Book excerpt: This the first color-illustrated reference to polypores and similar fungi specific to the eastern and central regions of the United States and Canada. Welcoming and comprehensive, it accurately presents the currently available information about polypores, emphasizes identification based primarily on macroscopic field characters, and includes observational data drawn from the authors’ extensive experience. It includes new species and genera; addresses changing nomenclature; and provides details about polypores’ biology, morphology, composition, role as parasites, interactions with various arthropods, and purported medicinal applications. The book also highlights how changes in geology, soil structure, and plant species due to factors such as continental drift and climate change have affected the evolution of polypores. Featuring more than 240 species of polypores, extensive and easy-to-use dichotomous keys, and more than 300 color illustrations and multiple maps and line drawings, Polypores and Similar Fungi of Eastern and Central North America is a must-have for amateur and professional mycologists, forest service personnel, mycophagists, and anyone interested in learning more about this remarkable group of fungi.