John Norris, former deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and founder of the Bioterrorism Institute But the woo was dispensed with as the author dove into the details and the science, and it was incredibly informative. Actually, too informative, but given that I live in a smallish urban apartment, that threshold is actually very low. Paul Stamets manages to convey his passion for mushrooms, making all of us who are passionate about them build a small mycelium that unites us. He also spreads that little great hope that makes you think that maybe we still have time to save the planet if we listen to the earth.

The basic science goes like this: Microscopic cells called “mycelium”--the fruit of which are mushrooms--recycle carbon, nitrogen, and other essential elements as they break down plant and animal debris in the creation of rich new soil. What Stamets has discovered is that we can capitalize on mycelium’s digestive power and target it to decompose toxic wastes and pollutants (mycoremediation), catch and reduce silt from streambeds and pathogens from agricultural watersheds (mycofiltration), control insect populations (mycopesticides), and generally enhance the health of our forests and gardens (mycoforestry and myco-gardening). Mycoforestry and mycogardening: the use of mycelium for companion cultivation for the benefit and protection of plants. Today, there wasn't much moist; rain has been absent for days; so, new mushrooms aren't that abundant, but many decomposing. I wonder about their short life. Stamets believes they have a good impact on the soil. His "mycorestoration" is a good idea. However! If I someday have a home in a mountain forest (as I often fantasize), I would definitely try to cultivate multiple mushrooms in various contexts, mostly in food production and soil improvement. Maybe some magic stuff, too? Starhawk (2006). "Notes from Underground – Book review: Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World". Yes!. Positive Futures Network (38). ISSN 1089-6651. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013 . Retrieved 1 January 2013.Mushrooms are in many ways the earths largest organism. They can spread a network of communicating spores over many miles. If you look at mega-colony of mushroom spores, it is strikingly similar to images of cosmic nebula and galaxies. Thank you fractal mathematics. Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World is the sixth book written by American mycologist Paul Stamets.

The first half of the book also left me curious about patent law as it applies to living organisms and how Stamets and others operate in this space. More support for determining what mushrooms are native to your area or could be cultivated outdoors in your climate--maybe a world map with annotations? This is a concern for those of us in the arid southwest with less organic content in soils, bacteria-dominant carbon cycles, and not much of a cold season. Mushrooms are the link between plants and animals. (!!!!!!!!!) They have existed for eons, for billions of years. Throughout cosmic wind storms, when 90% of the life on the planet was decimated, throughout dinosaur evolution and extinction, and now up to this teeny tiny period of time humans have been around. This book is definitely more complicated to understand (I'll reread it several times and I'm pretty sure I'll continue to discover fascinating things with each reading).Stamets is on the editorial board of The International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, and is an advisor to the Program for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona Medical School, Tucson, Arizona. He is active in researching the medicinal properties of mushrooms,[2] and is involved in two NIH-funded clinical studies on cancer and HIV treatments using mushrooms as adjunct therapies. Having filed numerous patents on the antiviral, pesticidal, and remediative properties of mushroom mycelia, his work has been called pioneering and visionary.[3] A strong advocate of preserving biodiversity, Stamets supports research into the role of mushrooms for ecological restoration. This visionary and practical book should be an instant classic in the emerging science of how to use nature’s wisdom and fecundity to rescue the earth and ourselves from the unwelcome consequences of human cleverness.“ I was fairly disappointed in this book, given the amount of hype that surrounds it in some circles. A couple specific gripes: muddling hypothesis and proven facts/theories, making huge, sweeping statements without footnotes or references - ie, this mushroom might cure cancer... sure, it might , so might dancing the tango, but how likely is it - when there are references, they are to the author's own work or to incredibly small science-fair-esque experiments. Further, I was put off by the whoo-whoo "Gaia hypothesis" language and underlying thesis. Solid overview of fungi's ecological potential - from repairing deforestation to cleaning up toxic/radioactive waste to even fighting insect pests, this was probably my favorite part of the book. These are important and timely findings, and should be more popular than they currently are. A paradigm-changing book. Stamets’s visionary insights are leading to a whole new understanding of how mushrooms, scarcely seen and rarely appreciated, regulate the earth’s ecosystems.“

Mycelium Running is a manual for the mycological rescue of the planet. That’s right: growing more mushrooms may be the best thing we can do to save the environment, and in this groundbreaking text from mushroom expert Paul Stamets, you’ll find out how. Stamets’s best work to date, Mycelium Running provides a wealth of information showing how fungal mycelia and mushrooms can profoundly improve the quality of human life. Should be mandatory reading for government policy makers.” This is the kind of book I love: highly factual and practical and mixed with the spiritual content that sets the great writers apart from all the rest.“

Stamets was the recipient of the "Bioneers Award" from The Collective Heritage Institute in 1998,[4] as well as the "Founder of a New Northwest Award" from the Pacific Rim Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils in 1999. He was also named one of Utne Reader's "50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World" in their November–December 2008 issue. In February 2010, Paul received the President's Award from the Society for Ecological Restoration: Northwest Chapter, in recognition of his contributions to Ecological Restoration. His work was featured in the documentary film The 11th Hour.[5] He has also been featured in the eco-documentary films Dirt (film)[6] and 2012, Time for a Change (film).[7]