The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins

by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing2015 A thought provoking blending Matsutake lore (history, environmental, economic, & culture) with economic and capitalist theory into a unique book.  We love learning more about the matsutake, one of our favorites, in the context of economic theory - "A poetic and remarkably fertile exploration of the relationship between human beings and the natural environment."—Pankaj Mishra, The Guardian"I'm very grateful to have this book."—Ursula K. Le GuinA Flavorwire and Times Higher Education Book of the Year The acclaimed and award-winning book about what a rare mushroom can teach us about sustaining life on a fragile planet Matsutake is the most valuable mushroom in the world—and a weed that grows in human-disturbed forests across the northern hemisphere. Through its ability to nurture trees, matsutake helps forests to grow in daunting places. It is also an edible delicacy in Japan, where it sometimes commands astronomical prices. In all its contradictions, mat