“A merry, idiosyncratic guide, charmingly illustrated.”—Eugenia Bone, The Wall Street Journal An illustrated guide to over 100 types of mushrooms, offering insights and stories about these mysterious organisms An incredible diversity of fungi is flourishing all around us, not just in the forest but in parks, markets, and even museums. Once you know how to look, you can find mushrooms named after fairies and demons, mushrooms that look so much like woodland birds they are shot at by hunters, mushrooms that glow in the dark . . . and so much more. Beyond serving as a guide for identification, Mushrooming explores how “the quiet hunt” can radically expand our perspectives, connect us to nature, and enrich our lives. Whether you’re a beginner forager or an expert mycophile, this is the perfect handbook to spark your curiosity and deepen your appreciation for the fantastic, delicious, deadly, and strange world of fungi.

この本は、単なる博物学の図鑑ではなく、菌類という鏡を通じて「世界の見方」を再定義する哲学的な紀行文です。著者のダイアン・ボルサトは、足元の湿った土壌に潜む微小な生命を、まるでおとぎ話の住人のように活写します。その筆致は、私たちの無意識下に眠る好奇心を揺さぶり、日常の裏側に広がる妖しくも美しい異界へと誘うのです。 映像化によって菌類の脈動は鮮烈な臨場感を得ましたが、原作には言葉でしか表現し得ない沈思黙考の深みがあります。緻密な挿画と詩的なテキストが織りなす本書は、映像版の視覚的衝撃を精神的な豊かさへと昇華させ、自然との絆をより強固なものにする唯一無二の羅針盤となるでしょう。