Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World

An excellent handbook for everyone now taking an interest in a branch of life that has been shunned for far too long.Well-written, well-illustrated, and with many references for further reading, this is a book that takes readers way beyond the idea that mushrooms are merely useful as food. Introducing concepts of fungi as life-saving medicines, forestry protection (myco-forestry) and land reclamation (myco-remediation), it really gets you up out of your chair and experimenting at home or in your garden.Initially, I had bought this book as a guide to help me do a better job of growing-my-own. Now I have several species of mushrooms growing in various substrates, all ticking away nicely. And not all of them will be for food. Two are medicinal and one is for helping to restore part of my garden to health.Under the heading of myco-forestry, this book describes a better and far less exhausting way of handling problems with the Honey Fungus problem that affects so many trees & shrubs. (If you look up the RHS site for the way they propose you tackle this dreadful blight, you will see the outdated, potentially expensive, invasive, messy, and frankly body-wrecking technique of digging out a 2ft depth of soil in the area where an affected tree used to be - yeah, you try doing that here, with chunks of slate the size of paving slabs just a few inches under the soil surface!Paul Stamets' way of tackling this problem is much easier on the old joints, and all it takes is a bit of looking about either online or with a guide book when walking through the countryside.Myco-remediation is a real eye-opener of a chapter, where you can transform land that has been poisoned through anything from farm effluent run-off to industrial waste to oil spills. It also guides you through the process of restoring soil depth to exhausted and over-farmed land - his process taking a considerably shorter time than usual, as well as being cheaper and much more environmentally beneficial than buying in bags of compost. In fact, given the date this book was first written, I'm astonished that Forestry Authorities everywhere have not snapped up these common-sense concepts immediately to preserve the lands they have sadly depleted.(I live in an area surrounded by the aftermath of Forestry Commission activities, locals appalled by the condition the land is left in and the knowledge that it is only fit to be harvested 1 possibly 2 more times before it's completely useless for everything other than a little sheep farming. Hardly the legacy you want to leave to the next generation!)Mr Stamets includes a fair bit of science with the more practical side of things, but don't be afraid of that part. It's not beyond anyone's grasp and serves to give readers a better understanding of how the various types of fungi function and how you can better integrate it into your garden/ woodland /land/ smallholding/ farm.Although there is indepth instruction on how to raise mushrooms on a small or larger scale, there are many tempting mentions of Mr Stamets other book on Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, and I will probably purchase this on the strength of the quality of this book.I promise you, that after reading this one, you will not view your next wild-growing toadstool in the same way again.

Excellent introduction to this fascinating subject.

Was allerted to book by my Bee club , With an interest already in Fungi and mushrooms and in planetary conservation ,I sure this book will give me greater knowledge ,, looking forward to starting the big read

Bought as a gift for my partner. Book arrived quickly and in great condition.

Authors knowledge is pretty incredible and he seems to know and share information with all the main players in the field.A solid read on the subject.

Mushrooms and mycelium can save the world, but people are not listening, and taking notice.Covid 19 originates from nature. Mother earth is telling us enough is enough, and its time to change.Humankind hasn't survived for thousands of years, before the multi national drug companies were formed, without the help of nature. The book explains how most things can be helped or cured using the resourses nature provides, why is this not happening?, its because the the fat cats can't make money out of something thats virtualy free.

How little we the populous actually know about our surroundings and what is literally under our feet. Superb book, well written.

Incredible amount of helpful information. Life changing when it comes down to it. Read this and you will see our planet in a totally different light. Inspiring and factual. Definitely a re-reader.