The book looks at fungi from a number of angles, including decomposition, fermentation, nutrient distribution, psilocybin production, the evolutionary role fungi play in plants, and the ways in which humans relate to the fungal kingdom.[1][11][13][14] It uses music and philosophy to illustrate its thesis,[15] and introduces readers to a number of central strands of research on mycology.[16] It is also a personal account of Sheldrake's experiences with fungi.[13]
Reception
Jennifer Szalai of The New York Times called the book an "ebullient and ambitious exploration" of fungi, adding, "reading it left me not just moved but altered, eager to disseminate its message of what fungi can do."[1]Eugenia Bone of The Wall Street Journal called it "a gorgeous book of literary nature writing in the tradition of [Robert] Macfarlane and John Fowles, ripe with insight and erudition."[11]Rachel Cooke of The Observer called it "an astonishing book that could alter our perceptions of fungi forever."[9] Richard Kerridge, reviewing the book in The Guardian, wrote that "when we look closely [at fungi], we meet large, unsettling questions... [Sheldrake] carries us easily into these questions with ebullience and precision."[15]
A scene in “Midnight Train to Royston”, the eleventh episode of the second season of the sports comedy-drama series Ted Lasso, shows Coach Beard reading Entangled Life, highlighting his love of mushrooms.[27][28]
↑Glassman, Julia (19 May 2023). "'Ted Lasso' Sucks Now, But I Still Love This Running Theme". Themarysue.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2026. Have you noticed that Coach Beard loves mushrooms? ... In season 2, episode 11, "Midnight Train to Royston," Beard is reading Entangled Life by biologist Merlin Sheldrake.
↑Miller, Laura (7 October 2021). "Trees—They're Just Like Us!". Slate.com. Archived from the original on 9 April 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2026. Coach Beard's choice of reading material—Merlin Sheldrake's Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures—is partly an in-joke.
