The Secret Life of Fungi

July 5, 2021
Novelist Whiteley (Skyward Inn) ruminates whimsically on her experiences foraging, cooking, and researching mushrooms. “Biology is not my best subject,” she writes, and though she explains a few mycological mysteries (for example, how the enzymes of the Aspergillus tubingensis can break down plastic), her talents come to bear when describing the shape (“a whitish woolly cylinder”), smell (“an active aroma of climbing damp and shifting soil”), and taste (“mildly nutty... a hint of earthly flavor”) of various fungi. She marvels at the symbiotic relationships mushrooms form with other organisms, and how some reproduce—Pilobolus crystallinus, she notes, disperses its spores at a speed of 32 kilometers per hour. Among other bits of trivia readers are treated to is the fact that there are 108 species of lichen on the stones of Stonehenge, and that NASA is considering using mycelium—the threadlike filaments from which mushrooms form—as building material for radiation-resistant living shelters on Mars. (There’s also a recipe for mushroom stew with cheese dumplings.) Though too lighthearted for serious mycologists, casual nature lovers will enjoy this compendium of trivia and musings. Budding fungi enthusiasts, take note. Agent: George Lucas, InkWell Management.

August 1, 2021
A seasoned British mycophile presents a feast of fungi, benign and malign. No less scientific for its whimsicality, Whiteley's charming, informative survey of fungus reveals many little-known facts about a vast array of species, stressing that life as we know it would not be possible without the roles played by these unique organisms. Neither plant nor animal, but a life-form all its own, fungi can thrive anywhere on the planet, even in outer space. The largest single organism on Earth, notes the author, is a continuous specimen of fungus in Oregon's Malheur National Forest measuring 9,650,000 square meters. An able guide, Whiteley takes us on a brief tour of taxonomy (the science of naming and categorizing species) and a more detailed study of osmotrophy (the process by which fungi digest animal and plant material). She also contrasts fungi with lichen, the latter being composite organisms that include algae or bacteria alongside fungi, living mutually. Celebrating the edible mushroom's culinary versatility, Whiteley offers an occasional recipe, though no tips on foraging; the universe of mushrooms (fungi's fruiting body) is much too complex (and potentially perilous) to make decisions without expert knowledge. That said, humans have been consuming them for more than 19,000 years and employing their medicinal properties for at least 5,000. Certain microfungi may hold the key to devouring large amounts of the plastics now consigned to landfills and oceans as well as lead to new biofuels and other chemical/biological applications. As to the more inimical (to humans) varieties, Whiteley surveys horror tales and films about fungi run amok, but she forgets the hijacking spores of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The author closes with a glossary, Dramatis Fungi, ranging from the familiar and tasty Agaricus bisporus, or "Common Mushroom (Button, Chestnut, Portobello, Swiss Brown, Italian Brown)," to the lethal Amanita phalloides, or "Death Cap." A pleasing assembly of the puzzle of the world with fungi as a key piece.

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