Lichens are miniature ecosystems that exist as single organisms, calling into question the basic notion of what constitutes individuality. These adaptations have allowed fungi to occupy nearly every habitat on the planet.Ĭhapter 3 introduces lichens and the concept of symbiosis. Sheldrake explores how these networks have shown “intelligence” in various laboratory studies: They are able to solve mazes, remember information, and pass chemical signals, electric impulses, and nutrients over huge distances. The second chapter introduces mycelial networks, the complex tangle of filaments that make up most of fungal life.

The chapter also touches on worm-eating fungi, which lure nematodes as food. The chapter primarily centers on truffle mushrooms, using a combination of history, personal account, and scientific analysis to explore the reasons why truffles evolved such a pungent smell and how that smell has shaped the way humans interact with them. The first chapter explores the chemical signals that fungi use to lure other organisms toward them, either to eat or to be eaten. This book references the 2021 Random House paperback edition of Entangled Life.Įntangled Life comprises eight chapters, each focused on a different aspect of fungal life. It was shortlisted for the 2021 British Book Awards in the Non-Fiction: Narrative Book of the Year category. Entangled Life won several awards, including the Wainwright Prize for Global Conservation Writing and the 2021 Royal Society Science Book Prize.

It was included in Time magazine’s “100 Must-Read Books of 2020” list. The book received positive reviews upon publication, with many critics from major publications like the New York Times placing Sheldrake as a newcomer along the great modern nature writers.

Entangled life by merlin sheldrake