The first part of this book is filled with things you need to know to help you understand the world of wild foods. If you skip these chapters because you think that going directly to the plant chapters is more efficient, you will be depriving yourself. It provides tools, ideas, context, and perspective that will help you be a more successful forager. It also provides some foundational definitions that the field of wild foods has needed for a long time. These definitions are particularly useful to help keep you safe and to provide a means for teachers to base their instruction on a common foundation.