Book, Entangled Life, surrounded by fungi and moss

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Reading lists

What to read if you loved Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

A photograph of Merlin Sheldrake next to the words 'Hidden Depths'

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Interviews

How Merlin Sheldrake fascinated us with fungi

A black and white image of Merlin Sheldrake and Edward St Aubyn

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Exploring symbiosis and psychedelics: Merlin Sheldrake meets Edward St Aubyn

How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures

Entangled Life

A mind-altering adventure through the world of fungi for readers of Robert Macfarlane and Other Minds

The million-copy bestseller that will transform your understanding of our planet and life itself. 
 
'Astonishing ... it seems somehow to tip the natural world upside down' Observer 
 
'Completely mind-blowing ... reads like an adventure story' Sunday Times 
 
*WINNER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY BOOK PRIZE 2021* 
*WINNER OF THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR CONSERVATION WRITING 2021* 
 
The more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them. They can change our minds, heal our bodies and even help us avoid environmental disaster; they are metabolic masters, earth-makers and key players in most of nature's processes. In Entangled Life, Merlin Sheldrake takes us on a mind-altering journey into their spectacular world, and reveals how these extraordinary organisms transform our understanding of our planet and life itself. 
 
'Dazzling, vibrant, vision-changing' Robert Macfarlane 
'Urgent, astounding and necessary' Helen Macdonald 
'Gorgeous!' Margaret Atwood (on Twitter) 
'Wonderful' Nigella Lawson 
'This book is like one surprise after another' David Byrne 
'Uplifting' Jeanette Winterson 
 
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2021* 
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021* 
 
* A Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, New Statesman, The Times, Evening Standard, Mail on Sunday, BBC Science Focus and Time Book of the Year *

After this book, nothing will seem the same again . . . beautifully written and illustrated . . . dazzling . . . reveals a world that's both more extraordinary and more delicate than could be imagined

Riveting and surprising at every turn . . . A sensory as well as an intellectual pleasure

Wondrous . . . Humans should consider fungi among the greatest of earth's marvels

Mind-boggling . . . It's tempting . . . to see fungi as the biological model for a better world

Truly astounding . . . An engrossing, captivating journey

Gorgeous, intelligent, utterly absorbing . . . it expands our world, and makes us look up from the page with renewed wonder

One of those rare books that can truly change the way you see the world around you . . . revelatory . . . astounding . . . and brimming with infectious joy

A true masterpiece, a thrilling and fascinating insight into the living world . . . I hope and trust that it will become an instant classic

Blew my mind . . . Essential reading. Go and get swept up in a new world

ANDREA WULF, author of The Invention of Nature

Astonishing . . . it's impossible to finish this book without feeling awestruck

Delightful to read but also grand and dizzying in how thoroughly it recalibrates our understanding of the natural world

Sentence after sentence stopped me short. I ended it wonderstruck at the fungal world - the secrets of which modern science is only now beginning to fathom - and the earth-shaking, hierarchy-breaking implications of Sheldrake's argument. A remarkable work by a remarkable writer

A revelation . . . Changes the way we need to look at life, the planet and ourselves

Wonderfully written . . . surprising . . . The best science writing invites people to view the world around them in a new way, and Entangled Life is a perfect example

This is a book that, by virtue of the power of its writing, shifts your sense of the human . . . It will inspire a generation

MICHAEL POLLAN (Bay Area Book Festival, 2020)

I have been working on and reading and writing about fungi for a decade. And yet, nearly every page of this book contained either an observation so interesting or a turn of phrase so lovely that I was moved to slow down, stop, and reread . . . This book rocked me into remembering that nature, especially fungal nature, is big and encompassing and creative and destructive. It reminded me that fungi are, like the Universe, sublime

A magical journey deep into the roots of Nature by an expert storyteller . . . a must-read for citizen scientists hoping to make a positive difference on this sacred planet we share

Reading this book, I felt surrounded by a web of wonder. The natural world is more fantastic than any fantasy, so long as you have the means to perceive it. This book provides the means

JARON LANIER, author of Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now

You may never look at fungi in the same way . . . an eye-opening exploration of this mysterious taxonomic kingdom . . . a journey into an untapped world. It is both a wonderful collection of fungal feats . . and a personal account of Sheldrake's experiences with these miraculous organisms

Brilliant . . . entrancing . . . when we look closely [at fungi], we meet large, unsettling questions . . . Merlin Sheldrake . . . carries us easily into these questions with ebullience and precision . . . challenging some of our deepest assumptions

A joy . . . a captivating trip into the weird and wonderful mycorrhizal world around us - and inside us . . . full of startling revelations

The oddest and most uplifting book . . . It is, to say the least, rare to find such a vast area of life on Earth - fungi - about which one knows almost nothing, and which gives promise of being so important to human life during our next century

If you had told me a book about fungi would be both enthralling and completely mind-blowing, I wouldn't have believed you. And yet. Dazzlingly good

Fungi are everywhere, and Merlin Sheldrake is an ideal guide to their mysteries. He's passionate, deeply knowledgeable and a wonderful writer

ELIZABETH KOLBERT, author of Under A White Sky

Deeply engaging and constantly surprising . . . the magic of mushrooms is not merely mind-expanding . . . it might expand the very concept of mind

As hard to put down as a thrilling detective novel, and one of the best works of popular science writing that I have enjoyed in years

DENNIS MCKENNA, author (with Terence McKenna) of Psilocybin: Magic Mushroom Grower’s Guide

It is impossible to put this book down. Entangled Life provides a window into the mind-boggling biology and fascinating cultures surrounding fungal life, as well as fungi&rsquo;s innumerable uses in materials, medicine and ecology. Sheldrake asks us to consider a life-form that is radically alien to ours, yet vibrant and lively underfoot

This is not just for mushroom-heads - it is science at its most uplifting

Playful, strange, intensely philosophical ... Until very recently, human knowledge of this most mysterious lifeform, neither plant nor animal, has been extremely limited. This is astounding, given ... their seismic impact on life on earth ... [Sheldrake's] central vision of the interconnectedness of all life-forms feels shiveringly prescient'

The smash-hit Sunday Times bestseller that will transform your understanding of our planet and life itself. 
 
'Astonishing ... it seems somehow to tip the natural world upside down' Observer 
 
'Completely mind-blowing ... reads like an adventure story' Sunday Times 
 
*WINNER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY BOOK PRIZE 2021* 
*WINNER OF THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR CONSERVATION WRTITING 2021* 
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2021* 
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021* 
 
The more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them. They can change our minds, heal our bodies and even help us avoid environmental disaster; they are metabolic masters, earth-makers and key players in most of nature's processes. In Entangled Life, Merlin Sheldrake takes us on a mind-altering journey into their spectacular world, and reveals how these extraordinary organisms transform our understanding of our planet and life itself. 
 
'Dazzling, vibrant, vision-changing' Robert Macfarlane 
'Urgent, astounding and necessary' Helen Macdonald 
'Gorgeous!' Margaret Atwood (on Twitter) 
'Wonderful' Nigella Lawson 
'This book is like one surprise after another' David Byrne 
'Uplifting' Jeanette Winterson 
 
* A Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, New Statesman, The Times, Evening Standard, Mail on Sunday, BBC Science Focus and Time Book of the Year *

Merlin Sheldrake

After this book, nothing will seem the same again ... beautifully written and illustrated ... dazzling ... reveals a world that's both more extraordinary and more delicate than could be imagined

Riveting and surprising at every turn ... A sensory as well as an intellectual pleasure

Wondrous ... Humans should consider fungi among the greatest of earth's marvels

Mind-boggling ... It's tempting ... to see fungi as the biological model for a better world

Truly astounding ... An engrossing, captivating journey

Gorgeous, intelligent, utterly absorbing ... it expands our world, and makes us look up from the page with renewed wonder

One of those rare books that can truly change the way you see the world around you ... revelatory ... astounding ... and brimming with infectious joy

A true masterpiece, a thrilling and fascinating insight into the living world ... I hope and trust that it will become an instant classic

Blew my mind ... Essential reading. Go and get swept up in a new world

Astonishing ... it's impossible to finish this book without feeling awestruck

A revelation ... Changes the way we need to look at life, the planet and ourselves

Wonderfully written ... surprising ... The best science writing invites people to view the world around them in a new way, and Entangled Life is a perfect example

This is a book that, by virtue of the power of its writing, shifts your sense of the human ... It will inspire a generation

Michael Pollan (Bay Area Book Festival, 2020)

I have been working on and reading and writing about fungi for a decade. And yet, nearly every page of this book contained either an observation so interesting or a turn of phrase so lovely that I was moved to slow down, stop, and reread ... This book rocked me into remembering that nature, especially fungal nature, is big and encompassing and creative and destructive. It reminded me that fungi are, like the universe, sublime

A magical journey deep into the root of nature by an expert storyteller ... a must-read for citizen scientists hoping to make a positive difference on this sacred planet we share

You may never look at fungi in the same way ... an eye-opening exploration of this mysterious taxonomic kingdom ... a journey into an untapped world. It is both a wonderful collection of fungal feats ... and a personal account of Sheldrake's experiences with these miraculous organisms

Brilliant ... entrancing ... when we look closely [at fungi], we meet large, unsettling questions ... Merlin Sheldrake ... carries us easily into these questions with ebullience and precision ... challenging some of our deepest assumptions

A joy ... a captivating trip into the weird and wonderful mycorrhizal world around us - and inside us ... full of startling revelations

The oddest and most uplifting book ... It is, to say the least, rare to find such a vast area of life on earth - fungi - about which one knows almost nothing, and which gives promise of being so important to human life during our next century

ANDREW MARR, New Statesman Books of the Year

ELIZABETH KOLBERT, author of Under a White Sky

Deeply engaging and constantly surprising ... the magic of mushrooms is not merely mind-expanding ... it might expand the very concept of the mind

DENNIS MCKENNA, author (with Terence McKenna) of Psilocybin: Magic Mushroom Grower's Guide

It is impossible to put this book down. Entangled Life provides a window into the mind-boggling biology and fascinating cultures surrounding fungal life, as well as fungi's innumerable uses in materials, medicine and ecology. Sheldrake asks us to consider a life-form that is radically alien to ours, yet vibrant and lively underfoot

Playful, strange, intensely philosophical ... Until very recently, human knowledge of this most mysterious life-form, neither plant nor animal, has been extremely limited. This is astounding, given ... their seismic impact on life on earth ... [Sheldrake's] central vision of the interconnectedness of all life-forms feels shiveringly prescient

Stunning... Sheldrake's passion and knowledge leaps off every spread. From the microscopic to the majestic, the colour images create an entertaining and enchanting experience.

The smash-hit Sunday Times bestseller now illustrated with over 100 spectacular full-colour images, showcasing this wondrous and wildly various lifeform as never before 
 
'Astonishing ... it seems somehow to tip the natural world upside down' Observer 
 
'Completely mind-blowing ... reads like an adventure story' Sunday Times 
 
*WINNER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY BOOK PRIZE 2021* 
*WINNER OF THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR CONSERVATION WRTITING 2021* 
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2021* 
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021* 
 
The more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them. They can change our minds, heal our bodies and even help us avoid environmental disaster; they are metabolic masters, earth-makers and key players in most of nature's processes. In Entangled Life, Merlin Sheldrake takes us on a mind-altering journey into their spectacular world, and reveals how these extraordinary organisms transform our understanding of our planet and life itself. 
 
'Dazzling, vibrant, vision-changing' Robert Macfarlane 
'Urgent, astounding and necessary' Helen Macdonald 
'Gorgeous!' Margaret Atwood (on Twitter) 
'Wonderful' Nigella Lawson 
'This book is like one surprise after another' David Byrne 
'Uplifting' Jeanette Winterson 
 
* A Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, New Statesman, The Times, Evening Standard, Mail on Sunday, BBC Science Focus and Time Book of the Year *

Merlin Sheldrake

Praise for Entangled Life (The Illustrated Edition)

After this book, nothing will seem the same again ... beautifully written and illustrated ... dazzling ... reveals a world that's both more extraordinary and more delicate than could be imagined

Riveting and surprising at every turn ... A sensory as well as an intellectual pleasure

Wondrous ... Humans should consider fungi among the greatest of earth's marvels

After this book, nothing will seem the same again ... beautifully written and illustrated ... dazzling ... reveals a world that's both more extraordinary and more delicate than could be imagined

Riveting and surprising at every turn ... A sensory as well as an intellectual pleasure

Wondrous ... Humans should consider fungi among the greatest of earth's marvels

After this book, nothing will seem the same again ... beautifully written and illustrated ... dazzling ... reveals a world that's both more extraordinary and more delicate than could be imagined

Riveting and surprising at every turn ... A sensory as well as an intellectual pleasure

Wondrous ... Humans should consider fungi among the greatest of earth's marvels

Books by Merlin Sheldrake

Articles featuring Merlin Sheldrake

What to read if you loved Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

How Merlin Sheldrake fascinated us with fungi

Exploring symbiosis and psychedelics: Merlin Sheldrake meets Edward St Aubyn

Videos

How fungi shaped our world and could save it | Merlin Sheldrake

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