Not at all. The bit about white gills is probably referring to Amanitaceae, which include some marvelously toxic species that destroy the human liver. But the a

Not at all. The bit about white gills is probably referring to Amanitaceae, which include some marvelously toxic species that destroy the human liver. But the advice is way too general to be useful. Brown-gilled species are not universally edible, and white-gilled species are not universally poisonous. To forage safely for plants or mushrooms, you should know the identifying characteristics of your target species and any non-edible lookalikes. There are definitely no general rules for determining mushroom edibility. A great resource is Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora.