Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles

Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles
Lucy Kavaler
iUniverse
ISBN: 0-595-43679-X
Non-Fiction, Nature
Reviewed by Dr. Tami Brady

I’m really glad I decided to pick up a copy of Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles and start reading. It lead me into a world that I hadn’t really though much about. I now have much more respect for fungi.
Who knew that fungi had such effects on our daily world? Yes, I love adding mushrooms to my homemade spaghetti sauce, I am aware that penicillin comes from bread mold, and being of Irish descent I know that the Great Hunger (the Irish Potato Famine) was caused by blight. However, as I drink my wine, eat my sandwich, or even take a deep breath of fresh air, I almost never think about how fungi is actually responsible for these things. Likewise, I had no idea of the potential of fungi in various avenues of modern medicine and the fight against world hunger. Conversely, I didn’t have a clue about the great dangers and possible destruction that fungi could accomplish.
I found Mushrooms, Molds, and Miracles completely fascinating. I learned a great deal but didn’t feel like I was reading a stuffy biology text. The author artfully managed to keep my attention throughout the entire book without overloading me. I could see how each section directly affect me, my world, and the future of all people, both the good and the bad.