The Secret Life of Fungi

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What to expect

Fungi are unlike any other living thing—they’re almost magically unique. Welcome to this astonishing world …

Fungi can appear anywhere, from desert dunes to frozen tundra. They can invade our bodies and live between our toes or our floorboards. They are unwelcome intruders or vastly expensive treats, and symbols of both death and eternal life. But despite their familiar presence, there’s still much to learn about the eruption, growth, and decay of their secret, interconnected world.

Aliya Whiteley has always been in love with fungi—from her childhood taking blurry photographs of strange fungal eruptions on Exmoor to a career as a writer inspired by their surreal and alien beauty. This love for fungi is a love for life, from single-cell spores to the largest living organism on the planet; a story stretching from Aliya’s lawn into orbit and back again via every continent.

From fields, feasts, and fairy rings to death caps, puffballs, and ambrosia beetles, this is an intoxicating journey into the life of an extraordinary organism, one that we have barely begun to understand.

Critics Review

  • “Alison Larkin’s narration of this ode to all things mushroom reflects the author’s love of fungi….Larkin has as much fun describing how to cook a favorite mushroom dish as she does reminding listeners that penicillin has saved millions of lives. She maintains the author’s jazzed energy…[for] a deliciously fun listen.”

    AudioFile

  • “Presents a feast of fungi, benign and malign…Whiteley’s charming, informative survey of fungus reveals many little-known facts about a vast array of species.”

    Kirkus Reviews

  • “Whiteley ruminates whimsically on her experiences foraging, cooking, and researching mushrooms…Her talents come to bear when describing the shape, smell, and taste of various fungi…Nature lovers will enjoy this compendium of trivia and musings.

    Publishers Weekly

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