Mushrooms magically spew forth from the earth in the hours that
follow a summer rain. Fuzzy brown molds mischievously turn
forgotten peaches to slime in the kitchen fruit bowl. And in
thousands of other ways, members of the kingdom Fungi do their part
to make life on Earth the miracle that it is. In this lively book,
George Hudler leads us on a tour of an often-overlooked group of
organisms, which differ radically from both animals and plants.
Along the way the author stops to ponder the marvels of nature and
the impact of mere microbes on the evolution of civilization.
Nature's ultimate recyclers not only save us from drowning in a sea
of organic waste, but also provide us with food, drink, and a wide
array of valuable medicines and industrial chemicals.
Some fungi make deadly poisons and psychedelic drugs that have
interesting histories in and of themselves, and Hudler weaves tales
of those into his scientific account of the nature of the fungi.
The role of fungi in the Irish potato famine, in the Salem Witch
Trials, in the philosophical writings of Greek scholars, and in the
creation of ginger snaps are just a few of the many great moments
in history to grace these pages.
Hudler moves so easily from discussing human history to
exploring scientific knowledge, all with a sense of humor and
enthusiasm, that one can well understand why he is an award-winning
teacher both at Cornell University as well as nationally. Few, for
instance, who read his invitation to "get out of your chair and
take a short walk" will ever again look without curiosity and
admiration at the "rotten" part of the world around them. "Magical
Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds "is full of information that will
satisfy history buffs, science enthusiasts, and anyone interested
in nature's miracles. Everyone in Hudler's audience will develop a
new appreciation of the debt they owe to the molds for such common
products as penicillin, wine, and bread.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
