Customer Reviews:
good starter book.......2007-06-17
This book does give you a lot of basic information. However, "Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms" would probably be a better choice if you intend on trying to grow mushrooms.
Just What I Was Looking For !.......2007-05-19
Im very new to cultivating mushrooms at home. I tried many different approaches and information found on the web about the subject, but had many dissapointments. After I read this book I am now aware of the many bad turns you can take that will drive you mad. Now I am very happy, everything is going onroad, thanks to Paul Stamets and his knowledge. This book is a MUST buy for anyone interested in growing mushrooms in small or big scale.
"The Bible".......2007-03-12
Wow... I Am Very Impressed By The Content Of This Book... Very Comprehensive... Everything You Need To Know About Mushroom Cultivation Is There; Home Or Commercial... It's No Wonder Why They Call It "The Bible."
Mushroom Cultivator.......2007-01-12
I was very pleased with the prompt service and timely delivery. I received the book ahead of time to present as a gift. Thank you
A Classic for Mushroom Cultivation.......2006-07-31
If you were to buy only one book on mushroom cultivation, this would be the best choice. It can certainly stand-alone in that it provides all the info the reader needs to cultivate mushrooms. Although psilocybian mushrooms are included these are by no means the exclusive or main focus of this book. For the most part, the book is concerned with legal edible mushrooms that can be grown in the home or yard. Absolute beginners can certainly start with this book and no other book will be necessary to provide all that the reader needs to know from beginning to end of the mushroom growing process.
It must be mentioned that this book does not cover the popular "PF tek" (the "Psilocybe Fanaticus technique" also known as the "jar tek"), the simple technique utilizing canning jars full of substrate and inoculating them with syringes of spores suspended in water. Readers interested in this technique (which, after all seems the easiest and most practical) would find all they need to know on this technique at the Shroomery.org web site and others like it. This book was originally published in 1983, years before the "PF tek" was innovated.
Among the technique that this book does cover are the use of agar petri dish culture, culture slants, casing, grain spawn, composting, log-plugging and more. There is also a wealth of info on mushroom contaminants - how to spot them and how to deal with them. Therefore we can say that while this book does not cover the most simple of techniques, it certainly covers all other techniques suitable for absolute beginners and for those looking to expand their hobby beyond the beginners' methods.
The authors are obviously sincerely interested in mushrooms in general and in the cultivation of edible mushrooms. The info on these edible mushrooms is not included as an excuse to also include info on the cultivation of psylocybian mushrooms, nor are psilocybian mushrooms cryptically referred to. Rather, psilocybian mushrooms are merely presented as one of many types of mushrooms that can be grown with simple techniques at home. This is by no means a drug manufacturing guidebook disguised as a book on edible mushroom cultivation nor is it one that distances itself from the cultivation of psilocybian mushrooms.
If the reader is interested in the cultivation of mushrooms at home, this book gets a high recommendation. These two authors have also written Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms which is similar in scope but probably a better second choice rather than first choice for this topic. Paul Stamets has also authored Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World, Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World: An Identification Guide, MycoMedicinals: an Informational Treatise of Mushrooms, Psilocybe Mushrooms and Their Allies and also runs the company Fungi Perfecti which offers kits for growing mushrooms at home, a variety of mushroom related books, technical supplies and which also offers educational seminars.
If you want to grow mushrooms at home and the "PF - Tek" is good enough for you, this book would be unnecessary for you. If you have got the hang of the "PF - Tek" but you are interested in trying other techniques and approaches this book is highly recommended for you.
Customer Reviews:
buy it.......2007-06-17
This book contains so much information that it will take me years to absorb it all. There are lists of bed compositions, resourses, various decontamination proceedures and so much more there isn't room here to list them. Most important to me is the requirements for many different mushroom species.
Excellent !.......2007-05-19
As I expected, I am impressed by the knowlege behind this art. I love the book especially the part describing the medicinal properties of mushrooms.
Do You Really Love Mushrooms???.......2007-01-04
This is a magnum opus of colossal proportions covering most every mushroom species conceivable for human consumption... most, I say, because I am an enthusiast of psychoactive mushroom species, and as such, I was in for a colossal let-down.
I was recommended this book as a "must-have". I was told that this book contained definitive facts about growth parameters, development cycles, substrate formulas, and species characteristics. Indeed it does... just not about the mushrooms I was looking for. The only psilocybin mushroom even documented in this behemoth is psilocybe cyanescens which is known to resist indoor cultivation due to its unsatisfiable temperature requirements. Mr. Stamets is a wise man, and I've known him to say that, generally speaking, you can take the same technique for growing similar species on similar substrates and get the same results (hint, hint). However there are more straightforward texts for those of us with specific interests in specific species, and I cannot in good faith recommend this one for those purposes.
So, why do I give this book five stars? The failure was mine not the author's. I should have done my research. This book is actually quite fascinating; although I don't see amateurs reading Chapter 17, and then running out to buy an autoclave. Mr. Stamets clearly envisions a readership of serious mushroom producers with industrial-sized ambitions. Prepare to encounter the "high-pressure extrusion method" and to be awed by photographs of column cultures climbing ten-feet high. You'll even learn how to convert that forgotten old barn in your backyard into a viable grow-factory. Good luck.
Remarkable... both a pragmatic AND scientific treatment.......2006-05-31
I have to admit, I did not know Paul Stamets was this generation's premier mycologist. After reading this volume, there is no doubt of it. He is objective, a true mycologist of the highest order, and a down-to-earth pragmatic steward of the environment. I have learned a lifetime of valuable information...both scientific as well as practical know-how from this book, (a rare feat). Not only does Stamets enthuse the reader with the miracle of possibilities in cultivating mushrooms for the environment, nutrition, (yes nutrition), and health benefits of Reishi and other mushrooms, he details how it is to be done, (by individual cultivators and/or commercial operations alike).
I cannot express more to any reader of this review how important it will be to have this standard volume on your bookshelf. If you are curious about how mushrooms "work", you must own this book. If you want to have this volume as a practical guide to growing mushrooms indoors OR outdoors, buy this volume. If you are a commercial grower and you want to increase production, create your own sterile spore production facility, you must buy it.
I have never met Paul Stamets, and have no vested interest in making this recommendation. However, after reading this book, I am as enthused as the author about the subject of practical mycology. I hope you will be too!
Wonderful Book - Mainly Steered Toward Growing With A Business Perspective.......2006-05-13
Wonderful Book - Mainly Steered Toward Growing With A Business Perspective.
There are several species covered here, most of which are the most sought after culinary fungi. From a Caramel-Capped perspective, this book provides the guidance necessary to produce a few different Psilocybian species. More wonderful than that are three sentences which will lead the reader onto more questions about this exciting topic: 1. What role do Psilocybes have in medicinal use (keyword: shaman) 2. What range of medicinal effects are possible with extremely low quantities of dried, active fungi? 3. Where can one begin to look outdoors?
The subject of "active fungi" is not complete without referencing other materials. Hopefully Paul Stamets knows that he is loved and appreciated for his neck-outstretched volumes of psilocybian exegesis.
Book Description
More mushrooms, less pollution! Yes, you heard right: growing more mushrooms may be the best thing we can do to save the environment. Microscopic cells called "mycelium"—the fruit of which are mushrooms —recycle carbon, nitrogen, and other essential elements as they break down plant and animal debris in the creation of rich new soil. What fungi expert Paul Stamets has discovered is that mycelium also breaks down hydrocarbons —the base structure in many pollutants. So, for instance, when soil contaminated with diesel oil is inoculated with strains of oyster mushroom mycelia, the soil loses its toxicity in just eight weeks. In MYCELIUM RUNNING, Stamets discusses this revolutionary trend in mushroom cultivation and provides tips for choosing the appropriate species of fungi for various environmental purposes.
Customer Reviews:
we can save the world.......2007-09-11
This book is so fascinating, if u even have the slightest interest in mushrooms, or any type of fungi then this is the book to get. Paul stamets answers any question anyone would ever have about fungi, and who would have thought that mushrooms, play such an important role in mother nature. You will be stunned by the information in this book. So if u want a good read with lots of facts and lots of very interesting information then this is the book for you.
Should be Required Reading.......2007-07-16
This book is incredible. If more people read this book, there could be an ecological revolution.
The reader will not go a page in this book without a "What?? No Way!!" kind of moment. I found myself laughing simply at how amazingly effective and important mushrooms can be.
Mushrooms can help save the world. "Mycelium Running" should be a high school textbook.
Mushrooms can be interesting........2007-03-24
I took my last science course about 40 years ago and had forgotten how interesting science can be. This book is not light reading and some people will probably not get past the first few pages but I really enjoyed it. I found tons of new information on mushrooms in spite of the fact that I studied mushrooms in college (until my father decided science was not for girls and convinced me to go to Law School. Yep, those were the good old days.) You will enjoy it as long as you take into account that it is a scientific book, perfect for geeks.
Mushrooms as spirit teachers.......2007-01-10
Stamets is THE authority on the power of mushrooms and all the amazing things they can do. From cleaning up toxic oil spills to providing nourishment Stamets clearly writes with passion. I love it and have shared the book with many others, many of whom were blown away!
An Inspiration and Idea Generating Book!.......2007-01-03
This is a very well written and organized book, using this has enabled us to do some really wonderful things on our own property and inspired us to do even more. Mr. Stamets has done more to enlighten people about the benefits of fungi than anyone else and in a way that makes it fun and interesting. Will open your eyes to a whole new world.
Book Description
This well-illustrated book allows anyone with common sense, a clean kitchen, and a closet shelf to grow bumper crops of mushrooms. Besides step-by-step guides to cultivating four species of psilocybin-containing mushrooms, the book offers a wealth of additional information, including an introduction to mushroom biology, a resource guide for supplies, advice on discreetly integrating psychedelic mushrooms into outdoor gardens, and insights into the traditional use of psilocybins in sacred medicine. Also included are appendices with a summary of all included recipes.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent--but intimidating........2007-01-04
I really like this book, but I had to give it four stars because of its subtitle: "Easy Indoor & Outdoor Cultivation". The term "easy" is a little misleading. This book is a truly thorough work. In addition to the several chapters on cultivation methods and technique, the Mushroom Handbook contains a chapter devoted to the history of psilocybin mushrooms as well as chapters tackling biology and chemistry. You get a pretty hefty load of mushroom fun & facts for only two hundred pages.
I forsee a potential disappointment for those who purchase this book hoping to learn a simple approach to growing mushrooms. The instructions contained in this handbook are detailed, exacting and require the grower to purchase a long list of materials. I have to admit--I have NOT tried any of the techniques offered in this book. There are easier ways to grow mushrooms that require less time and expense. That being said, I think that the background knowledge and experience of the authors make this little number well worth the buy. It works as an excellent reference book, full of great tips to anyone willing to commit to the reading. The authors demonstrate sincere passion and expertise, and they aren't offering any shortcuts.
Keep up-to-date with the most successful techniques for mushroom growing at home.......2006-07-12
Mushroom cultivation techniques are improving fast, especially with the advent of Internet discussion boards where new techniques are being discovered every day.
This book is very recent (as of 2006), and is the clearest and most easy to read book I have seen on the subject. It gives a clear and concise summary of many of the best techniques for growing the most popular type of hobby mushrooms, and discusses where to go to learn more about mushrooms of all types.
Compared to doing research directly from the Internet, this book is clearly organized, well written and authoritative. But perhaps the most valuable resource in this book is its list of reputable web sites and forums on the Internet, which helps you avoid the unreputable sites. Scams on the Internet are abundant, and anyone new to this hobby needs to be careful to find trustworthy sources for discussion and for purchasing equipment and culture spores to experiment with. There are many sites that will make big claims and then not deliver, leaving many beginners frustrated and much poorer with nothing to show.
The importance of finding clear and reputable sources of information and supplies cannot be understated. This book will help you get started safely and quickly. Buy it, read it, then go to the forums listed and compare what you have learned with what other people have already been through. Use this knowledge to avoid the common scams and pitfalls. Follow this plan and you will be happy.
Excellent. Begin here........2006-06-13
An update on simple accessible grow techniques is long overdue. This is book is perfect for newbies. I recommend supplementing this book with other available information on the web, just to get a thorough scope of what's ahead of you, and what came before the improvements the authors present in the book. There's a surprisingly well written and researched Wiki page on psilocybin for those of you who are curious about its history and chemistry. Excellent color section, resource list and appendix.
Very easy to use handbook!.......2006-05-25
This book is great. I read it and it is very easy to follow. I knew nothing about growing mushrooms but this book made it easy to do. I love the photography that shows each step. It is well worth the buy. It showed me what supplies I needed and where to store them. I recomend this book to all.
This book IS in print, and it is excellent!.......2006-04-24
This is the most thorough book on this subject to be published, containing NUMEROUS methods for growing the mushrooms, a detailed list of materials needed, a glossary, background information, and 32 pages of color photos.
Average customer rating:
- Thank you McKenna!
- An Interesting Collection of "Far Out" Ideas.
- A New Trip Down an Old Rabbit Hole
- Some people would like all copies of this book burnt
- You were......and still are....Ahead by a Century
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The Archaic Revival: Speculations on Psychedelic Mushrooms, the Amazon, Virtual Reality, UFOs, Evolution, Shamanism, the Rebirth of the Goddess, and the End of History
Terence Mckenna
Manufacturer: HarperOne
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The Invisible Landscape: Mind, Hallucinogens, and the I Ching
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Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution
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True Hallucinations: Being an Account of the Author's Extraordinary Adventures in the Devil's Paradis
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DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences
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ASIN: 0062506137 |
Book Description
Cited by the L.A. Weekly as "the culture's foremost spokesman for the psychedelic experience," Terrence McKenna is an underground legend as a brilliant raconteur, adventurer, and expert on the experiential use of mind-altering plants.
In these essays, interviews, and narrative adventures, McKenna takes us on a mesmerizing journey deep into the Amazon as well as into the hidden recesses of the human psyche and the outer limits of our culture, giving us startling visions of the past and future.
Customer Reviews:
Thank you McKenna!.......2007-02-25
Oh, man. With music as our spirit's guide, we ate some mushrooms and journeyed inward throuhout the galaxy. The human body/mind is a spaceship designed for interstellar space travel. Thats the secret hidden power of human beings which others are trying so hard to conceal. Enlightenment is only a few grams of shrooms away, combined with the right music and setting, the surest way to transform into and experience God. To experience The Other within us, to go to a place so far beyond yet so close, to experience whats been felt by so many others throughout the Aeons, words cannot describe. Our physical bodies and Earthly affairs are obsolete. Many ancient civilizations understood this, thus they have no need to be here. They took death as something beautiful. Life here is only temporary. McKenna's book speaks mostly on these topics and much more. First class info from one of the worlds greatest thinkers!
An Interesting Collection of "Far Out" Ideas........2006-03-05
_The Archaic Revival: Speculations on Psychedelic Mushrooms, the Amazon, Virtual Reality, UFOs, Evolution, Shamanism, the Rebirth of the Goddess, and the End of History_ by ethnobotanist Terrence McKenna is a rather interesting collection of essays and interviews revealing McKenna's often rambling thoughts on the various subjects mentioned in the title. McKenna's basic theme seems to be that the hallucinogenic plants have beneficial effects and can result in mind expansion which ultimately will aid society and bring about a utopia. Oddly however, the book rather hypocritically begins with a warning in which the publisher and author note the harmful effects of these substances and their illegality. Whatever one's personal beliefs are about the justice behind so-called drug laws, the fact remains that the hallucinogenic substances and plant products mentioned by McKenna in this book are illegal and possibly dangerous and that ingestion of these substances can result in possible difficulties with the law as well as potentially harmful side effects.
These essays and interviews show McKenna at both his best and worst. On the one hand he argues for an "archaic revival" and a restoration of the principles of shamanism based on his inherent belief that the indigenous peoples of the earth have something to offer modern civilization. However, I disagree with him when he turns to feminist political correctness and rails against Western civilization and Christianity (monotheism). McKenna's central argument is that the hallucinogenic mushroom has co-evolved with man in a symbiotic relationship. Echoing the theories of maverick psychologist Julian Jaynes, McKenna argues that primitive man was not fully conscious (did not possess self-awareness) until he underwent an appropriate transformation. This transformation involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms. McKenna then goes off on a tangent in which he suggests the rather bizarre idea that the spores of these mushrooms are in fact interstellar travelers. Here, he mentions the pan-spermia theory of Cyril Ponnamperuma and Francis Crick (co-discoverer of DNA) that life originated in outer space and traveled to earth that way in the form of prebiotic molecules. In much the same way, McKenna suggests that the mushrooms constitute "intelligent organisms" and that they too are interstellar travelers. McKenna's theories developed over time as he traveled the world beginning with India (where he grew discontented over disagreements with the caste system) and eventually turning to the primitive shamanism (Bon-Po) of Tibet. McKenna eventually made his way to the Amazon where he experienced the use of hallucinogenic substances among the shamans there. Indeed, he discusses both the role of ayahuasca and the hallucinogenic psilocybe mushrooms. McKenna also has some rather strange theories on UFOs, regarding them as a sign of the coming world crisis. His theories on UFOs may owe a debt to the famous Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung whose depth psychology serves as the foundation for much of McKenna's theories and who observed the UFO phenomenon as a coming indication of changing world conditions. McKenna attempts to link the UFO and the extraterrestrial to the hallucinogenic mushrooms and hallucinogenic substances in general. He argues that after smoking DMT he experienced a unique phenomenon which he believed involved making contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence. Indeed, the phenomenon of alien abduction and ultimately the allegation of sexual encounters with aliens offers a unique embellishment of the UFO myth and a reverberation in the collective unconscious. McKenna also discusses what he believes constitutes the "end of history" in 2012, the ending date of the Mayan calendar. McKenna believes that with the help of the psychedelics the history of the planet will undergo drastic changes possibly allowing for an aversion of the coming ecological catastrophe. Other essays focus on the Voynich manuscript, perhaps composed by Elizabethan magus John Dee and its links to Rosicrucianism, virtual reality and the role of the virtual in the coming transformation of man's consciousness, and the history of the hallucinogenic mushroom in literature before R. Gordon Wasson discovered it, including references to the works of Lewis Caroll, H. G. Wells, and John Uri Lloyd (writer of the bizarre novel _Etidorhpa_, Aphrodite backwards). McKenna argues for a coming archaic revival brought about by renewed interests in the psychedelics which he believes will usher in a utopia.
While McKenna's theories are certainly bizarre and interesting at the same time, they are also naïve in certain respects. For example, McKenna's ultimate faith in the transformative powers of the hallucinogenic plants must be questioned. Whether or not these substances provide access to altered mind states, I believe it is rather naïve to attribute to them the powers of a panacea which will eliminate all social ills. McKenna's theories on virtual reality are equally interesting given the promise of these new technologies; however, again I believe he is somewhat naïve in believing they will truly transform mankind. Nevertheless despite these criticisms, this book did provide much food for thought on the various topics mentioned in the title.
A New Trip Down an Old Rabbit Hole.......2005-10-31
I just recently finished this book, and i can say it has been one of the most profound pieces of literature i've ever had the pleasure of reading. The topics explored in the book (which are, i might add, VERY extensively explored) ask the reader to look outside of the narrow field of spiritual and philosophical vision that constitutes our cultural typic, and question things one might not have ever thought of questioning. McKenna seems very frank and straightforward through the whole book, not dancing around subjects or refraining from certain phrases that some would be self-concious to use (ie. get loaded).
Instead of seeming to be written exclusively for futuristic scientists with an affinity for psychedelic drugs, the book seems to be aimed at the much wider crowd of anyone with an open mind and a vocabulary. The ideas described vary in topic from UFO abductions to a 15th century manuscript, and everything in between. most of the chapters have some common thread connecting them, the only exception being "The Voynich Manuscript." im not really sure where he was going with this chapter in relation to the rest of the book, but its interesting nonetheless. anyway, the book is nothing but a collection of speeches, essays, interviews, etc conducted by him over the years, and is really meant to be an introduction to his philosophy. His other books: The I Ching, and Food of the Gods, though i havent' read them, have been reviewed to be much more technically worded, hard to read, and aimed at students of mathematics and anthropology/ethnobotany. The Archaic Revival is more or less easy to comprehend, but he does use some terms over and over again that the average person wouldn't know (ie. phenomenology, entelechy, gnosis), so have a dictionary close by if you want to get the most out of the material as possible.
Terrence McKenna has some very bizzarre ideas for sure, and not everyone will relate to all of the ideas expressed in his writings, but i think that most ppl can find something about it they find interesting, and for the psychedelic crowd, McKenna's ideas sound like solaces from beyond, as he so easily verbalizes concepts that otherwise seem impossible to explain. His ideas of social reform and reverting to imitating plants as the role models of human life and civilzation, rather than animals, are so insane that they make more sense than anything i've ever heard. As far as his idea of the end of human history and the transcendence of physical existence into cyber-spiritual entities, all happening by the year 2012, i think he was a little off with the exact figures of time, as im writing this on Oct. 30, 2005 and it doesn't look like the world is going through a historical apocalypse in the next 6 yrs., but oh well--when you're dealing with the entirety of history, you can give or take a couple thousand years w/out compromising the legitimacy of your idea. plus, who knows, maybe on Jan. 1, 2012, we'll all be sitting around watching our bodies dissapear and our souls externalize.
I would reccommend this book to just about everyone, although i imagine it would be very hard for a 13 yr old to read, but im sure there are some very intelligent 13 yr olds out there who could comprehend it. for the open-minded, the book should be fascinating and engaging in its freshness, and for the rigid western thinkers--it should at least crack the shell and expose the possibilities of what's really out there. if anything, i'd say this is a book of non-denominational hope, derived and reported back from the past, and in McKenna's case--the future.
Some people would like all copies of this book burnt.......2005-05-08
I enjoyed this book, as it is so much easier to read than McKenna's other works (some of which are as dry and technical as scientific journals) -- if you are interested in hearing what Mister McKenna has to say, definitely start with this one. The chapters mostly consist of essays which had been published in various new age magazines, as well as transcripts of several interviews with the author, so it all flows rather nicely. Terrence McKenna is widely acknowledged to be one of the world's foremost authorities on the shamanic use of botanical hallucinogens, and unlike Leary and Castenada, he is a true scholar, who apparently is speaking in earnest about a topic he feels is very important. Probably the most significant argument McKenna makes is that the Church and State have colluded in suppressing, penalizing, and attempting to actually eradicate anyone who proposes that the altered perception which occurs upon the ingestion of these alkaloids is, in fact, essential to understanding the true nature of the universe. He states that the Church does not want the average person to have direct access to "God", nor does the State want the average person to be shook out of their complacency and begin to ask difficult questions. These alkaloids are a catalyst which is clearly dangerous to the dominant power structure of our society -- thus they are prohibited. He makes a number of other amusing statements and observations as well. However, several times throughout this book, McKenna started to get rather bizarre (understandable), like when he was presenting computer generated graphs which purported to show exactly when the world would end (and we would all be "transformed into energy beings" or some such), and when he began singing the praises of DMT -- about the effects of which I've heard some rather horrible things (imagine being trapped in a H. R. Geiger painting). If you are serious about studying the multidimensional aspects of the world around you, check out this book, which states that the universe within one's mind is just as interesting, and perhaps even more accessible.
You were......and still are....Ahead by a Century.......2003-09-09
first I would like to quote Tim Leary from his skymaster speech "Terence Mckenna means a great deal to me, he's deffinently one of the 5, 6 most impotant people on the planet......I can't even think of any others....lol....(short term memory loss)...by the way the role Terence is playing right now takes not only vision but it also takes f***ing courage!"
Terence Mckenna is not just a scientist, philosopher, theorist, new age thinker, and shamman, he is someone who took it upon himself, at the cost of his own life, to teach humankind the truth, or something that came closer to truth than any other intellectual or prophet in human history. No one else of the 60's generation will likely go down in history as infamously as Terence will in the changing times we live in and will continue to change. Through the use of psychedelics, Mckenna has delved into the deepest levels of human consciousness and with the rigour and skepticism of a scientist. Deffinently a chalenge to those who think mind altering drugs dullen or stupify the intellect. Terence Mckennas intellect and thought processing speed capacity appear to have been accelerated by his use of DMT and psylocybin if you listen to him on interviews. Here is a person came into the world, underwhent formal schooling and academic training and managed to decondition himself evolving into genuine spiritual domains; surpassing the academic minds and spiritual models of his time and culture. Time-Wave Zero was his project, Novelty Theory his lifes work. Archaic Revival touches upon the ideas of novelty theory in relation to shammanism and extratterestrials, psychedelics and human cultural evolution into the surreal dimensions of hyperspace-spirituality. This is our future, our destiny as a species of absolute evolving consciousness.
Novelty theory is based on the immediate experience we have with reality in which all things in history and science seem to coincide in ways that not only defy explanation, but continuously addapt to their own conservatives. Terence believed novlety was a universal and necessary constant of not only all living beings consciousness but also a binding and cohesive principle of material/physical nature. Cosmological and evolutionary processes occur in accordance to novelties, physical laws and the behaviour of atoms, cells, populations and genetics behave and abide the way they do because it is the most novel thing to do. Simillar to Leibniz conception of this world as the best of all possible worlds, novelty states that this is not necessarily the best nor the only world but it is possible and exists because it is the most novel world. Another one of Terences discoveries was that self-reflective human consciousness evolved from language that the brain facilitated and expanded from the primate because of their consumption of psychedelic mushrooms. In this less popular model, conspiracies of alien intervention and genetic tampering of "reptilian" with "homonid" DNA to form human speciel consciousness is an intervention not by immediate technology from ET's but by evolving biological implantations of psychedelic chemicals into nature. Aliens do not fly arround in spacecraft as suggested by the modern myth, or as vampires, or as any other ancient view of shammanism, primitvism, religion, etc. rather these beings are products of collective collapse of human consciousness. The upright reptilians of millions of years ago, the dinosaurs, we now know only recently, were wipped out by a comet from outer space ("spacecraft"). An instantaneous annihilation through radiation (also a mutanogen) of a reptilian, upright species of intelligent small-brained but fully utillized neocortex had the effect to the disincarnate catastrophe of their energy. That dinosaur energy had to go somewhere, what better way than to evolve through millions of years, psychedelics, and homonids; and eventually upright sentient human bodies for their incarnation to us the proper phylogeny structure (upright soul-body complex). As outlandish as these novel theories sound they will no doubt become the cutting edge models to describe reality and of our evolution if the wars of today do not annilate us first (radiation). And yet another reflection of the Middle Eastern warfare we face today is no longer a search for language, craddles of man, or Messiahs, but that very fossil fuel (oil) that was their energy now embodied as a complexly knotted perturbation of human consciousness.
I recommend all members of the human species to read this book and also purchase Terences Alien Dream Time CD with electronica by Space-Time Continuum. To get the whole scope of these ideas I would also reccomend reading Terences friends; Rupert Sheldrake on morphogenesis, Michael Talbot in Holographic Universe and David Bohm on the Implicate Order.
Amazon.com
This is the be-all and end-all of mushroom books! Truly an encyclopedia of mushroom facts and lore, lavishly illustrated with full-color photographs, literally everything you need to know about mushrooms, edible or not. Arora has taught mycology for close to twenty years and has hunted and photographed mushrooms across the North American continent. Threaded through the book are his wry and humorous observations and comments, making what could have been a rather dull, "just-the-facts, ma'am" reference book into a really enjoyable read. The stunning photographs of the incredible variety of fungi are fascinating and eye-opening, and while the author gives clear and factual information, the mysterious allure of mushrooms in their countless shapes, sizes and colors is only increased by this huge and delightful book. --Mark Hetts
Book Description
Nothing is more elusive and mysterious than the wild mushroom. David Arora celebrates the gathering and study of wild mushrooms with engaging style, wit and simple terminology. Mushrooms Demystified includes descriptions, photographs, and keys to over 2,000 species. There is a Beginner's Checklist of the 70 most distinctive and common mushrooms plus detailed chapters on terminology, classification, habitats, mushroom cookery, mushroom toxins, and the meanings of scientific mushroom names.
Customer Reviews:
Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi .......2007-09-19
My son loves this book and has used it several times already. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in studying mushrooms.
Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi.......2007-01-19
Hands down, the best mushroom field guide available. Great pictures and excellent keys. Makes it easy to know what you're dealing with when you find a mushroom.
Great Companion Book.......2007-01-05
This hard to find book is great. Arora did a great job. The keys very good, are easy to use and the descriptions of each mushroom identified in the book are comprehensive and even entertaining. (A dicot' key can be a truly horrid thing.) The illustrations for key features also very helpful. Even for casual reading it is entertaining! The Fifth Kingdom is a great addition to this book for addl info about life cycles.
MUSHROOMS DEMYSTIFIED.......2007-01-03
A VERY GOOD REFERENCE, BUT ALMOST TOO MUCH INFO TO PROCESS FOR THE BEGINNER.
why do i need to write a title?.......2006-11-05
THE comprehensive guide to mushrooms. I own several that I like, and this is probably the best of them. It's large size makes it unsuitable for a field guide, but it's a great resource. Just get "All that the rain promises...," or the Audubon book for a field guide.
Customer Reviews:
Very outdated method........2007-03-08
Good book but it's outdated. This book uses a method that nobody uses anymore. Google for "the PF tek" to learn the easiest way to grow mushrooms with good yield and for cheap using readily available materials like brown rice, distilled water and jars, without the need for a pressure cooker.
There are better methods like spawning to horse manure, casing with Miracle Grow Moisture Control and so forth. You can find more info on The Shroomery (google it) forums.
well for begin.......2005-08-23
it's a good book for people who want to know the simplest method for growing the mushrooms. it's only dedicate to Stropharia cubensis.
Excellent mycelogical information in the field of growing.......2003-09-05
This is the most authoritave, reliable, and safe technique available today, not to mention the economical feasibility. Wether your a scholar studying the pharmacological and cross-culture use of hallucinogens, or a 18 year old, this book explains the process of growing mycelium with potent psilocybin in easy to follow steps with descriptive pictures. The toxicity of psilocybin, the main alkaloid in the psychedelic mushroom also known as Stropharia Cubensis (this books goes by that strain) is 200, that is L.D. 200 in other words, 200 times the effective dose approaches toxicity, So in other words, in pharmacological terms, these substances are harmless, since you cant even ingest that much. This book does state that in fairly technical terms, in a section separate from the main. Mushroom use in ancient civilizations has been in use for thousands of years, the knowledge, unparalleled in the sense of human understanding upon subjects which otherwise with go without. What psychedelics ultimately do is they dissolve boundaries, and in the presence of dissolved boundaries, one cannot continue to close ones eyes to the ruination of the earth, positing of the seas, and 2000 years of unchallenged dominator culture, based on monotheism, hatred of nature, suppression of the female, so forth and so on. You have a godlike understanding to learn and assimilate new information, the kind of experience you have when looking over a landscape from the air, when previously only viewed from the ground. This book while eloquently outlining this in the introduction primarily focuses on growing the mycelium, in which it does flawlessly. In the process of growing mycelium, you have to have very sterile conditions, and this book stresses contamination, while other books don't emphasize that, which I find a problem. While this book gives you a list of tools, which are easily bought in any town or on the internet for a reasonable low price (Excluding the pressure cooker) it also gives you a sense of understanding for the process as a whole, which gives this process specifically a tint of art, because it is, in and of itself an art. It would be recommended to have at least a college level of English, and college level chemistry wouldn't hurt as well. These substances can show you what has never been seen before, and never will be seen by any human ever again. Our culture is in a ridiculous position in relation with these substances, and in reading this book one becomes more familiar to the properties and uses, preparation and dosage alike, so one doesn't have a culturally sanctioned basises toward something which he/she had no prior knowledge. This book, written by Terence & Dennis McKenna, however written under the name Oss and Oeric, are the foremost spokesperson's for the psychedelic experience, among other things, and are literary geniuses (in the purest definition) whose knowledge is unparalleled as well. If your interested more on the fascinating subject of psychedelics, Refer to Terence McKenna's Food of the Gods, Invisible Landscape, Archaic Revival; Rupert Sheldrake, Ralph Abraham, Ralph Metzner, Gordon Wasson, Albert Hoffman, Peter Furst, Aldoux Huxley, William Blake, Roger Heim, A Hoffer, H Osmund, Mircea Eliade, Richard E. Shultes, Dennis Mckenna, Snyder Solomon, Michael Harner, Marlene Dobkin, David Aberle, im sure there are many many others however those are some of my favorites.
Outdate; a book for collectors though!.......2000-03-28
Times have changed and methods have gotten about a hundredtimes easier than is presented in this book. Never-the-less I stillhold my own original printing copy of this book dear to my heart. END
Wow Dude!.......2000-02-23
dude, i thout the book was soo cool. sory if im not spelling good right now - i'm high if you no what i mean! i recommend the book to anybody who's a nobody...like myself! I made lots of cash with the awesum teknikes they gave on growing!
Book Description
With more than 700 mushrooms detailed with color photographs and descriptive text, this is the most comprehensive photographic field guide to the mushrooms of North America. The 762 full-color identification photographs show the mushrooms as they appear in natural habitats. Organized visually, the book groups all mushrooms by color and shape to make identification simple and accurate in the field, while the text account for each species includes a detailed physical description, information on edibility, season, habitat, range, look-alikes, alternative names, and facts on edible and poisonous species, uses, and folklore. A supplementary section on cooking and eating wild mushrooms, and illustrations identifying the parts of a mushroom, round out this essential guide.
Customer Reviews:
best mushroom guide.......2007-09-10
This guide has the clearest most detailed pictures of any field guide I've seen. The info on how to use the guide is simple and understandable. I've identified and documented many mushrooms using this guide.
A Wonderful Guide.......2007-07-09
This is book is an excellent guide to mushrooms for the money. Its portability and durability are also second-to-none.
The book is full of beautiful color photographs and full descriptions. The pictures are grouped into categories (like all Audubon field guides) for quick identification. Personally, I am very pleased with it and highly recommend it.
Pretty Darn good.......2007-03-13
This book is pretty good, a little dificult for me to use, the photos and written data are in two different sections, but is it pretty comprehensive, and not very hard to use with a little practice.
The best portable field guide out there........2006-12-30
Some reviewers here are not real mushroom collectors. As portable field guides go, this is one of the best ones. Other bigger books may do it better but for preliminary identification and portability this is the one you want. One reviewer says there are no colloquial names. There are for virtually every one where one exists. Another said there were no latin names. There are latin names for every one. Any time you use one photograph to represent a species, there will be questions since most species are quite variable. Other field guides are guilty too. Peterson's guide uses drawings rather than photographs. That said, the photographs are good. The descriptions are a bit economical but this book is almost 1000 pages. Everyone serious about mushroom collecting and identification needs more than one book. Period. This one is for the field. If you need a more comprehensive book or books you may need to buy a 4 wheeler to carry them around. This book has served me well since 1981.
Less than stellar.......2005-10-24
I was disappointed to find that there was no useful information contained therein. While the pictures were very well done there were no colloquial names to help identify species.
Book Description
No one has done more to popularize mushrooms in America than Amy Farges, food writer and co-owner of the national mushroom distributor Aux Delices Des Bois. And now that Ms. Farges made sure mushrooms are available, she shows what to do with them. The Mushroom Cookbook and Primer is an inspiration-a mushroom extravaganza with 175 exquisite yet easy-to-make recipes, plus a Mushroom 101 guide to selecting, storing, cleaning, and cooking, plus a primer with full profiles and photographs of 40 exotic mushrooms.
Full of sweet succulence, toothsome crunch, and haunting flavors from earthy to fruity to seafood-like, mushrooms offer the home cook a dazzling range of possibilities. Here are finger foods: Morels with Calvados, Ovoli and Fig Crostini, Wild Mushroom Bruschetta. Lighter offerings: Porcini Carpaccio, Cream of Asparagus Soup with Roasted Cremini, Blewitt and Crab Rolls. Glorious pairings: Risotto with Corn and Chanterelles, Sirloin Steak with Wine Caps, Mustard-coated Lamb Chops with Wild Oysters, Truffled Lobster with Cilantro Butter, Duck and Shiitake Tortillas. And the unexpected: Black Trumpet Biscuits, Portobello and Basil Salsa, Hen of the Wood Ravioli. A dozen fitting mushroomless desserts offer the irresistible finish.
Customer Reviews:
Fabulous for funghi lovers!.......2002-03-02
I recommend this book for fungi lovers old and new. Great tips and fabulous recipes, along with cute family stories. I use this book often for dinner parties and family dinners. The colorful cover makes a great coffee table addition, but I use the book so frequently I can't keep it out of my kitchen. I have given many as gifts to my culinary friends. It's a winner.
DELECTABLE.......2001-01-28
I watched my husband glace at the book and he just started reading it and about 15 minutes later I realized he was still reading it. He doesn't even cook! Anyway, inspired by his attention to this tome, I grabbed my tea yesterday and hung out on the pet's couch for a good read! I was not disappointed! I now feel I wouldn't be shy about cooking with exotic mushrooms. I can't wait to try the mushroom chile (which I read about in Metropolitan Home mag.)for the Superbowl Party tomorrow. Wow! Thanks Amy Farges!
A mouth-watering compendium of more than 175 recipes.......2001-01-10
A mouth-watering compendium of more than 175 recipes, Amy Farges' The Mushroom Lover's Mushroom Cookbook And Primer is enhanced with a "Mushroom 101" guide and an innovative shopping and preparation primer for more than 30 edible fungi. From Crepe Pouches with Shiitakes, Seared Cod with Porcini a la Grecque, and Lamb Broth with Autumn Mushrooms and Pearl Barley, to Mushroom Cornmeal Muffins, and Old-World Polenta, The Mushroom Lover's Mushroom Cookbook And Primer offers a cornucopia of delicious eating inspired by common and exotic mushrooms, and eminently suitable both for family meals and special event celebrations.
DON'T MISS THIS GEM!.......2000-12-19
I bought this to give as a gift, and ended up cooking from it, and now it's ALL MINE. The recipes cover just about every kind of cuisine, including comfort foods like cream of mushroom soup, etc. I knew about portobellos, but man, this portobello salsa was way off my radar! I did it ahead and it was incredible! Served it with tortilla chips. Another cool thing is that in the back, there's a page for each mushroom , w/ a picture, and how to store and cook them. I give this cookbook my best-ever rating!
Book Description
Join the hunt for one of the most sought-after mushroom marvels---the elusive morel
"Michael Kuo offers an engaging survey of a diverse group of fungi whose fruiting bodies are among the most prized edible mushrooms. Morels is a lavishly illustrated poem that will be relished by amateur and professional mycologists alike."
---Nicholas P. Money, author of Mr. Bloomfield's Orchard: The Mysterious World of Mushrooms, Molds, and Mycologists
Filled to the brim with information about the science and sport of finding, identifying, and savoring these world-renowned fungi, Morels is a far-ranging, reader-friendly book about one of America's most popular and passionately pursued outdoor activities.
Author Michael Kuo brings years of morel-hunting experience to Morels, delivering detailed information in an engaging, readable style to seasoned morel hunters and beginners alike.
Morels includes extensive information on the art of hunting morels and on current scientific knowledge regarding these delectable fungi. In addition, Kuo compiles easy-to-understand information on the latest scientific research into morels, from studies into how they grow to DNA-based classification of species.
With over two hundred color photographs.
Customer Reviews:
The best book about Morels I have ever read.......2006-02-15
I have read all the books about morels I could get my hands on, but none compare with this. It was fabulous, and one that other morel addicts like me (you know who you are) will also love. I have given several copies as gifts (to people from both blue and red states), and they all loved it, too. A million thanks to Michael Kuo, who made it very informative, and a really, really fun read!
Morels, The Fungi That Keeps You Wondering: .......2006-01-24
And Michaels book is no exception to that rule. He does an excellant job of portraying us, the mushroom hunter, along with wit and real-life experiences that any serious morel hunter has probably experienced. As I read the book, I became engrossed in the factual and hypothetic scenerios that take place in the mysterious world of the Morchella.
Each page is yet another look into the world of the fungi, and Michael brings that to wherever you might have a read, with his text, diagrams and photography.
My only regret is that when the book was over, I was in need of more, because, after all, there is so much more......to.... Morels....
A Love Song to a Mushroom.......2005-12-02
This is a very beautiful book that almost could have been sub-titled: Everything you ever wanted to know about them including what they are, where to find them, what to do with them, and other bits of wisdom too numerous to mention.
Morels are fungi. One of the organisma that nature uses to help dead plants return their nutrients to the soil. It's also interesting, biologically speaking, in that it is in the process of evolving from a single celled organism (a yeast) into a multicelled organized. This appearantly began about 50,000 years ago.
Other than that, and regardless of the number of cells they have, morels are delicious. The people who gather them are called schroomers and collecting them is an enjoyable passtime, no collecting them is more like an addiction.
This book is a tribute to the fungi, the schroomers, and the eaters. It's couple of hundred photographs are little less than amazing. If this is your thing, this book will give you many enjoyable moments while you wait for the next collecting season.
Enjoyed it, but..........2005-10-17
There was a sore need for an up-to-date morel book to complete my mycological library (since Nancy Smith Weber's morel book is out of print), and I eagerly awaited the publication of this book. Mr. Kuo's book is clearly written and provides exhaustive information on morels with details regarding their life cycles, habitats, and collection.
However, my reading pleasure was jarred by the frequent, obviously partisan, political jabs that the author apparently felt compelled to inject into an otherwise informative narrative. (I have no inkling of David Arora's politics and enjoy his mushroom books immensely.)
A Beautiful Book.......2005-10-07
Michael Kuo offers a mycological stunner with his "Morels." The combination of superb photographs, authoritative information on mushroom distribution and identification, and a thoroughly engaging narrative is unbeatable. Michael's enthusiasm for the complex microorganisms that produce these bizarre fruiting bodies with potholed heads is apparent on every page of this painstakingly researched book. Mushroom hunters of all stripes will find this a valuable and enjoyable read.
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- Old Black Fly (An Owlet Book)
- PACS and Imaging Informatics: Basic Principles and Applications
- Parenting With Love And Logic (Updated and Expanded Edition)
- Piezoelectric Sensors (Springer Series on Chemical Sensors and Biosensors)
- Planet Earth: As You've Never Seen It Before
- Principles of Anatomy and Physiology
- Principles of Animal Physiology (The Physiology Place Series)
- Regression Methods in Biostatistics: Linear, Logistic, Survival, and Repeated Measures Models (Statistics for Biology and Health)
- Self-Organizing Maps
- Sex, Evolution and Behavior
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