The overall impression and story that Stamets tells about fungi, mycelium and the role they have to play in the world. How valid some of these frustrations are definitely depend on the idea of where legitimate knowledge comes from. Does the only source of truth come from peer-reviewed journals and establishment sources, or are there equally valid forms of knowledge creation that run in parallel with the scientific establishment? Notwithstanding that it's not a simple binary, I found there was often not enough substance to validate some of Stamets' bolder claims, even though I think pretty much everything he's doing should be more heavily researched and tested (and I think in the years since first publication, there's been some vindication of his initial ideas and experiments). However! If I someday have a home in a mountain forest (as I often fantasize), I would definitely try to cultivate multiple mushrooms in various contexts, mostly in food production and soil improvement. Maybe some magic stuff, too?

Chapter 1: as a manifesto of possible things, it's a good read. But there's a lot of conjecture, "I suppose it could"s and generally big ideas that have very little grounding in much apart from Stamets' own musing (which whilst undoubtedly have a basis in his own extensive experimentation, are pretty wild). Although I do not agree 100% with some of his premises, his approach seems new and enriching to me. Stamets is on the editorial board of The International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, and is an advisor to the Program for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona Medical School, Tucson, Arizona. He is active in researching the medicinal properties of mushrooms,[2] and is involved in two NIH-funded clinical studies on cancer and HIV treatments using mushrooms as adjunct therapies. Having filed numerous patents on the antiviral, pesticidal, and remediative properties of mushroom mycelia, his work has been called pioneering and visionary.[3] A strong advocate of preserving biodiversity, Stamets supports research into the role of mushrooms for ecological restoration.The in depth practical guidance on growing your own mushrooms. Whilst it's geared towards people with a fair bit of land, and isn't a "step by step" how-to guide, it gives a lot for gardeners to think about too.

I really want to continue learning about mushrooms (any book recommendations are welcome), hunting them, appreciating them, tasting them and following Paul's work closely. Made the mistake of trying to take on Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms first. This is way more accessible as a reference-- more like a high school textbook.Stamets’s best work to date, Mycelium Running provides a wealth of information showing how fungal mycelia and mushrooms can profoundly improve the quality of human life. Should be mandatory reading for government policy makers.”