By Britt A. Bunyard
The renowned Swiss publisher Haupt Verlag, known for factual and specialist books that go deeper and offer detailed, in-depth knowledge, has extended its mushroom series with a standard work that is truly "complete".
The author, Britt A. Bunyard, has an excellent reputation among mushroom enthusiasts. He is the founder, editor and chief editor of Fungi, the bestselling mycology magazine in North America, and has written numerous books on mushrooms. In addition, he is the managing director of the Telluride Mushroom Festival in Colorado, which attracts thousands of visitors every year. Mushrooms - The hidden world of mysterious organisms is his first book to appear in German.
Mushrooms, these strange organisms between animal and plant, are still among the most mysterious companions of humans today. Not only do only a few people know that "the mushroom" is something completely different than its fruiting body, which appears on the surface, as it is mistakenly understood in the traditional sense. Also, the universal distribution, the diversity from the giant puffball to the mold, the almost uncanny connection with all other organisms and the importance in the global ecosystem, all of this is as much a matter of enlightenment as it is surprising.
And it is precisely this mammoth task, to shed light on this, that the author has not only set as his goal, but has also successfully accomplished. A work has emerged that meets scientific requirements on the one hand, but also appeals to interested laypeople and can fascinate "non-mushroom enthusiasts" with the excellent illustrations.
Everything is covered thematically, systematics, taxonomy, lifestyle and biotopes, species preservation and "behavior", the importance as a catalyst of life, as food, medicine and disease-causing agent, as well as as a material. The presentation of the relationships is well prepared and clearly presented.
Particularly noteworthy is the global approach of the book and the presentation of the dangers caused by human activity, which not only affect the mushrooms themselves, but also all the organisms that are in direct exchange and connection with them.
Only one thing the book is not, and does not want to be: a guide to individual species, their edibility and preparation. This is a different topic.
Haupt Verlag ET: 09.03.2026 288 pages, throughout colored photos, hardcover format: 19 x 24.6 cm € (D) 44.00 / € (A) 45.30 / sFr. 44.00 (MSRP) ISBN 978-3-258-08455-8
