From beneficial fungi that keep bacteria under control and consume dead cells to toxic molds
that cause disease our bodies are constantly navigating a fungus-filled world. And our
interactions with fungi are not limited to what happens in our bodies as we interact with these
microbes via our diet and as a source of medicines. In short there exists an incredible range
of interactions between humans and fungi. In this book Nicolas Money describes this
relationship between fungi and humans in the context of our health. Readers learn how the field
of mycology has been advancing from studies that reveal the diversity of yeasts that grow on
the skin to research on the use of psychedelic mushrooms in the treatment of depression. The
book is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on how fungi operate in our bodies from
spores in the lungs to the yeasts and filaments that can infect our internal organs. In
particular Money focuses on the mycobiome which is the fungal part of the larger microbiome
and explains what is and isn't known about the significance of fungi in the health of the gut.
In the second half of the book Money shifts his focus to our relationship with fungi outside
the body including in food medicine and agriculture -- and he pulls no punches when it comes
to countering misguided notions when it comes to the medicinal powers of mushrooms. Throughout
the book Money explains how the human-fungi relationship is symbiotic meaning that it is
sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful. Ultimately the reader comes away with a broad
understanding of what scientists are learning about the fascinating role of fungi inside and
outside of our bodies--
