MILLMAN, LAWRENCE / PORTER, AMY JEAN
u003cpu003eu003cbu003e"This little book is big fun."—Michael Pollanu003cbru003eu003cbru003eAn illustrated mini-encyclopedia of fungal lore, from John Cage and Terence McKenna to mushroom sex and fairy ringsu003c/bu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003ciu003eFungipedia u003c/iu003epresents a delightful A–Z treasury of mushroom lore. With more than 180 entries—on topics as varied as u003ciu003eAlice in Wonderlandu003c/iu003e, 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.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eCombining 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 u003ciu003ePeter Rabbitu003c/iu003e, 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.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eWith charming drawings by artist and illustrator Amy Jean Porter, u003ciu003eFungipediau003c/iu003e offers a treasure trove of scientific and cultural information. The world of mushrooms lies right at your door—be amazed!u003c/pu003eu003culu003eu003cliu003eFeatures a real cloth cover with an elaborate foil-stamped designu003c/liu003eu003c/ulu003e