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Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World
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.
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).
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll find chapters detailing each of these four exciting branches of what Stamets has coined “mycorestoration,” as well as chapters on the medicinal and nutritional properties of mushrooms, inoculation methods, log and stump culture, and species selection for various environmental purposes. Heavily referenced and beautifully illustrated, this book is destined to be a classic reference for bemushroomed generations to come.
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).
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll find chapters detailing each of these four exciting branches of what Stamets has coined “mycorestoration,” as well as chapters on the medicinal and nutritional properties of mushrooms, inoculation methods, log and stump culture, and species selection for various environmental purposes. Heavily referenced and beautifully illustrated, this book is destined to be a classic reference for bemushroomed generations to come.
356 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
1728 people are currently reading
17343 people want to read
About the author
Paul Stamets
17 books905 followersStamets 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.
The author of numerous books and papers on the subject of mushroom identification and cultivation, Stamets has discovered four new species of mushrooms. He is an advocate of the permaculture system of growing, and considers fungiculture a valuable but underutilized aspect of permaculture. He is also a leading researcher into the use of mushrooms in bioremediation, processes he terms mycoremediation and mycofiltration.
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]
In 2008, he delivered a TED talk: "Paul Stamets on 6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World".
The author of numerous books and papers on the subject of mushroom identification and cultivation, Stamets has discovered four new species of mushrooms. He is an advocate of the permaculture system of growing, and considers fungiculture a valuable but underutilized aspect of permaculture. He is also a leading researcher into the use of mushrooms in bioremediation, processes he terms mycoremediation and mycofiltration.
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]
In 2008, he delivered a TED talk: "Paul Stamets on 6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 287 reviews
November 26, 2009
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.
There is some good information in here, including a large catalog of mushrooms, but to get to it you have to wade through pages of unnecessarily pretentious and unclear language that, I think, was chosen to sound more 'science-y'. Also, there is some good information on cultivation, but if you, like me, are looking for a good book on cultivation techniques, this is not it.
There is some good information in here, including a large catalog of mushrooms, but to get to it you have to wade through pages of unnecessarily pretentious and unclear language that, I think, was chosen to sound more 'science-y'. Also, there is some good information on cultivation, but if you, like me, are looking for a good book on cultivation techniques, this is not it.
November 8, 2013
Wow, I got my mind grapes blown on this one. I remember hearing about this book on NPR.
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.
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.
I LOVE MUSHROOMS! They can help digest old motor oil and pollutants. Why isn't all of our money going into mushroom research to heal our damaged planet?
argh!
only 4 stars because its written for scientists. Make another one for regular people please!
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.
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.
I LOVE MUSHROOMS! They can help digest old motor oil and pollutants. Why isn't all of our money going into mushroom research to heal our damaged planet?
argh!
only 4 stars because its written for scientists. Make another one for regular people please!
June 22, 2008
Basically, Dr. Stamets and his work is having profound effects in the way i look at the world and our ability to prevent ecological disaster. From watching his TED conference talk (tedtalks.blip.tv) to reading this book and then spending a weekend within the old growth forest on the clackamas river my brain has been stewing with possibility and opportunity.
Not only will you never see fungi the same way, but for the frst time in a long time i am positive about the human race's chances for continued occupation of this planet. But this will only happen through some intelligent partnerships with the biosphere we are so rapidly decimating. The fungi are trying to talk to us, they are trying to tell us to join them if we want to live. (yes i know i just quoted terminator 2)
Not only will you never see fungi the same way, but for the frst time in a long time i am positive about the human race's chances for continued occupation of this planet. But this will only happen through some intelligent partnerships with the biosphere we are so rapidly decimating. The fungi are trying to talk to us, they are trying to tell us to join them if we want to live. (yes i know i just quoted terminator 2)
Want to read
December 5, 2015
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.
(You may click on any of the photographs)
(I think there's a part missing in the whole shape....)
(by the window I caught the spider preparing her meal...)
But then, before sunset, I still had time for a few more shots.
December 10, 2021
Update, December 2021 —
The Fermentation Edition at Why is this interesting? brought up an twist that I wanted to add in here.
I”m pretty sure Stamets mentions somewhere in that book that decomposition by ’shrooms releases much of the involved biological carbon as gas, primarily as carbon dioxide. I don’t recall any mention of better mechanisms, though. The gist, as I recall it, is that this is the natural way of recycling nutrients to create healthy soil, with the implication that it’s good, and the best we can hope for.
In the great outdoors, I suspect that’s still true. But the fermentation introduced in that short article seems likely to be even better in circumstances where we can more precisely control the process. It uses lactic acid fermentation in an anerobic process, and produces no gasses — no carbon dioxide, no methan, etc. As the Wikipedia page on Bokashi points out:
But as a backyard technique, it seems like something worth investigating for more aggressive reinvigoration of soil.
So I thought I’d add it in here.
❦
I drink a lot of coffee. So that means a lot of coffee grounds accumulate in my compost, and a few months ago I looked at that and wondered if it could be used to grow mushrooms.
A quick search of the interwebs revealed the answer was probably. Or, really, almost certainly.
One site said most mushrooms won’t tolerate the caffeine left behind, while another said one of the easiest to cultivate was an exception to that, and others said that wouldn’t be a problem, but it also appeared that maybe mushrooms are difficult to grow in general?
I decided to dig in a little deeper, and this book got pretty good reviews for providing answers.
And, yes, it does. It lost a star for starting off with some woo that almost made me cease reading. For example, from page 7…
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.
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?
If you want to know the background science of how different types of ‘shrooms thrive (easy saprophytics in the compost heap vs mysterious mycorrhizal building more robust soil, for example) or if you want to know what kind you might plant in your own yard, this is a good reference to check out.
The Fermentation Edition at Why is this interesting? brought up an twist that I wanted to add in here.
I”m pretty sure Stamets mentions somewhere in that book that decomposition by ’shrooms releases much of the involved biological carbon as gas, primarily as carbon dioxide. I don’t recall any mention of better mechanisms, though. The gist, as I recall it, is that this is the natural way of recycling nutrients to create healthy soil, with the implication that it’s good, and the best we can hope for.
In the great outdoors, I suspect that’s still true. But the fermentation introduced in that short article seems likely to be even better in circumstances where we can more precisely control the process. It uses lactic acid fermentation in an anerobic process, and produces no gasses — no carbon dioxide, no methan, etc. As the Wikipedia page on Bokashi points out:
❝[This is] in marked contrast to decomposition, which emits the majority of its input carbon and energy within greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and methane, in proportions determined by the method of decomposition) and as heat (in aerobic decomposition). Decomposition also loses the key plant nutrient nitrogen (in the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide and in ammonia.).❞It seems substantially more work, though. For what I can gather, it isn’t used by the industrial composters that empty our green bins, all of which seem to use a variety of aerobic techniques — I don’t know why. None of the articles I spotted appeared to address lactic acid fermentation.
But as a backyard technique, it seems like something worth investigating for more aggressive reinvigoration of soil.
So I thought I’d add it in here.
❦
I drink a lot of coffee. So that means a lot of coffee grounds accumulate in my compost, and a few months ago I looked at that and wondered if it could be used to grow mushrooms.
A quick search of the interwebs revealed the answer was probably. Or, really, almost certainly.
One site said most mushrooms won’t tolerate the caffeine left behind, while another said one of the easiest to cultivate was an exception to that, and others said that wouldn’t be a problem, but it also appeared that maybe mushrooms are difficult to grow in general?
I decided to dig in a little deeper, and this book got pretty good reviews for providing answers.
And, yes, it does. It lost a star for starting off with some woo that almost made me cease reading. For example, from page 7…
I believe that the mycelium operates at a level of complexity that exceeds the computational powers of our most advanced supercomputers. I see the mycelium as the Earth’s natural Internet, a consciousness with which we might be able to communicate.Uhm, sure.
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.
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?
If you want to know the background science of how different types of ‘shrooms thrive (easy saprophytics in the compost heap vs mysterious mycorrhizal building more robust soil, for example) or if you want to know what kind you might plant in your own yard, this is a good reference to check out.
July 22, 2016
I borrowed this book in kindle format from my local library because the price to purchase the kindle version seemed rather high to me ($24+ at Amazon). However, after reading it, I could recommend paying a higher price for the book, especially if you are interested in growing or gathering mushrooms.
I was looking for a general introduction to mushrooms and their myriad uses. This book gave me that and much more. The first part of the book goes into great detail about the amazing uses of mushrooms, from cleaning up toxic waste, to rehabilitating landscapes devastated by fire, over-harvesting, or pests, to cancer prevention, to facilitating the growth of other agricultural products. And oh, by the way, food.
The second part of the book is a manual of how to grow mushrooms and mycelium in various habitats and for various uses. It seemed to be targeted primarily to organizations and governmental entities that might be interested in one or more of the remedial uses of mushrooms, but there was some information that would be useful for the small private grower. I skimmed most of this, since I'm not planning to go into mushroom production. But you should at least skim it to get a flavor of the different ways it can be handled.
The third part of the book is essential a catalog of specific varieties of mushrooms, with much detail about habitat, characteristics, and uses. Again, I skimmed this, but just this section would make the book worth purchasing as a reference.
I was looking for a general introduction to mushrooms and their myriad uses. This book gave me that and much more. The first part of the book goes into great detail about the amazing uses of mushrooms, from cleaning up toxic waste, to rehabilitating landscapes devastated by fire, over-harvesting, or pests, to cancer prevention, to facilitating the growth of other agricultural products. And oh, by the way, food.
The second part of the book is a manual of how to grow mushrooms and mycelium in various habitats and for various uses. It seemed to be targeted primarily to organizations and governmental entities that might be interested in one or more of the remedial uses of mushrooms, but there was some information that would be useful for the small private grower. I skimmed most of this, since I'm not planning to go into mushroom production. But you should at least skim it to get a flavor of the different ways it can be handled.
The third part of the book is essential a catalog of specific varieties of mushrooms, with much detail about habitat, characteristics, and uses. Again, I skimmed this, but just this section would make the book worth purchasing as a reference.
November 2, 2010
Oddly, this is one of the best books I've ever read
January 21, 2008
Here's (one of) my problem(s) with Stamets and his book: I just think it's frikin' heartless. He immediately goes into a convincing argument that mycelia (the underground structure of mushrooms) are sentient: they know that you're walking on them, they communicate, and so on. And then he dives straight into a discourse on how someday, we'll be able to harness these abilities for our own purposes, and use fungi as our communications devices. Yuck. It makes my heart hurt, and I can never make it much further through the book than that.
Paul Stamets knows his stuff, and he's amazing in many respects. But the enslavement-of-fungi thing is disheartening enough that it puts a damper on the entire book (and the Stamets enterprise) for me.
Paul Stamets knows his stuff, and he's amazing in many respects. But the enslavement-of-fungi thing is disheartening enough that it puts a damper on the entire book (and the Stamets enterprise) for me.
June 28, 2019
Paul Stamets does a thorough job of explaining "How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World". Apparently mushrooms can absorb toxic waste. Yay! Mushrooms! I've been reading small parts of this book for six months. I found it hard to concentrate on the technical descriptions if I read too much in one sitting.
The beginning stated how mushrooms help clean the environment. The middle instructs readers how to grow mushrooms. The last part of the book describes major types of mushrooms. Stamets speculates which mushrooms might be worth studying in the future. I was surprised so many mushrooms haven't yet been evaluated for nutrition and medicinal value. Mushroom scientists still have a lot of work to do. Great photographs.
The beginning stated how mushrooms help clean the environment. The middle instructs readers how to grow mushrooms. The last part of the book describes major types of mushrooms. Stamets speculates which mushrooms might be worth studying in the future. I was surprised so many mushrooms haven't yet been evaluated for nutrition and medicinal value. Mushroom scientists still have a lot of work to do. Great photographs.
August 29, 2014
There's definitely some interesting ideas here, but the book could have used some more editing. Also, it's weird how Paul Stamets patents all of his most useful discoveries so that nobody can use them without paying him.
August 2, 2008
This book is so exciting and inspiring! Stamets is not kidding - mushrooms really do have an important place in restoring a lot of damage we have done to the earth, and in keeping us alive and healthy on it! I love the instructions for starting your own outdoor mushroom patches, and the different ways his research into fungi has taken him. Did you know the largest living organism on earth is a fungus? That the pesticide industry is unnecessary? That saving the Northwest's old-growth forests is a matter of national security?! It's a fascinating and eye-opening book about the most ignored kingdom kingdom on Earth - the fungi. Check it out!
July 29, 2008
The first chapter almost made me quit reading, since the author is clearly a lunatic. However, we were slow enough at work that I was forced to give this another chance and the first half, excepting the intro, is quite fun to read. For anarchists and foresters alike. The second half is an encyclopeadic cookbook for "medicinal mushrooms" also quite skip-able.
The ecology, cultivation, and experiments are great. The photos of the authors hundreds of children and hippy lover are amusing. But what really sets this book apart is, I repeat: Informative and useful for anarchists, foresters, teachers, and waste management engineers alike.
The ecology, cultivation, and experiments are great. The photos of the authors hundreds of children and hippy lover are amusing. But what really sets this book apart is, I repeat: Informative and useful for anarchists, foresters, teachers, and waste management engineers alike.
January 2, 2022
This is a superb book, not only for mycophiles (obviously), but for anyone interested in ecology, nature or generally, in very interesting out-of-the-box scientific hypothesis on medicine, environmental restoration/remediation and the fascinatingly alien kingdom of fungi, what an absolutely great ride this is. although there is quite a lot of very specific technical advice on cultivation and remediation strategies, these are never too dense and they are actually quite exciting to read, mostly due to Paul Stamets' very visible and contagious passion on the subject. highly recommended for anyone who even has just a minimum curiosity about the kingdom of fungi 🍄
January 5, 2010
Probably the top book of the year, full of fascinating information that opened my eyes to the role of fungi in the garden and the world. Full review at http://waldeneffect.org/blog/How_to_C...
October 1, 2023
I forgot I was on a waiting list for almost a year to receive this one from the library, unfortunately my interest in fungi and mushrooms has somewhat waned since reading a similar book last year.
But my curiosity still remains about why the supposed power of mycelium is not being utilized. The world is practically on fire right now and I have read elsewhere that we don’t use mushrooms because the restorative effects of mycelium after a forest fire are too slow. From what I’ve read mycelium germs (seeds?) can be planted after the restoration process has been completed and will help with keeping plants moist in draught and assist with pest control etc., but this isn’t utilized either.
So my question is why? Are the authors theories too utopian to implement? Is big forestry holding the industry back? Lol.
This is a single read for me, won’t be revisiting or putting it on my shelf.
But my curiosity still remains about why the supposed power of mycelium is not being utilized. The world is practically on fire right now and I have read elsewhere that we don’t use mushrooms because the restorative effects of mycelium after a forest fire are too slow. From what I’ve read mycelium germs (seeds?) can be planted after the restoration process has been completed and will help with keeping plants moist in draught and assist with pest control etc., but this isn’t utilized either.
So my question is why? Are the authors theories too utopian to implement? Is big forestry holding the industry back? Lol.
This is a single read for me, won’t be revisiting or putting it on my shelf.
December 17, 2014
Amongst the many insights in this book one of the most interesting was a passage where Stamets discussed the number of anti biotics and anti vitals that originated with different kinds of mycelium and goes on to posit that given the mycellial biodiversity there's probably an antiviral there for every virus we encounter.
December 11, 2017
काफी अच्छी किताब है मोदी जी के स्वच्छ भारत आन्दोलन में अगर इनमे से कुछ इस्तेमाल किये जाए तोह सफाई भी होगी और पार्यावरण को भी फायदा होगा.
May 12, 2022
I first learned about the fungal network that connects forests from the book ‘Hidden life of Trees’ this book expounds on the amazing things going on under the surface of the soil as well as all things mushroom related. This was too dense for what I was looking for, but it is a great book if you want to dive into why Fungi is a key component in our ecosystems and how it could potentially be key in keeping our planet and ourselves healthy in the future. Super interesting stuff.
June 22, 2020
I found this book fascinating, but also slightly frustrating.
The fascinating:
- Stamets' detailed accounts of his own experiments and discoveries, and the broad possibilities these could create for the future of forestry, food and generally looking after the natural world.
- The in depth practical guidance on growing your own mushrooms. Whilst it's geared towards people with a fair bit of land, and isn't a "step by step" how-to guide, it gives a lot for gardeners to think about too.
- The overall impression and story that Stamets tells about fungi, mycelium and the role they have to play in the world.
The frustrating:
- Chapter 1: as a manifesto of possible things, it's a good read. But there's a lot of conjecture, "I suppose it could"s and generally big ideas that have very little grounding in much apart from Stamets' own musing (which whilst undoubtedly have a basis in his own extensive experimentation, are pretty wild).
- The structure of the chapters, which often move from hyper-detailed analysis of a trial to unsubstantiated speculations on what could be possible in future. The speculation isn't in itself always a problem, but being intermixed with such detail often gives it more weight than it deserves.
- The speculation on medicine. Interesting, but potentially irresponsible when there's not a lot of evidence to back it up.
How valid some of these frustrations are definitely depend on the idea of where legitimate knowledge comes from. Does the only source of truth come from peer-reviewed journals and establishment sources, or are there equally valid forms of knowledge creation that run in parallel with the scientific establishment? Notwithstanding that it's not a simple binary, I found there was often not enough substance to validate some of Stamets' bolder claims, even though I think pretty much everything he's doing should be more heavily researched and tested (and I think in the years since first publication, there's been some vindication of his initial ideas and experiments).
As someone with an "entry level" interest and knowledge of fungi, I'd say this works well as a book to deepen my knowledge and offer guidance and ideas for further reading (and the start of cultivating my own fungi). However, the way the book is organized and the slightly jarring mixture of high-concept conjecture with extremely specific accounts of the author's experiments, may not be the best entry for people entirely new to the world of fungi.
The fascinating:
- Stamets' detailed accounts of his own experiments and discoveries, and the broad possibilities these could create for the future of forestry, food and generally looking after the natural world.
- The in depth practical guidance on growing your own mushrooms. Whilst it's geared towards people with a fair bit of land, and isn't a "step by step" how-to guide, it gives a lot for gardeners to think about too.
- The overall impression and story that Stamets tells about fungi, mycelium and the role they have to play in the world.
The frustrating:
- Chapter 1: as a manifesto of possible things, it's a good read. But there's a lot of conjecture, "I suppose it could"s and generally big ideas that have very little grounding in much apart from Stamets' own musing (which whilst undoubtedly have a basis in his own extensive experimentation, are pretty wild).
- The structure of the chapters, which often move from hyper-detailed analysis of a trial to unsubstantiated speculations on what could be possible in future. The speculation isn't in itself always a problem, but being intermixed with such detail often gives it more weight than it deserves.
- The speculation on medicine. Interesting, but potentially irresponsible when there's not a lot of evidence to back it up.
How valid some of these frustrations are definitely depend on the idea of where legitimate knowledge comes from. Does the only source of truth come from peer-reviewed journals and establishment sources, or are there equally valid forms of knowledge creation that run in parallel with the scientific establishment? Notwithstanding that it's not a simple binary, I found there was often not enough substance to validate some of Stamets' bolder claims, even though I think pretty much everything he's doing should be more heavily researched and tested (and I think in the years since first publication, there's been some vindication of his initial ideas and experiments).
As someone with an "entry level" interest and knowledge of fungi, I'd say this works well as a book to deepen my knowledge and offer guidance and ideas for further reading (and the start of cultivating my own fungi). However, the way the book is organized and the slightly jarring mixture of high-concept conjecture with extremely specific accounts of the author's experiments, may not be the best entry for people entirely new to the world of fungi.
July 14, 2019
This is two books grafted together; a review of the biology of mycelium and an overview of ways that fungi can be used for environmental restoration; and a practical manual for growing mycelia and mushrooms. I was interested in the first part; look to other reviews for the adequacy of the manual section. The author is known as an evangelist for fungi and mushrooms and the book's evangelical tone is accurately signaled by the title. The evidence for the claims for mycoremediation comes in the form of a variety of smallish trials, largely by the author's business. The science seems plausible, though brief google searching does not yet find accessible broader evidence; there are popular press and naturalist articles citing the author's work and opinions; academic textbooks with surveys of bioremediation methods; and scientific papers testing specific bioremediation features. The writing can be repetitive, with sections on related topics using very similar wording. I gave the review 4 stars because the ideas are interesting and will be looking more broadly for evidence of the larger scale verification and adoption of the ideas.
July 6, 2025
This book is only a gateway to greater knowledge.
It's not a light, easy read, but a wealth of knowledge worth tackling. Paul Staments is a human who is trying to make the planet a better place and does not hold back in sharing his knowledge with others. I will be returning to Mycelium Running again and again, as I journey learning about fungi.
It's not a light, easy read, but a wealth of knowledge worth tackling. Paul Staments is a human who is trying to make the planet a better place and does not hold back in sharing his knowledge with others. I will be returning to Mycelium Running again and again, as I journey learning about fungi.
January 15, 2015
This is an extraordinary book. Very broad (fitting for a book on a whole kingdom of life), very detailed and learned, and most importantly immediately practical. The last, long chapter is a great reference of some of the most potent and good-to-know species of medicinal, mycoremediating mushrooms.
August 20, 2022
I was excited and really wanted to enjoy this book. The consistent use of pseudo science was the main detractor for me. The book read more like an infomercial than a scientific study for laypeople.
August 23, 2020
Made the mistake of trying to take on Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms first. This is way more accessible as a reference-- more like a high school textbook.
Other reviewers disagree, but I loved the anecdotal speculation about unusual ways to recruit mycelial tools for our own objectives. It was published 20 years ago but still reads as cutting edge and prescient, particularly the comment on page 44 about SARS, factory farming, and cruise ships as viral vectors that we need a better arsenal to fight back with...
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.
Some things I wish were more solidified:
1. Common newbie mistakes in propagation, particularly as many pasteurization techniques are cost prohibitive for a small scale runner.
2. 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.
3. Deeper list of spawn resources. He lists only his company for this continent and they are moving away from kits and sold out of their catalog of spawn.
Other reviewers disagree, but I loved the anecdotal speculation about unusual ways to recruit mycelial tools for our own objectives. It was published 20 years ago but still reads as cutting edge and prescient, particularly the comment on page 44 about SARS, factory farming, and cruise ships as viral vectors that we need a better arsenal to fight back with...
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.
Some things I wish were more solidified:
1. Common newbie mistakes in propagation, particularly as many pasteurization techniques are cost prohibitive for a small scale runner.
2. 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.
3. Deeper list of spawn resources. He lists only his company for this continent and they are moving away from kits and sold out of their catalog of spawn.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2023
It took me a long time to finish it because I felt that each page had a lot of useful information that I needed to think about and internalize. I have read this book after reading the "classics" (the future is fungi, entangled life...etc).
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).
One year ago I didn't know anything about mushrooms and now it's a topic I always want to know more about.
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.
Although I do not agree 100% with some of his premises, his approach seems new and enriching to me.
Stamets makes you daydream about the endless possibilities that the fungal world offers even while reading a book that is closer to being a textbook than a novel.
I really want to continue learning about mushrooms (any book recommendations are welcome), hunting them, appreciating them, tasting them and following Paul's work closely.
Definitely, the future is fungi. 🍄❤️
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).
One year ago I didn't know anything about mushrooms and now it's a topic I always want to know more about.
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.
Although I do not agree 100% with some of his premises, his approach seems new and enriching to me.
Stamets makes you daydream about the endless possibilities that the fungal world offers even while reading a book that is closer to being a textbook than a novel.
I really want to continue learning about mushrooms (any book recommendations are welcome), hunting them, appreciating them, tasting them and following Paul's work closely.
Definitely, the future is fungi. 🍄❤️
April 5, 2019
My one star rating reflects the fact that I don’t share the author’s enthusiasm for the technical details of fungal life. After the first chapter, I got lost in the mushroom forest and could not maintain my interest, so this is a DNF for me. If you adore mushrooms and detailed info on them, I suspect you will love this book.
February 22, 2021
A mind blowing type of book which explains how different mycelium and fruiting mushrooms can take on remediation of land and be used for their health properties and many other uses to. It is a book that made me think about how mushrooms could help me. There’s a sentence I didn’t think I’d ever type!
July 4, 2019
What I think is so fascinating about this work is that fungi are great at transforming chemicals and waste into something plants can use. They are effective at remediation and restoration. I will return to this book often for refreshing my information about the various species.
September 9, 2022
Interesting. The later portion of the book has a lot of "how to" information that didn't hold my attention, but would be great for people wanting to use mushrooms for any variety of purposes.
December 27, 2020
Doğaya başka bir gözle bakmanızı sağlayan sayılı kitaplardan biri.
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