The Fascinating World of Fungi (Revised Second Edition)

Fungi are unique and extraordinary. The Fascinating World of Fungi,  introduces their enormous diversity.  They play many important roles in our daily lives and are essential for the functioning of life on Earth. Yet their significance can be overlooked because they often remain hidden. Knowing where to look and what to look for is the first step into their beautiful and sometimes bizarre world.  This book introduces fungi and their importance in sustaining all life on Earth.

People have had intimate associations with fungi for millennia. But most of us are unaware how heavily we rely on fungi in the form of countless everyday products that use them and the chemicals they produce.  Fungi are root partners, recyclers that release locked-up nutrients from dead plants making them available to living ones. From a human perspective, fungi can feed or poison us, cure or kill us. The Fascinating World of Fungi explains the beneficial qualities and dangers.  This second edition is published at a time when there have been major advances in mycology, the study of fungi, and with the ever-increasing threat to our planet’s changing climate the need to conserve fungi is at last recognised.

The Fascinating World of Fungi is edited by Max Coleman. The book features articles written by a number of eminent contributors and spectacular close imagery of fungi.