An interesting look into fungi, but didn't go deep enough for me. I think it's a good primer though. Fungi are so interesting, and the author chooses interesting avenues to explore while being user-friendly.

A fascinating and informative audiobook about fungi, sure to appeal to the fans of "The Last of Us"! 🤣

It started strong with the fungi in animals, bored me to death (not gonna lie) with in depth and VERY lengthy discussion of how fungi affects stress in North America, and ended with an absolutely fascinating suggestion that we all would soon perish because of a particularly evil and indestructible interstellar fungi!  🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

All in all I am happy that I have listened to it, but my guess is that if you are a biologist, for example, it will all sound pretty basic as far as science goes.

The narrator tried hard to make it sound more exciting, but the middle of the book was pretty dry. She really could not help it much 🤣🤷

Ok y'all, now time for my review of BLIGHT: FUNGHI AND THE COMING PANDEMIC by Emily Monosson. This was a sobering yet fascinating dive into the world of funghi and how it can be a silent killer of whole species in the right circumstances. Thank you to the author, @netgalley, and the publisher @tantoraudio for the audio-ARC.

I learned SO MUCH in this book even if some of it was pretty portentous and bleak information in terms of forward-looking potential for a fungal-induced pandemic. With the popularity of shows like THE LAST OF US and the trendy use of adaptogenic mushrooms in teas and tinctures, fungi are having a moment right now it seems, but it sounds like this potentially alien species has even more exciting and terrifying up future plans for this planet as soon as the conditions of climate change allow for new avenues of incubation and infection. Yikes! But I am a STAY READY type of gal so for some reason having this knowledge makes me feel more prepared - we will see if that shakes out positively for me. 🤓

That being said, I also learned a lot about how bats are "underappreciated contributors to environmental stability," how we have tried to modify our food system to be blight-resistant which can often have unwanted consequences, and all about how mushrooms and other fungi affect and intrude into our daily lives (not to mention all the earthly species they have attacked and sometimes conquered).

As an industrial hygienist who often deals with mold and fungi-related issues I found this to be very informative and while somewhat ominous, I would recommend it to anyone else who is interested in understanding more about this potentially extraterrestrial set of species.

Micro-histories or works of nonfiction that dive deep into a specific subject or substance in our world are one of my favorite nonfiction go-tos. The world around us is amazing!!

Hope you find some awe and wonder in your weekend activities! Cheers!

💚SMASHBOT💚

#bibliophile #booknerd #booksta #bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendations #blight #emilymonosson #tantoraudio #booklover #instabooks #bookworm

A fascinating insight into fungi, the spread of disease and the tiny battles taking place around us constantly. These lead to a butterfly effect that can cause changes on a macro scale with terrifying implications. This work does an excellent job of conveying the minutia and complexities of fungi for the common layperson.


Before a Last of Us scenario takes hold, I’m off to get some Acidophilus tablets!

The narrator is great and kept me engaged with the content throughout.

(4/5 stars) I initially requested this audiobook on NetGalley because I heard part of an interview with the author on NPR and thought it seemed interesting. While this book focuses primarily on how fungi have affected plants (trees and crops) and animals (bats, frogs, salamanders, etc), the author also touches on how fungi have impacted human health (especially where immunocompromising diseases are now more common). This book was fascinating and I found it accessible to a layperson. I don't plan on becoming a mycologist any time soon, but I do think there are ways that we can and should consider adapting our practices to prevent the spread of dangerous fungi that could cause mass extinctions of important species.

This was such an interesting read! I loved hearing about the different ways that trade impacted the overall health so many species through fungus alone since it seems like the main focus is on bacteria and viruses. The way that everything is explained makes it easy for anyone to pick this book up!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Blight by Emily Monosson in exchange for an honest review. I love books like this. I learned a lot about fungi and how unprepared we are to fight a fungi pandemic. It was fascinating to learn about chestnut trees, lizards and other species affected by fungi. This book was scary and amazing.

Blight: Enlightening and Frightening

Wow!

This is a great book on fungi and pathogens.

It covered SO MANY topics, and I was so interested throughout. Really a book you will want to binge!

I learned a lot about things like the origins of COVID-19, bats, the resilience of pathogens, and how strong and prevalent they are!

It really opened a new world to me, and I highly recommend it

4.6/5