En estos momentos, en la oscura humedad de un tronco hueco, crece un hongo. Parece inverosímil, pero ese hongo tiene el mismo ancestro que tú, y tu relación con él no solo es genética: también es gastronómica, espiritual, religiosa y comercial.

Desde el agárico blanco, que «provoca la orina» y baja la fiebre de la malaria, hasta los hongos bailarines de la película Fantasía de Disney, pasando por Alicia en el país de las maravillas y el hongo de Chernóbil que se alimenta de la radiación, este compendio con más de 180 entradas te transportará a un universo increíble.

No es una exageración: este año encontrarás muy pocos libros más interesantes que este. No importa en qué año leas esto.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

"This little book is big fun."--Michael Pollan

An illustrated mini-encyclopedia of fungal lore, from John Cage and Terence McKenna to mushroom sex and fairy rings

Fungipedia presents a delightful A-Z treasury of mushroom lore. With more than 180 entries--on topics as varied as Alice in Wonderland, chestnut blight, medicinal mushrooms, poisonings, Santa Claus, and waxy caps--this collection will transport both general readers and specialists into the remarkable universe of fungi.

Combining ecological, ethnographic, historical, and contemporary knowledge, author and mycologist Lawrence Millman discusses how mushrooms are much more closely related to humans than to plants, how they engage in sex, how insects farm them, and how certain species happily dine on leftover radiation, cockroach antennae, and dung. He explores the lives of individuals like African American scientist George Washington Carver, who specialized in crop diseases caused by fungi; Beatrix Potter, creator of Peter Rabbit, who was prevented from becoming a professional mycologist because she was a woman; and Gordon Wasson, a J. P. Morgan vice-president who almost single-handedly introduced the world to magic mushrooms. Millman considers why fungi are among the most significant organisms on our planet and how they are currently being affected by destructive human behavior, including climate change.

With charming drawings by artist and illustrator Amy Jean Porter, Fungipedia offers a treasure trove of scientific and cultural information. The world of mushrooms lies right at your door--be amazed!