Home › Books › The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi: Exploring the Micros…
The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi: Exploring the Microscopic World in Our Forests, Homes, and Bodies
by
26/99
Critics' Rating Index
62/99
Readers' Rating Index
n/a
Scholars' Citation Index
15/99
Volume of Reviews
24/99
Volume of Reader Ratings
Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.
About This Book
For readers of Entangled Life and The Hidden Life of Trees comes an illuminating account of the "invisible" fungi that share our world: from the air we breathe to the dust beneath our feet. The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi traces the intricate connections between fungi and all life on Earth to show how these remarkable microbes enrich our lives: from releasing the carbon in plants for the benefit of all organisms to transmitting information between trees, to producing life-changing medicine, to adding umami flavor and B vitamins to our food. Divided into sections, each one exploring an environment where fungi live, this enthralling, science-backed book ventures into our homes, bodies, farms, and forests to profile the fungi that inhabit these environments, most of them invisible to the naked eye. Along the way, the author, the esteemed career mycologist Keith Seifert, explains the latest research into where these fungi came from: how yeast, lichens, slimes, and molds evolved and adapted over millions of years. And he shows us that, surprisingly, fungi share almost a quarter of human genes. We may have more in common with yeast and slime than we think … But not all fungi are good for us. In fact, fungal diseases lead to over 1 million deaths each year and more than a quarter of our food goes to waste. How can we strike a better balance with our microbial cousins, both for their sake and ours? The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi urges us to better understand our relationship with fungi—and to plan our future with them in mind—while revealing their world in all its beautiful complexity.
Reviews
"Learn from their ways,' Seifert urges...The book is fact-heavy but lacking in the kind of entertaining anecdotes and asides that might make for easier reading...It also jumps from topic to topic without exploring anything in much depth...These are less flaws than the nature of the task that Seifert has set for himself — to provide an encyclopedic survey of the field."
"Pollen grains drift by like glowing blimps."
"Seifert, a life-long mycologist and researcher, explores the vast and varied relationships of fungi with people, other living things, and the environment...The book is arranged by sections that examine different types of habitat where fungi live and flourish...Seifert's writing is animated, and interspersed in the text are fascinating facts and anecdotes...Some of the most thought-provoking information appears in the section on how current fungi research might contribute to a sustainable planet, including the creation and production of mycomaterials that mimic materials like leather and a type of Styrofoam being considered for an eventual colony on Mars...Seifert, in this fascinating, engaging, and approachable work, provides an improved understanding of how fungi surround and affect our lives."
Preview
Reader Reviews
0 reviewsSign in to write a review.
No reader reviews yet. Be the first!