I am head over heels for this book. Entangled Life might have permanently altered my brain chemistry. Reading this was one of my best reading experiences. The author's writing style is rich in metaphors and emphatic. He writes about fungi with such appreciation and fondness, which transferred to me from the first pages of the introduction. When I finished reading the introduction, I knew, without a doubt, that I would give this book a 5-star rating. His writing style and way of delivering information clearly and concisely remain consistent throughout most of the book. Only in the last chapter does he start to meander, which worried me a bit, but I trusted the process, and it all wrapped up nicely.

Entangled Life has eight chapters, with every chapter focusing on a specific aspect of the lives of fungi. The first chapter is about truffles, particularly white and black truffles (Tuber magnatum and T. melanosporum). Sheldrake takes time to explain the anatomy of fungi, how not all fungi have fruiting bodies – mushrooms, and that their mycelium resides underground. In the next chapter, cleverly titled Living Labyrinth, he delves deeper into the structure and behavior of mycelium. Sheldrake refers to fungi as decentralized organisms due to their absence of head and brain or operational centers. This is how he explains it: Control is dispersed: mycelial co-ordination takes place both everywhere at once and nowhere in particular. A fragment of mycelium can regenerate an entire network, meaning that a single mycelial individual – if you're brave enough to use that word – is potentially immortal. 

He marvels at the fact that fungi make structures such as mushrooms and rhizomorphs that are all constituted from one type of cell – hyphae. Hyphae build the mycelium, the fruiting bodies, and the rhizomorphs, but those structures look nothing alike. Compare that to tissues or organs of any other organism (plant or animal), and you realize how incredible it is. Plant and animal tissues contain many different types of cells, all specialized in distinct functions. I cannot begin to explain how mind-boggling that is, and if it does not sound like it is, it should be.

The third chapter revolves around symbiosis and those who practice it. The chapter focuses on lichens – organisms made up of multiple separate organisms that work as one. At first, lichens, by definitions, had two main components – fungal hyphae and algae – meaning two completely different species. The morphology of a lichen resembles neither a fungus nor an alga. The term - symbiosis was coined to explain and label the communal lives of fungi and algae. After the publication of fascinating research by an American lichenologist Toby Spribille, the scientific community abandoned the dual hypothesis for describing lichens. Spribille discovered more species residing in the bodies of lichens. What he thought were contaminants turned out to be actual permanent residents. Different lichen groups contained different sets of symbiotic partners. Spribille says: Some have more bacteria, some fewer; some have one yeast species, some have two, or none. Interestingly, we have yet to find any lichen that matches the traditional definition of one fungus and one alga. The notion of symbiosis truly challenges the definition of an individual organism. The author asks us what an individual is. Does it matter? What I found appealing about Sheldrake's writing is how he disperses philosophical questions throughout his book. He muses on the concept of self in regards to symbiosis, but also in the next chapter, which tackles the psychedelic and entheogenic effects of psilocybin and LSD on our minds.

Chapter four, titled Mycelial Minds, is my favorite chapter. The most intriguing and mind-bending information is condensed in this part. I will attempt to briefly state the most captivating information without copy-pasting the whole chapter into my review. The most famous and well-researched zombie fungus makes an appearance in this part. Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is a fungal species that use carpenter ants to complete its life cycle. The exciting news about this fungus is the cited 2017 research by David Hughes, which transformed our understanding of Ophiocordyceps' manipulation tactics. The general opinion was that the fungus attacks the ants' brains and secretes molecules that allow it to control their behavior. The newly found mechanism does not utilize mind control but chemical muscle activation. Ophyocordyceps do not even reach the brains. That piece of information makes me glad Joel saved Ellie from the operation (The Last of Us reference). Sheldrake continues to share the history of human consumption of mind-altering fungi. He focuses on psilocybin–producing fungi, the history of the discovery of the molecule, and its impact on medicine.

To summarize my review, I have nothing but good things to say about this book. Merlin Sheldrake wrote an incredibly well-researched, magical, and deliciously written book about one of the most understudied and often disregarded organisms. I highly recommend reading this if you have the slightest interest in mycology. Even if you have no background in biology, you will greatly benefit from reading this.