“A delightfully granular debut…From bread to booze to the very fiber of life, the world turns on fungus, and [Merlin] Sheldrake provides a top-notch portrait.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A revelatory look at fungi that proves their relevance to humans goes far beyond their uses in cooking…[Entangled Life is] a thoroughly enjoyable paean to a wholly different kingdom of life.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Entangled Life is a triumph and a thing of vast beauty.”
—TOM HODGKINSON, author of The Idler
“I was completely unprepared for Sheldrake’s book. It rolled over me like a tsunami, leaving the landscape rearranged but all the more beautiful.”
—NICHOLAS HUMPHREY, emeritus professor of psychology at the London School of Economics, author of Soul Dust
“Entangled Life is a revelation. It is a radical, hopeful, and important book and I couldn’t put it down. With elegance, wit, and clarity, Sheldrake engages us in the hidden world of fungi, a miraculous web of connections, interactions, and communication that changes the way we need to look at life, the planet, and ourselves.”
—ISABELLA TREE, author of Wilding
“Sheldrake awakens the reader to a shape-shifting, mind-altering, animate world that not only surrounds us but intimately involves us as well. A joyful exploration of the most overlooked and enigmatic kingdom of life, and one that expanded my appreciation of what it means to be alive.”
—PETER BRANNEN, author of The Ends of the World
“It is impossible to put this book down. Entangled Life provides a window into the mind-boggling biology and fascinating cultures surrounding fungal life. Much like a mycelial network, the book’s tendrils extend into the deepest reaches of fungi’s incredible properties, their histories, as well as their innumerable uses in materials, medicine, and ecology. Sheldrake asks us to consider a life-form that is radically alien to ours, yet vibrant and lively underfoot.”
—HANS ULRICH OBRIST, author of Ways of Curating
“Entangled Life is an adventurous and indeed daring book, opening several unfamiliar micro-domains in the organic life world and its multiple connections. There is much to be learned in this wide field, and this vivid, scrupulous guide points the way!”
—J.H. PRYNNE
“Unputdownable, this extraordinary work explores the awesome range of activities of fungi: enabling the first life on land; interacting in countless ways with other life-forms; shaping human history and potentially safeguarding our future. At once rigorously scientific and boldly imaginative, Entangled Life raises fundamental questions about the many natures of life on Earth.”
—NICK JARDINE, emeritus professor of history and philosophy of science, University of Cambridge
“Entangled Life is a remarkable piece of work from Merlin Sheldrake that manages to be at once scholarly and visionary and yet remains a deeply engaging and enjoyable read. This book provides a new and penetrating analysis of the fungal kingdom of life that will be a greatly enriching read for all students of the living world.”
—DR. IAN HENDERSON, lecturer in plant sciences, University of Cambridge
“In his remarkable first book, Sheldrake takes us on a host of profoundly eye-opening journeys into the astonishing world of fungi. After reading Sheldrake’s masterpiece, I am more convinced than ever that we will never solve the grave problems of our times unless we deeply re-entangle our lives ‘fungus-style’ into the living fabric of our lustrous planet.”
—DR. STEPHAN HARDING, senior lecturer in holistic science and deep ecology, Schumacher College
“Fungi are fascinating! Elegant life strategies meet with delicate omnipresence, driving global ecosystems. Sheldrake’s book informs and offers new concepts. Looking through Sheldrake’s lens, fungal biology integrates with art, philosophy, and human society. His voice is real and personal. His book educates and entertains.”
—UTA PASZKOWSKI, professor of plant molecular genetics, University of Cambridge