is available for purchase on Amazon and many other ecommerce websites.

11. ShroomSpy.com Resources

Of course there's always ShroomSpy resources that you can use as well. While we can't explain everything Mushroom related on our pages right now, ShroomSpy is proud to host numerous valuable resources for the Mushroom enthusiast community. We have a great series of growing guides that the website staff and users have created, tools designed to help you figure out the right substrate or grain set ups as well as what sort of dose you should go for if you're in the mood for some experimentation.

Not sure what to pick? Try out our brand-new 'Start Your Journey' quiz and see what pops up for you!