This well-edited hardcover is an authoritative guide for mushroom biologists, and caters to a range of experts in diverse fields of medicine and horticulture from a nutritional viewpoint. The topics covered in the book's six chapters will speak volumes to researchers and students alike. Students would particularly benefit from the book as it draws on the knowledge of the contributing authors, dealing with diverse topics as simple mushroom cultivation (Agaricus), more value-added nutritional mushrooms, such as Pleurotus, Volvariella and Ganoderma, and contemporary molecular analysis and genomic dissection of exotic mushrooms, exemplified by shiitake mushrooms. The well laid out later chapters describe the emerging state of functional foods derived from mushrooms and their nutritional or medicinal evaluation. The Editor aptly concludes this well-balanced book by discussing safety, efficacy and regulatory issues.