Paul Stamets

This was a great choice to follow-up my recent reading of Suzanne Simard's [b:Finding the Mother Tree|54976983|Finding the Mother Tree Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest|Suzanne Simard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1614081087l/54976983._SX50_.jpg|85755601]. Each chapter in Fantastic Fungi is written by a different expert, so there is a lot of variety and science backed information. The topics range from fungi as a food source to possible environmental uses for mycelium and a whole lot in between, including mushrooms for medical treatments.

This book is a companion piece to a movie covering the same subjects. I haven't seen the movie yet but hope to soon. Prior to reading this, I never would have guessed that fungi is such a fascinating subject. There seems to be a resurgence in interest by the scientific community for the study of one earth's oldest organisms. Recommended reading for anyone interested in science and the environmental perils the earth is currently being subjected to by humans.… (more)

A thin booklet, which still has room for 18 pages of scientific references in small font. The introduction is the main text, closing with a few tables summarizing studied health effects of different fungal species.The main portion of the book is a summary discussion of 17 species, providing distribution & natural habitat, known active constituents, form used, medicinal properties, and Stamet's comments. The final chapter is Frequently Asked Questions, which may be the point at which another reviewer started thinking these were being touted as a cure-all. Just use your own judgement.
A good handy reference, before you use mushrooms medicinally.… (more)