Entangled Life

How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures

By: Merlin Sheldrake

Narrated by: Merlin Sheldrake

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WITH OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE

A “brilliant [and] entrancing” (The Guardian) journey into the hidden lives of fungi—the great connectors of the living world—and their astonishing and intimate roles in human life, with the power to heal our bodies, expand our minds, and help us address our most urgent environmental problems.

“Grand and dizzying in how thoroughly it recalibrates our understanding of the natural world.”—Ed Yong, author of An Immense World

ONE OF PEOPLE’S BEST BOOKS OF THE 2020S • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Time, BBC Science Focus, The Daily Mail, Geographical, The Times, The Telegraph, New Statesman, London Evening Standard, Science Friday

When we think of fungi, we likely think of mushrooms. But mushrooms are only fruiting bodies, analogous to apples on a tree. Most fungi live out of sight, yet make up a massively diverse kingdom of organisms that supports and sustains nearly all living systems. Fungi provide a key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel, and behave.

In the first edition of this mind-bending book, Sheldrake introduced us to this mysterious but massively diverse kingdom of life. This exquisitely designed volume, abridged from the original, features more than one hundred full-color images that bring the spectacular variety, strangeness, and beauty of fungi to life as never before.

Fungi throw our concepts of individuality and even intelligence into question. They are metabolic masters, earth makers, and key players in most of life’s processes. They can change our minds, heal our bodies, and even help us remediate environmental disaster. By examining fungi on their own terms, Sheldrake reveals how these extraordinary organisms—and our relationships with them—are changing our understanding of how life works.

Winner of the Wainwright Prize, the Royal Society Science Book Prize, and the Guild of Food Writers Award • Shortlisted for the British Book Award • Longlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize

Fascinating insight into a hidden world

I am an educated medical professional who had no idea that the mycelial internet existed until a couple of years ago when I saw a popular film about the life of mushrooms. This wonderful book blows open one’s doors of perception with an amazing depth and breadth of information I never knew that I needed to know. Wow! Great book, highly recommend for the scientifically curious and lovers of the earth.

pretty good

author says a lot but also leaves us with many questions. intriguing and exciting to learn so much about the mycelial network. he doesn't pretend to be an expert, but shares what he's learned throughout his life entrenched and entangled with studying nature. I liked this book a lot, just thought I might learn a bit more? Merlin's voice is lovely and I enjoyed listening to him read to me. ☺️

fungus among us, seriously

I'd not given a lot of thought to fungi before but this author obviously has. Truly a fascinating compilation of facts and stories.

Can't praise enough!

This is a totally mesmerizing book, full of information I had no idea about.
The role of the smallest living things is impressive. It seems like they have the biggest influence on us.
The book ranges from really up to date research on the origin of life, plastic eating microbes to psychedelic mushrooms.
The writing is fantastic. The author /reader has one of the most pleasing voices I have ever heard.
I have listened to it twice now, it is so full of information, I can't absorb it all at once and anyway, I enjoy listening to it.

Intriguing and fascinating

This is a great overview of the wonderful world of the fungi, in all its myriad forms. It cover historical, mythological, scientific and simply practical applications of fungi in our world, both around us and inside us. The author narrates and does a superb job. Enjoy it!