Magic of Mushrooms

Sandra Lawrence is a journalist and author. She writes for the Evening Standard, Guardian, Financial Times, The Times, Londonist.com and the English Garden. She is the London columnist for British Heritage magazine and is on the Q&A panel of experts for History Revealed magazine. Her travel writing is collected on madamepassepartout.com. THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW is a world-famous scientific organisation, holding an unrivalled position for its outstanding collections of plants and fungi, artefacts and art, world-class Herbarium as well as its expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development. From its beginnings as a small physic garden in 1759 it has grown to become a top international visitor attraction and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kew's 132 hectares of stunning landscaped gardens and iconic glasshouses make it one of the world's best-loved gardens, a paradise for plant lovers, offering a wealth of ideas and inspiration to all.

'A beautifully illustrated and entertaining read ... A feast for the eyes'

• Introduction - The human history of fungus - How Toadstools work - Fairy rings - Fungus in food - Art and beauty - Flying high - The cunning woman's stillroom - Bad guys - The dark mirror - The future of fungus - Bibliography - Index