Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms

This book was a gift for my wife, who is fond of mushrooms. It was recommended by another friend who also loved the book.

Excellent book for all mushroom lovers

Aufdringlich, wie die Autorin die Bedeutung ihrer Informanten dem Leser immer als Erstes und Wichtigstes aufdrängt. Und dann, wohin sie sich begeben hat, welchen Aufwand sie getrieben hat, welche beinah gefährlichen Abenteuer sie erlebt hat oder fast erlebt hätte. Dieses sensationsreporterhafte Gehabe ist eines Buches nicht würdig.

I came to this book because of research I am doing on symbiosis and microorganisms and a growing fascination with all things tiny and weird that keep our ecosystem thriving. Eugenia Bone is a compatible, sometimes funny, honest knowledgeable guide to a beginner in the world of mushrooms and all things fungus. I loved learning about the sociology of mushroom people, how to (and how not to) grow mushrooms in your apartment. How the world is permeated with fungi (yes, I am a bit creeped out knowing that everything has fungi in it!). And how wondrous the world is and how tied together by mushroom threads, fungal spores, etc. we are. Also a lot of fun are the cultural takes and attitudes about mushrooms. I have travelled in Eastern Europe a lot and mushroom hunting is a sacred skill, sadly disappearing as a younger generation prefers texting and computers, which aren't bad in themselves, but it is a loss that the knowledge is disappearing. These folks got most of their minerals from mushrooms! In any case, the book is great to just learn about mushrooms in a grand general sense and to look at the world from a totally new perspective.

Interesting book when it arrived. First copy got lost in the post but second copy arrived eventually.