{"id":46058,"date":"2016-10-27T18:41:25","date_gmt":"2016-10-27T22:41:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/planetsave.com\/?p=46058"},"modified":"2016-10-27T18:41:25","modified_gmt":"2016-10-27T22:41:25","slug":"radical-mycology-book-is-the-fungal-opus-weve-been-waiting-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planetsave.com\/articles\/radical-mycology-book-is-the-fungal-opus-weve-been-waiting-for\/","title":{"rendered":"Radical Mycology Book Is The Fungal Opus We’ve Been Waiting For"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a world which, quite simply, couldn’t exist in its current form without fungi, it’s incredible how incredibly little we know about the fungal queendom (as author Peter McCoy puts it) that is intricately linked with life on Earth, from pole to pole and from peak to crevasse. Fungi are found in a vast array of habitats around the world, and are essential, if not at the center of, many key ecological processes, yet most of us are probably hard pressed to name an example of fungi in our everyday lives, except for perhaps edible mushrooms, or maybe athletes foot. But a closer look at the role of fungi in modern life reveals that we get a variety of products from them, ranging from pharmaceuticals (from antibiotics to statin drugs) to baking and brewing yeasts, as well as citric acid, detergents, and a number of fermented foods.<\/p>\n

\"radical-mycology\"And yet, most of us are rather ignorant of the basics of fungi, which are said to be responsible for more than 90% of all decomposition on the planet, as well as quite possibly being the most resilient life form here. Of an estimated 6 million species of fungi on Earth, only about 75,000 have been classified (about 1.5%), less than 100 species have been integrated into regular human activities, and of the two dozen or so mushroom species that are commonly cultivated, just seven of them are done so on a large scale. In essence, mycology is still in its youth, and breakthroughs in fungal materials, medicine, and environmental mitigation may offer a sustainable solutions to a number of resource and waste issues in the years to come.<\/p>\n

All of that is a long way of saying that Peter McCoy’s Radical Mycology<\/em> really ought to be on the bookshelves of everyone from fermented foodies to foragers, from ecologists to chemists, to permaculturists and orchardists and environmental engineers and doctors. I received a review copy of it from the author, and was, quite frankly, equal parts blown away and inspired by the book, both because of what I’ve learned so far, and because of what the study and practice of mycology has to offer for a more sustainable and ecologically sound economy.<\/p>\n

But first, just what exactly is radical mycology?<\/p>\n

“Radical Mycology is a grassroots movement and social philosophy based on accessibly teaching the importance of working with mushrooms and other fungi for personal, societal, and ecological resilience. Radical Mycology differs from classical mycology in that classical mycology generally focuses on taxonomy, identification, mycophagy (eating mushrooms), and the more personal benefits of working with fungi while Radical Mycology works to build relationships amongst humans and fungi for the benefit of larger communities and the world.<\/em><\/p>\n

As a concept, Radical Mycology is based on the belief that the highly resilient lifecycles of fungi and their interactions in nature serve as powerful learning tools for how humans can best relate to each other and steward the world they live in.” – Radical Mycology<\/em><\/p>\n

This remarkable book (a tome, really, at 670+ pages) is one part fungal science and biology, one part fungi history, one part instruction manual and guide, and one part fungal philosophy, sprinkled liberally with anecdotes and factoids, all of which are referenced in the footnotes. It’s truly got something for everyone, from the layman to the prospective mushroom grower, and while it can be read cover to cover, it also has an extensive set of informative tables and images for reference purposes.<\/p>\n