Described as “The most comprehensive book on DIY mycology ever written”, this book is on first impression unusual. It is in reality a traditional style American text book in appearance, size and weight. In the Preface under “How to read this book”, the author writes, “it is meant to be read from cover to cover”! I wonder how many people read text books from cover to cover? He doesn’t, however, say who this book is aimed at. The publisher’s reference to “DIY mycology” could imply that it is aimed at the layman. This publication is a laudable attempt at addressing the lamentable lack of mycology in the teaching of biology at all levels. The term radical mycology arose from the author’s involvement in conferences which brought together people from very diverse walks of life such as industry, politics, philosophy, teaching, the food industry, agriculture, brewing etc. There is a strong practical thread throughout this book which I think is has something to offer to a large and diverse audience including amateur mycologists. It includes the usual topics such as classification, structure and reproduction but also the range of activities involving fungi.
As for lichenology, it is a great disappointment. There is just one short chapter of less than 30 pages written by Nastassja Noell. It is a very traditional account that could have been written years ago. There is nothing wrong or radical about this. However, my feeling is that considering the huge diversity and abundance of lichen-forming fungal taxa, this is a travesty. A few years ago, it was pointed out to me by the mycologist John Burnett that lichens represent one of the best and most useful sources of experimental material for the study of mycology. They are very diverse and, unlike other fungi, they occur everywhere, are easily collected and present without fail at all times of the year. He said that mycologists should make much more use of lichens. Why are they so ignored!
To recommend this book, I would have to do so on the grounds that many mycologists are unfamiliar with lichens but also that lichenologists are often unfamiliar with very useful and essential mycology. So, I would suggest that if someone interested in lichens is looking for a book on mycology and finds most other mycology books too intimidating, it would be worth looking at this one to see if it is more suitable. It is practical and addressed to a wide enough audience for it to be useful.
