A01=George W. Hudler
Agaricus bisporus
Alkaloid
Amanita
Amanita muscaria
Ascomycota
Ascospore
Asexual reproduction
Author_George W. Hudler
Bacteria
Barley
Basidiomycota
Blight
Category=PDX
Category=PDZ
Category=PSQ
Category=PST
Category=WNP
Cereal
Disease
Dutch elm disease
Enzyme
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Ergot
Ergotism
Fairy ring
Fermentation
Ficus
Flour
Fungicide
Fungus
Herbarium
Hypha
Indication (medicine)
Insect
Insecticide
Larva
Manure
Meal
Microorganism
Mold
Mushroom
Mycelium
Mycology
Mycorrhiza
Mycorrhizae
Mycotoxin
North America
Nutrient
Oat
Oomycete
Organism
Pathogen
Pathogenic fungus
Penicillin
Pesticide
Petri dish
Physician
Plant pathology
Puffball
Raw material
Rust (fungus)
Sclerotium
Sexual reproduction
Soil
Spore print
Starch
Symptom
Toxicity
Toxin
Truffle
Urine
Vegetable
Vomiting
Wheat
Wine
Wood-decay fungus
Yeast
Product details
- ISBN 9780691070162
- Weight: 340g
- Dimensions: 152 x 229mm
- Publication Date: 05 Nov 2000
- Publisher: Princeton University Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Paperback
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Mushrooms magically spew forth from the earth in the hours that follow a summer rain. Fuzzy brown molds mischievously turn forgotten peaches to slime in the kitchen fruit bowl. And in thousands of other ways, members of the kingdom Fungi do their part to make life on Earth the miracle that it is. In this lively book, George Hudler leads us on a tour of an often-overlooked group of organisms, which differ radically from both animals and plants. Along the way the author stops to ponder the marvels of nature and the impact of mere microbes on the evolution of civilization. Nature's ultimate recyclers not only save us from drowning in a sea of organic waste, but also provide us with food, drink, and a wide array of valuable medicines and industrial chemicals. Some fungi make deadly poisons and psychedelic drugs that have interesting histories in and of themselves, and Hudler weaves tales of those into his scientific account of the nature of the fungi. The role of fungi in the Irish potato famine, in the Salem Witch Trials, in the philosophical writings of Greek scholars, and in the creation of ginger snaps are just a few of the many great moments in history to grace these pages.
Hudler moves so easily from discussing human history to exploring scientific knowledge, all with a sense of humor and enthusiasm, that one can well understand why he is an award-winning teacher both at Cornell University as well as nationally. Few, for instance, who read his invitation to "get out of your chair and take a short walk" will ever again look without curiosity and admiration at the "rotten" part of the world around them. Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds is full of information that will satisfy history buffs, science enthusiasts, and anyone interested in nature's miracles. Everyone in Hudler's audience will develop a new appreciation of the debt they owe to the molds for such common products as penicillin, wine, and bread.
George W. Hudler is Professor of Plant Pathology at Cornell University. In addition to teaching courses on plant disease diagnosis and management, he offers a course that has the same name as this book. It is one of the most popular undergraduate courses at Cornell, consistently attracting over three hundred students. Since 1992, he has been editor of Branching Out, a biweekly newsletter to guide tree care professionals in the northeastern United States in choosing the best times and least hazardous means for managing insect and disease pests in residential landscapes.
