An illustrated mini-encyclopedia of fungal lore, from John Cage to Terrence McKenna and from mushroom sex to fairy ringsFungipedia presents a delightful A-Z treasury of mushroom lore. With more than 180 entries-on topics as varied as Alice in Wonderland, chestnut blight, medicinal mushrooms, poisonings, Santa Claus, and waxy caps-this collection will transport both general readers and specialists into the remarkable universe of fungi.Combining ecological, ethnographic, historical, and contemporary knowledge, author-mycologist Lawrence Millman discusses how mushrooms are much more closely related to humans than to plants, how they engage in sex, how insects farm them, and how certain species happily dine on leftover radiation, cockroach antennae, and dung. He explores the lives of individuals like African American scientist George Washington Carver, who specialized in crop diseases caused by fungi; Beatrix Potter, creator of Peter Rabbit, who was prevented from becoming a professional mycologist because she was a woman; and J. P. Morgan vice-president Gordon Wasson, who almost single-handedly introduced the world to magic mushrooms. Millman considers why fungi are among the most significant organisms on our planet and how they are currently being affected by destructive human behavior as well as by climate change.With charming drawings by artist and illustrator Amy Jean Porter, Fungipedia offers a treasure trove of scientific and cultural information. The world of mushrooms lies right at your door-be amazed!