Mushrooms have always been on the fringes of both the web of life and science in general, existing in the brackets between plant and animal in the minds of many. The Kingdom Fungi has, much like its constituents, rarely burst out into the light from the dark corners of popular science, that is, until recently. The last few years have seen Fungi of all forms thrust to the forefront of popular literature and medical research, which has generated a wave of renewed interest in the big questions around our mycelial cousins (after all they are eukaryotic cells just as we are). Where do they live, what can they do for us? And how can modern science get under the bonnet (pun intended) of these elusive but ultimately extremely important organisms?
If this surge in interest has managed to pass you by, or if you are already a budding (pun also intended) enthusiast, then this non-exhaustive, short-list of books will bring you up to date on the history and present knowledge of mushrooms and touch on the cultural importance of these diverse eukaryotes.
Fantastic Fungi – Paul Stamets and other contributors
How Mushrooms Can Heal, Shift Consciousness & Save the Planet
No list of mushroom focussed literature would be complete without mentioning one of the most influential figures in modern mushroom science, Paul Stamets, in cohort with some of the eminent minds of modern mushroom science and opinion. This book, which accompanies the Netflix documentary of the same name, covers many of the same topics but presents them in an accessible way with full referencing should you wish to take the topic further and research in your own time. The book covers a full complement of topics, ranging from the concept of a wood wide web of interconnected trees and fungal partners, to how chemical science can harness the unique biological properties of a range of mushroom species to give us vital and useful medicines, remedial chemistries, and solutions to some of our most pressing issues in modern life including national security, combatting bioweaponry, and pollution solutions on a global scale. Each page is accompanied by rich and detailed macro–photography characterising some of the unique and beautiful forms of these organisms and will leave a distinct impression that there is a whole world out there still waiting to be explored. The book closes with a dive into the what ifs that surround looking at the world with a mycelial lens and posits some interesting theories on the very sources of human existence and our co-evolution with mushrooms itself.
In Search of Mycotopia – Doug Bierend
Citizen Science, Fungi Fanatics, and the Untapped Potential of Mushrooms
Hailed as ‘a natural sequel’ to Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life. In Search of Mycotopia occupies very much the same area in most people’s libraries. An in depth and developed look beneath the often-elusive veil of the field of mycology and all its intricacies, this book takes a human–centric approach to the social side of the recent explosion in citizen mushroom science and how its these people that are driving development in this field before the lumbering pharma giants are able to gain a foothold. Focussing on the open-source nature of how modern mushroom research is conducted, it covers a range of topics that may be familiar to those already interested in this field but is also highly accessible to those who have not been introduced to this dynamic and interesting world. There is more nuance to the way that questions are asked around the great potential and almost utopic ideas that are posited in other mushroom literature, but this does not make this book any less inspiring or interesting and is a great hopping on point for the first stop on the mycelium express.
Entangled Life and Entangled Life (Illustrated Edition) – Merlin Sheldrake
How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures
Entangled Life is a colourful journey through one Merlin Sheldrake’s experiences with mushrooms and the niches which they occupy in everyday life. He adopts a ‘mushroom first’ perspective while investigating the reasons why mushrooms behave and perform in the way that they do, first leading with the ‘how’s,’ before following up with the ‘whys.’ Whether this is in a commercial, foraging, or clinical setting, seemingly the mycelium themselves posit the questions surrounding their unique biology and Merlin seeks to draw out answers and clarify what makes them so special to both us and the planet. He also leans on the cultural aspects of mycology and helps clarify just how important mushrooms have been in our history and are likely to be in our future. This is an excellent book for those who want to build a strong foundation of knowledge for modern mushroom science but is also great for those who want to take a slightly deeper dive into the bigger questions surrounding mycology. The new illustrated edition is a pared-down version of the full-text version and instead replaces some of the larger passages of text with high quality macro photographs that are described in such rich detail in the original text. It is an exquisite graphic accompaniment to the original book.