summary ofEntangled LifeBook by Merlin Sheldrake

first KEY POINT

New facts about our mysterious neighbors

Fungi are quiet, mysterious, but influential companions in almost every aspect of our lives. For more than a billion years, they have been supporting the vital activity of plants, cleaning the environment from pollution, becoming components of medicines and food, and affecting animals and humans. Although their influence is so extensive, they live a secret life, and more than 90% of their species have not been studied yet.The mushroom kingdom is ancient and remarkable. Without the activity of fungi, there would be no plants, which they helped emerge from the water 500 million years ago; they still support 90% of terrestrial plants by providing them with nutrients.Fungi exist imperceptibly in almost every place on Earth — on the seabed, in deserts, in the north, and in our bodies. In fact, even the most extreme environments can be suitable for fungi to survive. They reproduce by spores, and many fungi create new ways to thrive, making themselves attractive to humans and animals to carry their "seeds" all over the world.Human life is also surprisingly intertwined with fungi; we have learned to cooperate with mushrooms. For example, in 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered that a specific mold produced penicillin, which became the first antibiotic and saved many lives. In 2017, researchers rebuilt the diet of Neanderthals and found that an ancient man with a toothache consumed penicillin-producing mold. Perhaps, people realized its medicinal properties long before the official discovery.Scientists have studied and described only 6% of all types of fungi. And while humans are getting closer to the mysteries of mushrooms, the latter continue to support life on Earth, combining plants into a large-scale ecosystem, the so-called “wood wide web.”

Merlin Sheldrake admitted that the mushrooms changed his mind every time he encountered them. The plant and animal kingdoms receive attention from scientists, while fungi play the role of "gray cardinals" — powerful, full of potential, but secretive. In this summary, you will read about the extraordinary abilities and benefits of fungi, learn more about the connections between living things and reconsider your views on the exciting power of wildlife.