Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures

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I already knew fungi were fantastic, but Merlin Sheldrake has reinvigorated my love for this strange and largely unknown kingdom of organisms. From ancient fungi as tall as a two-story building to the largest organisms on modern-day earth, down to the tiniest hyphae that make up a mycelial network, Sheldrake explores what we know and what we don't about fungi and all the wild and wonderful possibilities just out of reach on the horizon. Hi! I'm Max and I'm a writer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I've been freelancing for more than five years and love the freedom and variety that this profession offers. Animals are also a big part of my life, and a lot of my time is dedicated to playing with my cat, Herbie. The Best Children’s Books About Fungi: Reviewed and Ranked FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) In our opinion, the best overall children’s book about fungi is Mushroom Rain by Laura K Zimmermann. The questions grow more complicated. Mycorrhizal fungi are species whose mycelia penetrate and entangle themselves with plant roots. A symbiotic exchange occurs, in which the photosynthesising plant feeds the mycelium with carbon, and receives from it nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients. I nearly wrote “receives in return”. Descriptions of this relationship can barely reject the language of bargains. There is frequent adjustment. Plants funnel chemical information from the air to the fungus, whose mycelia bring similar signals to the plant from underground. In woodland, the network, involving numerous species, can be so extensive and dense that trees detect what happens to each other across long distances. Some people call this the “Wood Wide Web”. Harpignies, JP (7 July 2020). "Interview with Merlin Sheldrake, Author of Entangled Life". Bioneers. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020 . Retrieved 31 August 2020.

Entangled Life would be better if it discussed fungi biology more and Merlin Sheldrake less. I did learn some worthwhile, interesting tidbits, but ended up skimming a lot of sections where Sheldrake was just going on some meandering philosophical journey of what fungi might mean or things that could be. I just don't like him much. He seems like a nice guy, but it's difficult for me to relate to him or what he cares about. A gombamánia néha elég extrém viselkedési vadhajtásokat is szülhet. Néha például az volt a benyomásom, hogy mikológus csak az lehet, aki élete (minimum) egy pontján alávetette magát egy igazi varacskos LSD-tripnek. Some fungi have tens of thousands of mating types, approximately equivalent to our sexes (the record holder is the split gill fungus, Schizophyllum commune, which has more than twenty-three thousand mating types, each of which is sexually compatible with nearly every one of the others). The mycelium of many fungi can fuse with other mycelial networks if they are genetically similar enough, even if they aren't sexually compatibleGeoffrey Kibby is one of Britain’s foremost experts on identifying mushrooms in the field and has published a range of excellent guides/handbooks to mushroom identification. When choosing a book about fungi for your child you should consider the age of the child, reading level, and the type of book. Best cookbook featuring mushrooms: Mushrooms (River Cottage Handbook) by John Wright, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Umm, could Psilocybin mushroom consumption be the needed first step in effectively mitigating human caused global warming and extinctions? [My thoughts, not the author's.] Quite often fungi has a bad rep — especially when it comes to poisonous mushrooms. However, there is so much more to learn, and a good book can open this exciting world up to your child.

But it's not just plants whose lives are made possible by fungi. It is also our own. They live in our guts and help us get nutrients from food. Food that wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for fungi! They nourish us with their mushroom "fruit".... as long as we know which to avoid! Eat the wrong mushroom and it's bye bye to you. Psilocybin found in certain "magic mushrooms" help alleviate depression and break addiction. Mason Goes Mushrooming is an illustrated story with stunning pictures and is written in a classic children’s book format. As such, it interweaves educational ideas with an engaging story about a young boy who sets off into the woods with his dog. Macfarlane, Robert (7 August 2016). "The Secrets of the Wood Wide Web". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 21 October 2019 . Retrieved 31 August 2020. Francis Gooding writes about the relationship between plants and mycorrhizal fungi ( LRB, 20 May). Fungi extend the reach of plants’ roots, bringing them water and essential nutrients in a form they can absorb; they also protect them from pests and diseases. In return plants provide the fungi with the carbon that makes up their bodies; many fungi are entirely dependent on plants for this. However, when plants are given fertilisers, they have less need of the fungi and will stop supplying carbon ‘exudates’.Discover the kingdom of fungi with Keith Seifert’s book, for indeed, fungi are a different kingdom to plants and animals. It’s a broad book, which is suitable since fungi are so diverse and wide-ranging. It covers everything from how fungi break down wood, how fungi can zombify insects, to how humans have taken on our favourite fungi and used them to make bread, cheese, and alcohol. a b c Bone, Eugenia (22 May 2020). " 'Entangled Life' Review: Digging Into Enigmatic Organisms". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020 . Retrieved 31 August 2020. Lichens – a fascinating chapter which explores their existence as a symbiotic relationship (now often called mutualism) between a fungus and an alga