The Fifth Kingdom

This is a great book especially as a companion to Mushrooms Demystified! The illustrations of the life cycles are helpful in studying for mycology exams!! Easy to read, not over my head as university senior. Recommended.

A lot of this book is about fungi reproduction, and therefore, fungi sex -- although a lot of reproduction is anamorphic (asexual). Currently, there are over 100,000 fungi described scientifically (over 10,000 species of mushrooms), but Dr. Kendrik estimates that this is less than one tenth of the Earth's mycota (fungi). This book, of course, does not discuss all 100,000 fungi. It discusses fungi classifications, and some of the most important fungi.Fungi is omnipresent and includes mushrooms, yeasts, lichens (a combination of fungus and alga) - but it does not include slime moulds, which are basically amoeboid (without a cell wall) and do not produce hyphae. Some fungi can grow almost any place, withstanding great temperature extremes. Other fungi is so specialized it grows parasitically on the exoskeletons of certain insects. The first half of this book talks about where fungi live; what they eat; what they look like to the naked eye, and microscopically; their genetic make-up, down to DNA and RNA sequencing, and how those genes are passed on - from sex to airborne sporulation. The second half of the book is much easier to understand, but as Dr. Kendrick points out, it helps to read the first part to understand the second part. There is a section on fungi that attack plants and fugicides used in agriculture. Don't think all fungi are bad - there is also a section on how fungi can be used as a biocontrol against insects and weeds. The last chapter talks about the commercial use of fungi, with the obvious important nod to Penicillium notatum. Cyclosporine is another important drug developed from fungi. Aspergillus niger is used to manufacture citric acid.The sections on how fungi exploit plants and animals - - and how plants and animals exploit fungi - is fascinating. Did you know that some leaf-cutting ants and termites actually grow fungi? Some of those huge termite nests have mushroom rooms. Some plants cannot live without fungi that manufacture important nutrients for the plants. The relationship between man and fungi is sometimes deadly, and sometimes life saving. One thing I took away from this book is to never, ever eat mushrooms from the wild unless I am absolutely certain what those are. Some deadly mushrooms look almost identical to very delicious mushrooms. Dr. Kendrick sets forth treatments for several types of mushroom poisoning. It's important to note that most of the time, mushroom poisoning doesn't show up for some time - 24 hours or more. Dr. Kendrick also discusses an issue that I was confused about after reading the Institute of Medicine's "Damp Indoor Spaces and Mold" (May 25, 2004). The IOM did not find a correlation between mold exposure and cancer, but I was having trouble reconciling that with what I knew - that certain molds produce aflatoxins that are toxinogenic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic. It turns out that these are not conflicting views at all, since Dr. Kendrick describes these effects from eating molds that produ

The Fifth Kingdom is indeed an excellent treatment on the fungi kingdom. A lively text makes this topic approachable to most. I would also highly recommend the CDROM Dr. Kendrick has produced to go with the text. Over 3000 colour images and animations have been included which really brings the topic to life. He has placed many of these chapters online at his site mycolog com . I would recommend a visit there to anyone who would like to learn more about either the text or CD.

I too have read this text and found it excellent. Alas, I now want to buy it (and use it as a text in my class) but it is no longer in print. I hope it is reprinted soon and if it is-BUY IT!

I am most disappointed that the book is not available. I was only able to read half a copy that I found lying around before its owner reclaimed it. It is an excellent example of how a usable textbook should be written in the modern style: simply, elegantly, readably, no nonsense, full of sound material. It is rich in context and full of surprises. Every entry makes connections and interconnections. It deals entertainly, but matter-of-factly, with amazing items and their biological significance, without ignoring everyday ones and leaves the reader with an integrated comprehension and a renewed respect for the subject matter. Even though I am a biologist, I had always looked on the fungi with a certain lack of enthusiasm, dating from some appallingly boring classes at university. This book brought the kingdom back to life for me. It is functional, reasonably comprehensive, and, importantly, it is fun to read. It reinforces the view of the interconnectedness and variety of living things.I hope it is soon reprinted.