Fifth Kingdom

by Bryce Kendrick

Published in paperback. Cover is unmarked with only some minor shelf-wear. The pages in the main body are clean and clear. Illustrations are included. GE

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Textbooks, Biology, Nature, Ecology

364 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1992

Reviews

[Namrirru · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is more like a selection of essays in mycology. It's not really an introductory text, more of a supplementary text to people who have already studied it and are interested in pursuing the subject. The essays are good though and I learned a lot. Especially about aflatoxins. I will never eat peanut butter again.

Abbreviated contents:
Survey of different types of molds, fungus, slime molds, lichens, etc. and their morphology and life pathways
Spore dispersal
Genetics
Ecology
Pathology (agriculture and forestry)
Fungicides or as Agents of Biological Control
Fungal parasites, symbionts, etc
Food, Food processing, Toxicology, Drugs, Medicine

For something more introductory, there is "Fungal Biology" by J.W. Deacon.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is tough going but awesome. I'm learning to speak mycologist.

[Pierre-Luc Landry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this textbook. First of all, as a non-specialist, I don't know if my opinion is even worthy... I haven't read scientific literature in such a long time that it is possible my experience was negatively affected by my unfamiliarity with the subject-matter. Nevertheless, as I read it for a class I was taking, I poured everything I had into the learning experience, which ended up being a bit disappointing. Kendrick tries very hard at making the material interesting, but he shouldn't have had to since mycology is already a fascinating world in itself. His jokes are often a bit... unnecessary, shall I say, and sometimes have the advert effect of frustrating a reader like me who would have loved to know more about what he brushes off with humour. Furthermore, I found the first few chapters quite difficult to digest, in a decreasingly parallel way by comparison to the last chapters which give the impression of having been written as an afterthought and with much less consistency. The author goes into deep-dives at times when a more summarized text might have been sufficient, and spends way too little time on topics that could have benefit from much larger development. I also must add that the "utilitarianism" vibe of the textbook was quite dissatisfying; there are multiple chapters dedicated to biocontrol and fungal management, which in itself is not necessarily a problem, but if we pit them against the slimness of chapters made of "purer knowledge", it is a bit shameful. The textbook in itself is not bad, but I think it has passed its prime. Researching some subjects online and in scientific journals made me realize, too, that some of the taxon used by Kendrick have since changed—and not so recently—while some of his assertions have been quite literally disproven. I read the fourth edition of the book, published in 2017, as it was a required reading for the course; I now wish the instructors would have picked more up-to-date material.

[Nilam Wulandari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fifth Kingdom, by Bryce Kendrick, this book is a good one for everyone who want to know about Fungi. Perhaps this book can do something to produce a more balanced understanding and appreciation of fungi among university students and intelligent lay person.

[K8teebug]

I was lucky enough to hang out with Dr. Kendrick for a week a few years ago, and he's awesome. So is this book. (and I'm not biased because my favorite national geographic photo ever is illustrated on the title page)

[Na · Rating 4 out of 5]

I little wonky in its outline, but the material is very readable and the illustrations are wonderful. It is not a huge textbook but still covers a lot of material. Kendrick invites the novice mycologist to comfortably take the next step in understanding the world of fungi.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Intriguing despite the best efforts of the author.

[Geoff Winston Leghorn Balme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Technical but wonderful book about fungi in all its myriad forms. A classic of biological sciences.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written text.