ALL THAT THE RAIN PROMISES, AND MORE:...

ALL THAT THE RAIN PROMISES, AND MORE: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms by David Arora (Ten Speed Press: $14.95; 264 pp.). You don’t have to be psychedelically inclined to be dazzled and delighted by this gleefully comprehensive guide to all forms and varieties of edible mushrooms to be found in western North America. Just looking at the otherworldly color photos of such species as the Shaggy Mane (above), the Cowboy’s Handkerchief and the sinister Dead Man’s Hand is mind-expanding in itself. Determined to “stress the fun in fungi,” this book’s careful descriptions are thoughtfully seasoned with mushroom anecdotes and no-nonsense recipes.