Poisonous mushrooms have fascinated scientists and laypersons alike for thousands of years. Almost all mushroom fatalities are due to the genus Amanita, whose poetic common names (death cap, destroying angel) attest to their lethality. In his classic 1986 book, Theodor Wieland covered the state of our knowledge about the chemistry and biochemistry of the toxins of Amanita mushrooms up until that time, with a particular focus on the decades of chemical research by him and the Wieland dynasty (including his father, brother, brother-in-law, and cousin). Wieland's book is now mainly of historical interest, with its exhaustive overview of the early chemical studies done without benefit of methods taken for granted by modern chemists. This book is a complete top-to-bottom revision of Wieland's 1986 book. The material covers history, chemistry, and biology with equal thoroughness. It should be of interest to natural products chemists and biologists, professional and amateur mycologists, and toxicologists. The three scientific fields that are most relevant to the book are natural products chemistry, mycology, and fungal molecular genetics. Dr. Walton is an expert in all three. To maximize the broad utility and appeal of the book, care has been taken to define all technical terms specific to a particular discipline, so that, for example, mycologists will be able to understand the relevant chemistry, and chemists will be able to understand the relevant fungal biology.

Poisonous mushrooms have fascinated scientists and laypersons alike for thousands of years. Almost all mushroom fatalities are due to the genus Amanita, whose poetic common names (death cap, destroying angel) attest to their lethality. In his classic 1986 book, Theodor Wieland covered the state of our knowledge about the chemistry and biochemistry of the toxins of Amanita mushrooms up until that time, with a particular focus on the decades of chemical research by him and the Wieland dynasty (including his father, brother, brother-in-law, and cousin). Wieland's book is now mainly of historical interest, with its exhaustive overview of the early chemical studies done without benefit of methods taken for granted by modern chemists. This book is a complete top-to-bottom revision of Wieland's 1986 book. The material covers history, chemistry, and biology with equal thoroughness. It should be of interest to natural products chemists and biologists, professional and amateur mycologists, and toxicologists. The three scientific fields that are most relevant to the book are natural products chemistry, mycology, and fungal molecular genetics. Dr. Walton is an expert in all three. To maximize the broad utility and appeal of the book, care has been taken to define all technical terms specific to a particular discipline, so that, for example, mycologists will be able to understand the relevant chemistry, and chemists will be able to understand the relevant fungal biology.

Six unlikely heroes. Two worlds enveloped by darkness. Only one chance at redemption. In the real world, Hayden Smith is in a coma, fighting for his life from an apparent suicide. Rookie homicide Detective Torben Mayes is assigned the case because no one else is available at the moment. However, he is instructed to close the case quickly without much of an investigation. He is reluctant, because something doesn't feel right about the assignment. The more he looks into Hayden's past, the more unexplainable events he uncovers, including the deaths of Hayden's wife and child in an automobile accident the previous year. The past year of Hayden's life has been a mystery. Feeling an immediate connection with the motionless man in the hospital bed, he feels God has called him to uncover the truth. In a parallel world, Hayden wakes up, his memory is only broken and unexplainable fragments. No electricity. No hospitals. No roads or vehicles. No elementary schools or universities. No modern technological conveniences. As he is drawn deeper into this strange place, he discovers that he has entered a world in which Jesus has never been born. Evil reigns. Hope is scattered. Mercy and love are rarely known. Hayden soon discovers that he is the world's greatest hope against the dark kingdom of Babylon that rules there. Racing against time, and with merciless foe Abaddon Dearth in pursuit, Hayden and a band of misfits flee for the ancient City of Refuge to find safety. The Fortress is an exciting tale of romance, love, faith, and what is possible when people finally believe in the power of God.