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From Another Kingdom: the amazing world of fungi. Edited by Lynne Boddy and Max Coleman. 2010. ISBN 978-1-906129-67-5. Pp. 176, illustr. Edinburgh: Royal Botanic Garden. Price: 20. extenttowhichthepotentialbenefits offungiwillberealized,however,is financedependent;forexample,who willpayfortheprophylacticproductionandsprayingofGreenMuscle forlocustcontrolinpooraridregions oftheworld(p.77)? Ireallyenjoyedthechapters onFungiandHumanity(Ch6) andFungalMonstersinScience Fiction(Ch7).However,Imust admittobeingsurprisednottosee mentionsofAldousHuxleyslast novelIsland(1964)wherethedemeanouroftheindigensisattributed tohallucinogenicmushroomsthey cultivate,noranyreferencetoEleanor Cameronsmuchcollectedand delightfulMushroom Planetfive-book series(1954-67);thefirstwasThe Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet(1954)whichwasappropriatelynamedBasidium!GrowingEdible Fungi(Ch8)includescommercial andpersonalapproaches,butIdowish anyonecoaxingLentinula edodesplugs toproduceonlogshasalessfrustratingandmoreproductiveexperience thanmine!PerhapscitingCoprinus comatusspawnkitsforgrowthin lawnsinsteadwouldhavebeen preferable.TheFungalForager(Ch 9)oncollectingforfoodinthewild, rightlyalsohighlightstheissueofthe mixedmessagesincurrentUKlegislationdesignedtocontrolcollectingand promoteconservation.Safeguarding theFuture(Ch10),devotedto conservation,ispoliticallycharged andreiteratesthatitisfirstnecessary toconservemycologistswithidentificationskills;thischaptershould becompulsoryreadingforthosein governmentagenciesanddepartments responsibleforsciencemanagement andtheenvironment.Thenfollowsa sectionwithsixrecipesusingdifferent wildmushrooms;thedisheslookgreat, butIdowonderattheappropriateness ofincludingoneusingHygrophorus marzuolusasitisunlikelytobediscoverednorthofSpainthoughIhave toadmititdoeshavearatherspecial taste!Whatdidseemsomethingofan omissioninthisseriesofchapters,was anyhintsastoreliablyidentifyfungi, whetherforfoodorcuriosityorthe wealthofinformationondistributions andecologiesnowaccumulatedinthe FungalRecordsDatabaseofBritain andIreland(FRDBI)andtheAssociationofBritishFungusGroupsCATE. Iwasatfirstpleasedtoseelichens hadduemention,butthenalittle disappointedtoseethemrepeatedly  referredtoasorganisms(pp.16,52, 169)ratherthanassociations,andalso bytheoxymoronfungiandlichens (p.84);atleastonp.27weread thattheywereoncethoughttobe independentorganisms!Somemyths arealsoslain,forexamplepresenting Amanita muscariaasahallucinogen ratherthanapoisoner(p.103),but othersareperpetuated,suchasthat ofsporesbeingspreadinthewind (p.16-17)somethingthatactually holdsforonlyaratherlimitednumber ofspecies.Thereareinevitablysmall slips,forexample,itisnotPsilocybe semilanceataitselfwhichisnow categorizedasaClassAdrug(p.97), butratherthecompoundspsilocyin andpsilocybininwhateverfungithey occur.Andwhilethenomenclature isgenerallyup-to-date,itwouldhave beengoodtohaveseeGliocladium roseumreplacedbyClonostachys rosea (p.90). AfeatureofallthemainchaptersI particularlyenjoyedwastheseparately authoredhalf-pagespeciesprofiles; thesearewonderfullyeclectic,for instancewhowouldhaveexpectedto seefeaturesonConiochaeta polymegasperma(p.49)orPhellinus ferreus (p.91)?accessthebooktodiscover why! Theone-pageBibliographyunfortunatelyhasastrongmushroomidentificationandcultivationbias,with notasingletextonfungalbiology cited,norevenamentionofMartin andPamEllis(1997)Microfungi on Land Plants.Thefewwebsites mentionedcouldusefullyhavebeen extended,andanopportunityto drawattentiontoField Mycology,

Whatasuperblypresentedbook! Shouldyoueverrequirejustoneto capturetheimagination,ortoget friendsorfamilytoappreciatewhy youareafungalfan,thisisit.The largeformat,strikingcolourphotographsonvirtuallyeverypage(and insomecasesawholepage),cannot butenchant.Itreallylivesuptothe subtitle,proclaimingthatthereisan amazingworldoffungi.Aimedat thegeneralpublic,thisproduction hasbeenateameffort,involving21 authors(allbasedintheUK)and 72suppliersofphotographs. TheIntroductionbyNickRead andLynneBoddy,designedtocatch theimagination,isfollowedbya characteristictourdeforceoverview byRoyWatling(Ch1).Inthis, amongstmanyotherthings,Royillustratesthedifficultyininventorying fungibyhisexperienceatDawyck BotanicGarden;althoughrecording startedtherein1993,therateof discoveryofadditionalspeciesstill showednosignofreductionin2009 (p.30).Thefirstgroupofchapters haveanecologicalandexploitive theme:RecyclingtheWorld(Ch 2),PlantPestsandPerfectPartners (Ch3)whichcoverssymbioticassociations,AnimalSlayers,Savioursand Socialists(Ch4)withsomestunning picturesofentomopathogens,and AmazingChemists(Ch5).The (32) 

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The Forayer,andcourseswasmissed. Asuitablyenthusedreadercouldbe frustratedandleftflounderingas tohowtorevealevenmoreamazing facts!Fourpagesarethendevoted toportraitsandbiographiesof14of theauthors,andtwotoaglossary; theneedforthelattercouldhave beenmadesuperfluousbyapolicyof includingdefinitionsinthetextand

justavoidingunnecessaryjargonsuch ascoprophileormycobiont. Thebookwaslaunchedtoaccompanyanextravaganzaofanexhibition withthesamename,whichranfrom 31Julyto21November2010atthe RoyalBotanicGardeninEdinburgh whichmanyofthedelegatestoIMC9 wereabletoenjoy.Themodestcost wasmadepossiblebyagenerousdona-

tionfromtheWellcomeTrust,and makestheworkeasilyaccessibletothe publicatlarge.However,itispacked withtit-bitsthataresuretoalsofascinate,orperhapsevenamaze,themost hardenedofmycologists.Secureacopy whileyoucan,enjoydippingintoit, anddoleaveitlyingaroundopento helpensnarethenextgenerationof organismalmycologists.

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The Kingdom Fungi: the biology of mushrooms, molds, and lichens. By Steven L Stephenson. 2010. ISBN 978-0-88192-891-4. Pp. 271, col. pl. 124. Portland, ORE: Timber Press. Price: US$ 34.95, 20. Theflyleafindicatesthatthisbookisaimed atthegeneralnaturalist,amateurmycologist,orinterestedlay-personwhosimply wantstobecomemorefamiliarwith,and moreappreciativeof,thefascinatingworld offungi.Thearrangementisprimarily systematic,butwithchaptertitlesdesigned nottodeter.Inthecaseoftheagarics,there areentriesevenforfamilies,whichare groupedbysporecolour,andthroughout thereisinformationoncollectingand hands-oncluestoidentificationintermixed withnotesonecologyandbiology.As mightbeexpectedfromaspecialistinmyxomycetes,theyhavetheirownchapter,andso dolichensalthoughthetrapofcallingthe latterorganismsisnotavoided(p.21)and theyarehardlytraditionallygroupedwith fungiastheintegrationoflichen-forming fungiintotheoverallfungalsystemhas onlyreallybeenachievedoverthelastthree decades.Therearefinalchaptersontherole offungiinnature,interactionsoffungiand animals,fungiandhumans,andfossilfungi. Iwaspleasedtoseethemyththatfungal speciesingeneralarewidelydistributedand thatlong-distancedispersalisacommon phenomenonknockeddown(p.24).There arealsonumerouspiecesofinformationthat maybeunfamiliarandsuretointerestmany professionalmycologists.Forexample,that PacificNorthwestNorthernflyingsquirrels relyonBryoriaspeciesastheirprimary winterfoodsource,theappreciationofthe AsaGrayDisjunctionbetweeneastern AsiaandNorthAmericancloselyallied fungi(e.g.Ciboria carunculoidesandC. shiraiana),andasynopsisofwhatisknown andpostulatedonregardingtheenigmatic 6mtallfungalLowerDevonianfossil Prototaxitesincludingahypothetical reconstructionincolour(pl122). Thebookiswell-presentedandIdid notdetectmanyproofingslips,although thelegendtotheplateshowingArcyria sulcatainBalticamber(pl124)givesa dateof35to59yearsoldhavinglostthe million(whichiscorrectlyincludedonp. 237).Theillustrationscomprise124superb colourplatesoncoatedpaper,arrangedin twotipped-insignatures,whicharesureto capturetheinterestofanyonechancingto openit.Therearenolineillustrations,but thewritingstylerendersthewholemost

readableandengrossingandtheauthors enthusiasmforallthingsfungalpermeates throughout.Itisperfectlytailoredto itsintendedtargetaudience,andcanbe unhestitatinglyrecommendedtothegeneral naturalistandcitizenscientist.

Mycorrhizal Biotechnology. Edited by Devarajan Thangadurai, Carlos Alberto Busso & Mohamed Hijri. 2010. ISBN 978-1-57808691-7. Pp. x + 216. Enfield, NJ: Science Publishers. Price: 57.99. Knowledgeoftheoperationofplant-fungus interactionsinarbuscular-mycorrhizal (AM)fungiatthemolecularlevelhas developeddramaticallyinthelastdecade, andonseeingthistitleIexpectedthefocus tobesomesynthesisofourthisnewunderstandinganddiscussionsofthepotential forexploitation.Theemphasisisindeedon AMfungi,asonlyoneofthe14chapters dealswithectomycorrhizas(Ch2)--and thatconcentratesongeneralissuesandnot technologiesforexploitation.Butthethrust
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oftheAMfungalchaptersisonpragmatic lowtechnologicalexploitationrather thanblue-skiesvisions,withsomeoriginal studiesthrownin.Theinterplaywith bacteria,especiallynitrogen-fixingrhizobia, isemphasizedinCh1,andthisthemeis developedfurtherinCh3. Low-costproductionofenough inoculumisalimitingfactortocommercial exploitation,especiallyintropicalcountries wherethereisthegreatestneedtoincrease cropyields;themethodstriedarecovered

inCh4,thoughnomassculturesystem seemsyettohavebeendeveloped.There isanaccountofaresearchprojectcarried outonasinglegrasslandsiteinArgentina whichwasweededandthenplantedwith twograsses;AM-fungalcolonizationwas assessedandbiomassproductionmeasured (Ch5).Therewasanegativecorrelation betweenthedevelopmentofmycorrhizal associationsandbiomassproductionandit isconcludedthattheassociationsmaynot bebeneficialwherethesoilhashighlevels (33)

ofavailablephosphorousIcannotbut thinkthatsuchacontributionwouldhave beenbetter-placedinaprimaryjournal.In contrast,inthecaseofhorticulturalcrops, anincreasedyieldof2040%isclaimed(p. 137)butnotreferencedandtheinformation isstatedtobelimited(Ch9). Mechanismsofreducedresistanceto pathogensinplantsarereviewed,andthe importanceofbacteria,includinginoculated Pseudomonasstrains,isstressed;although somepromisingresultswithGlomusspecies arementioned,theincidenceofleafpathogenscanbeincreased(Ch6)!Rhizosphere managementisclearlyacomplexissue,but bioaugmentationbyAM-fungiisagain frustratedbydifficultiesinsecuringenough biomassforfieldinoculations(Ch8). Perhapsofgreatestpotentialismycobization,atermcoinedin2005forthenovel processofco-inoculatingplantswithdifferentfunctionalgroupsoffungi,forexample phosphate-mobilizingGlomus mosseaeand solubilizerAspergillus niger(alongwith

rockphosphate)intomatocultivation(Ch 10).Astothefuture,theneedtoinoculate plantsbeingusedinbioremediation, actuallyso-calledphytoremediation,of pollutedsoilsdevoidofAMfungiispointed out(Ch7);Glomus mosseaecanapparently withstand1200mgkg-1zinc.Thistheme isalsothetopicofasecondchapter(Ch 11),stressingenhancingthefunctionality ofthe400orsoknownhyperaccumulator plantsinphytoextractionwherepolluting compoundsaretakenupintoharvestable planttissues. Asurveyoftheactualdiversityof AM-fungi,surprisingly,doesnotfeatureuntil almosttheendofthebook,wherethereis onechapterprovidingageneraloverviewof thefamiliesandgeneraofGlomeromycota withasummaryofthePCR-basedstudies conducted(Ch12)butwithoutillustrationsillustratingcriticalcharactersusedin theirmorphologicalidentification.More pragmaticformanyofthoseworkingwith thesefungiisthesurveyofmoleculartools fordetection(Ch13)whichisespeciallyto becommendedinrangingfromRFLPto sequencedata,butmoresoinitsfocusonthe compositionofthedifferentprimersavailable whichoccupyseventables.Thefinalchapter (Ch14)considersthetopicalandpertinent issueofpossibleeffectsofclimatechangeon AMfungi,whichrespondtoelevatedsoil temperatures;yettheexperimentalresults todatearecontradictoryanddonotallow generalconclusions(p.205).Onecomplicationissurelythatasinglepatchofvegetation maysupport3040AMfungalspecies, whichIpresumewouldnotnecessarilyall respondinaregimentedmanner. Theeditorsareclearlymycorrhizal chauvinistsastheyclaimmycorrhizae arethemostcommonsymbioticspecies onearth(p.vii).Yetamycorrhizais notaspeciesbutamutualisticassociation

betweenaplantrootandafungus,and Isuspectthattherewouldbebacterial contendersforthecommonestassociation title,andpossiblyalsoclaimsfromthelichenologists.Iwasamusedtoseethattheoldest fossilevidenceofabryophyte-likelandplant wasstatedtobefromjust100yearsago(p. 103).Fiveofthechaptersarecontributed bystaffoftheTamilNadhuAgricultural UniversityinCoimbatore,India,whereI wasprivilegedtohavelecturedin1991;I wasmuch-impressedbythemycological workbeingcarriedoutthereatthattime, andamso-pleasedtoseethemfeatureso stronglyhere.Ienjoyedthedelightfuland sometimesamusinglyphrasedIndianEnglishthatfeaturesthroughoutbutdofeel morerigorouseditingincontentwasneeded howmanytimesdoreaderswishtobe toldthatFrankintroducedthetermmycorrhizain1885?Further,thatdatewasfor whatlaterbecametermedectomycorrhizal andnotendomycorrhizalfungi,twoterms heintroducedin1887!Authorcitations appendedtoscientificnamesareofcourse quiteinappropriateforsuchanapplied work,butdocropupintwochapters(Chs 10and12),andinonethecitationsdonot evenfollowtherecommendedsystem.And therearesomemisspellings,suchasDydimellaforDidymellawhicharedifficultto excuse.... TherearetwomainaudiencesthatIfeel wouldprofitfromdigestingthisbook:(1) thoseinless-developedcountriesendeavouringtoexploitAM-fungiinincreasingcrop yields;and(2)thoseresearchingAM-fungal mechanismsatthemolecularlevelthat needtobeawareofthepracticaldifficulties inexploitation.Sadly,thepriceislikelyto prohibitaccessbythefirstgroup,andthe lackofstate-oftheartmolecularworkdeter thesecondfrombuyingacopy.

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Oomycete Genetics and Genomics: diversity, interactions and research tools. Edited by Kurt Lamour and Sophien Kamoun. 2009. ISBN 978-0-470-25567-4. Pp. xvii + 574. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, USA. Price: 100.00, 120.00. Althoughthisbookwaspublishedin2009, itonlyjustcametomyattentionandI ammuchimpressedbythecoverageand caliberofthe67contributorsdrawnfrom 14countries.Nolessthan27chaptersare accommodated,whichleadstochapterswith aclarityandpertinencetoooftenabsentin multi-authoredworks.Thetitleunderstates thecontents.AsFrancineGoversstatesinher (34)  Foreword,this...isthefirsttimethatthe existingknowledgeonoomyceteshasbeen broughttogetherinonevolume(p.ix). Whileitistruethatgeneticand genomicstudiesareauthoritativelyconsidered,andtheseareincorporatedwhere appropriate,thereismuchbasicinformation onthesefungalanaloguesthatisnototherwiseeasilyaccessible.Thisisespeciallytrue forthefirstfivechapterswhichaddressthe phylogeny,ecology,andlife-cyclesofthese fungi.Ifoundthefirst(byGordonBeakes andSatoshiSekimoto)ontheoverallphylogenyespeciallyusefulasthesefungalanaloguesarerarelyconsideredinfungalsystems thatembraceonlythemembersofthe kingdomFungi.Themajorpartofthework, 14chapters,areconcernedwithsuccinct

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accountsofstudiesofparticulargeneraand species.Theseincludemanygroupsofmajor economicimportanceaspathogensofcrops, fish,andevenhumans,forexampledifferent speciesofPhytophthora,Saprolegniaonfish, variousdownymildewsonparticularcrops, andPythium insidiosuminmammals(includinghumans!).ThislastchapteronP. insidiosumIfoundtobeanespeciallyvaluable synopsiswithfineSEMsofappressoria.The Phytophthoraspeciesselectedforparticular attentionare,notunsurprisingly,P. brassicae, P. capsici,P. infestans,P. ramorum,andP. sojaebutImissedachapterdevotedtoP. cinnammoniwhichcausessuchdevastation ofnativeforestsinAustraliainparticular. Thelastsixchaptersfocusonsomeof thecutting-edgemolecularapproachesto workonthesefungi,whichfromthetitle mighthavebeenexpectedtodominate. Thesecovertransformations,expression systems,thepromiseofgenesilencing, proteomics,andthestrategytowards genomesequencing(thelastwithauseful glossaryforthenon-geneticist).

Thesefungalanaloguestendtobeincreasinglynot,orratherpoorly,representedin mycologicaltreatisesandtextbooks,since itbecamerecognizedthattheywerenot realFungi,butmerelyfungi(i.e.organisms studiedbymycologists).Thisbookwould thushelpaddressthissituationinmycologicallibraries,andshouldbeseeninthat contextandpurchasedforthatreason.Its scopewouldhavebeenbetterreflectedin atitleonthelinesofOomycete diversity, interactions, and molecular biologyand itisunfortunatelythattheactualtitle maydetermanymycologistsandplant pathologiststhatwouldactuallyfindmuch tointerestthemhere. Thewholeisextremelywell-produced, andIespeciallylikedthetipped-insignature ofcolourplatesoncoatedpapercomprising colourversionsofeighthalf-tonefigures fromvariouschapters.Italsoseemsaswell up-to-dateascanbeexpectedinsuchmultiauthoredworks,withmanypapersfrom 2008beingcited.Andthepriceisreasonablebycurrentstandardsforabookofthis

quality.Theeditorsaretobecongratulated onmarshallingsuchawork,whichclearly meritswidecirculationamongstthebroader mycologicalcommunity.

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Lichens. By William Purvis. 2010. ISBN 978-0-565-09153-8. Pp. 112, illustr. London: Natural History Museum. Price: 12.99. Firstpublishedin2000,andreprinted in2007withadifferentcover,thiswellillustratedintroductiontolichenecology andbiologyhasnowbeenre-issuedwith updates.Theupdateshavebeenrather modest,andwillbedifficulttospot;even thecoverisidenticaltothe2007reprint, thoughthereisadifferentillustrationon thetitlepageinside.Eventhelistofselected books(p.111)hasnotbeenrevisedfrom the2000editiondespitetwoofthelisted titleshavingsubsequentneweditionsor replacements;thatwouldhardlyhavebeen acostlyexercise.Itisunfortunatethatthe opportunitywasnottakentopreparea thoroughrevisiontoaccommodateatleast someofthenewinformationnowavailable, andrevisesectionssuchasthatonpollution effectswheretheinfluenceofnitrogenous compoundsmighthavehadahigherprofile. Nevertheless,withnoequivalentfull-colour bookaimedatthegeneralnaturalistnowon themarket,itispleasingthatthislittlebook isavailableoncemorebutifyouhaveone oftheearliereditions,donotputacquiring thisonehighonyourlistofdesiderata.

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