Molds, Mushrooms, and Medicines - by Nicholas Money (Hardcover)

About the Book

"From beneficial fungi that keep bacteria under control and consume dead cells to toxic molds that cause disease, our bodies are constantly navigating a fungus-filled world. And our interactions with fungi are not limited to what happens in our bodies as we interact with these microbes via our diet and as a source of medicines. In short, there exists an incredible range of interactions between humans and fungi. In this book, Nicolas Money describes this relationship between fungi and humans in the context of our health. Readers learn how the field of mycology has been advancing, from studies that reveal the diversity of yeasts that grow on the skin to research on the use of psychedelic mushrooms in the treatment of depression. The book is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on how fungi operate in our bodies from spores in the lungs to the yeasts and filaments that can infect our internal organs. In particular, Money focuses on the mycobiome, which is the fungal part of the larger microbiome, and explains what is and isn't known about the significance of fungi in the health of the gut. In the second half of the book, Money shifts his focus to our relationship with fungi outside the body, including in food, medicine, and agriculture -- and he pulls no punches when it comes to countering misguided notions when it comes to the medicinal powers of mushrooms. Throughout the book, Money explains how the human-fungi relationship is symbiotic, meaning that it is sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful. Ultimately, the reader comes away with a broad understanding of what scientists are learning about the fascinating role of fungi inside and outside of our bodies"--

Book Synopsis

The hidden role of fungi inside and all around us

From beneficial yeasts that aid digestion to toxic molds that cause disease, we are constantly navigating a world filled with fungi. Molds, Mushrooms, and Medicines explores the amazing ways fungi interact with our bodies, showing how our health and well-being depend on an immense ecosystem of yeasts and molds inside and all around us.

Nicholas Money takes readers on a guided tour of a marvelous unseen realm, describing how our immune systems are engaged in continuous conversation with the teeming mycobiome inside the body, and how we can fall prey to serious and even life-threatening infections when this peaceful coexistence is disturbed. He also sheds light on our complicated relationship with fungi outside the body, from wild mushrooms and cultivated molds that have been staples of the human diet for millennia to the controversial experimentation with magic mushrooms in the treatment of depression.

Drawing on the latest advances in mycology, Molds, Mushrooms, and Medicines reveals what scientists are learning about the importance of fungi to our lives, from their vital role in supporting the ecosystems on which we depend to their emerging uses in lifesaving medicine.

Review Quotes

"Our lifelong relationship with fungi is thoroughly outlined in this absorbing survey."---Mike Leggett, Leonardo Reviews

"All of the content is presented in a factual, clear and concise manner. It also contains a few hints of humor."---Neil Dollinger, Inoculum

"[This book is] so well written. Money's wry wit is so engaging and humorous that even if the subject . . . isn't something normally on your radar, I am confident that you will very much enjoy this book."---Britt A. Bunyard, Fungi Magazine

"Engaging and informative. . . . An amusingly written opus on fungi."---Debbie Viess, Mycophile

"Well researched, informative, and yet incredibly accessible and at times quite humorous, Money's book reminds readers of the importance of relying on evidence when making claims about curative and restorative treatments found in published scholarship."---Z. G. Ngow, Choice

"A very informative read."---David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer

"A fine introduction to a formidable form of life."---Tony Miksanek, Booklist

"This book is everything any decent person would want to know about fungus, and by the time Money gets into full swing, even the most reluctant reader will want to know more."---Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Review

"What a fine book! . . . Nicholas Money writes with a fluid, easy style and like so many scientists today displays a superb ability to inject snippets of wry humour into serious discussion."---David Gascoigne, Travels with Birds

About the Author

Nicholas P. Money is professor of biology at Miami University in Ohio and the author of many books, including The Rise of Yeast: How the Sugar Fungus Shaped Civilization, Mushrooms: A Natural and Cultural History, and Microbiology: A Very Short Introduction.