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

"A poetic and remarkably fertile exploration of the relationship between human beings and the natural environment, and what can still be done to stem its rapid deterioration."—Pankaj Mishra, The Guardian

"There’s a double meaning to Tsing’s title. The mushroom is at the end of the known world because it’s hard to find, a secret tucked deep in the forest. But she’s also hinting at the end of the world as we know it, given our instinct for extracting as much from the earth as we can. Humanity has never seemed so finely calibrated and rationalized: the seamless journey of a very expensive mushroom from nature to a dinner plate tells this story."—Hua Hsu, The New Yorker

"Highly original. . . . This book brilliantly turns the commerce and ecology of this most rare mushroom into a modern parable of post-industrial survival and environmental renewal."—Peter D. Smith, The Guardian

"[A] thought-provoking meditation on capitalism, resilience, and survival."—E. Ce Miller, Bustle.com

"This was a year of many of books about the Anthropocene—the name now frequently invoked to describe an era of incalculable human impact on geological and ecological conditions. Few of these books are as focused and useful as Tsing's."—Jonathan Sturgeon, Flavorwire

"It’s an anthropological and environmental study, but it’s almost written like a novel."—Cate Le Bon, The Guardian

"[A] rather remarkable book, both in its empathetic meditations on ‘companion species' and in its experimental mode of history writing."—James Graham, Metropolis

"A fascinating account of the biology, ecology, genetics and anthropology of the world's most valued mushroom."—Louise O. Fresco, Times Higher Education

"A beautiful, humble book. . . . Anthropology at its best."—Darwin BondGraham, East Bay Express

"[Tsing] writes clearheaded prose with an ear for lyrical phrases. . . . [The Mushroom at the End of the World] is a wonderful meditation on how humans shape and distort the natural landscape, and in return, are shaped and distorted by a wildness of their own making."—Casey Sanchez, Santa Fe New Mexican

"[An] extraordinary book."—Jim Igoe, American Anthropologist

"Tsing's extraordinary book provides an intimate account of the ecology of the matsutake and the work of the pickers, entrepreneurs and gourmets who bring it into the global economy. As such, The Mushroom at the End of the World is about much more than mushrooms. This is a book, perhaps above all, about the experience of living in precarious times and about life at the edges or in the cracks of the world system of capitalism. . . . A remarkable and elegantly conceived book that well rewards close attention."—John Miller, Green Letters: Studies in Ecocriticism

"The publisher can really be congratulated. Rarely can one immerse oneself into an academic work with informative and sensuous pictures and figures that set a pace and allow the reader to explore the senses of smelling, grabbing, searching and walking. Tsing's book is not a conclusive analysis of post-capitalist processes but an outline for living sensuously, creatively and freely with each other."—Jenni Mölkäken, Suomen Antropologi: Journal of the Finnish Anthropological Society

"An outstanding book that speaks to core questions in contemporary geography. . . . The Mushroom at the End of the World abundantly deserves the praises and awards it has garnered since its publication, and I could not endorse it more strongly."—William E. O'Brien, American Association of Geographers Review of Books

"The book will be of considerable interest at the complex intersection of social science, natural science and humanities. That is where anthropology is ideally located but achieving this is rather rare. . . . Without ever lecturing at the reader or hammering on some academic conviction, the book instead reveals a range of things that are variously urgent and pleasant, keeping ecological disaster in sight while allowing plenty of time for curiosity, diversity and surprise."—Hjorleifur Jonsson, Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology

"Provocative. . . . Beginning with an account of the matsutake mushroom, Tsing follows the threads of this organism to tease out an astonishing number of insights about life in the Anthropocene."—Year's Work in Critical and Cultural Theory

"Through careful study of matsutake, [Tsing] discovers connections to other objects that create dynamic and moving webs across time and space. The methodological carefulness and precision, even on a sensuous level, is impressive. . . . The mushroom poses difficult questions about responsibility. . . . Tsing's well-researched and thought-provoking book is a testament to that."—Jenny Jarlsdotter Wikström, Angelaki: Journal of the Theoretical Humanities

"Tsing weaves an adventurous tale. . . . Her engrossing account of intersecting cultures and nature's resilience offers a fresh perspective on modernity and progress."—Publisher's Weekly

"Unusually rewarding. . . . Bursting with ideas and observations, Tsing's highly original ethnographic study follows this spicy smelling mushroom's global commodity chain. . . . Consistently fascinating, [Tsing's] story of the picking and selling of this wild mushroom becomes a wonderful window on contemporary life."—Kirkus Reviews

"An original analysis of the value regime of our current capitalist economy. . . . Tsing's contribution to the debate on valuation and evaluation is important in that it points to the relevance, both in research and in politics, of noticing the nonscalable value regimes embedded in life processes."—Laura Centemeri, Tecnoscienza: Italian Journal of Science & Technology Studies

"Scientists and artists know that the way to handle an immense topic is often through close attention to a small aspect of it, revealing the whole through the part. In the shape of a finch's beak we can see all of evolution. So through close, indeed loving, attention to a certain fascinating mushroom, the matsutake, Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing discusses how the whole immense crisis of ecology came about and why it continues. Critical of simplistic reductionism, she offers clear analysis, and in place of panicked reaction considers possibilities of rational, humane, resourceful behavior. In a situation where urgency and enormity can overwhelm the mind, she gives us a real way to think about it. I'm very grateful to have this book as a guide through the coming years."—Ursula K. Le Guin

"If we must survive in the ‘ruins of capitalism'—what some call the Anthropocene—we need an example of how totally unexpected connections can be made between the economy, culture, biology, and survival strategies. In this book, Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing offers a marvelous example with the unlikely case of a globalized mushroom."—Bruno Latour, author of An Inquiry into Modes of Existence

"This is a thoughtful, insightful, and nuanced exploration of the relationships between people and landscapes, landscapes and mushrooms, mushrooms and people. Anthropologists, historians, ecologists, and mushroom lovers alike will appreciate the depth and sensitivity with which Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing follows this modern global commodity chain, from the forests of North America and China to the auction markets of Japan."—David Arora, author of Mushrooms Demystified

"It isn't often that one discovers a book that is at once scholarly in the best sense and written with the flowing prose of a well-crafted novel. Speaking to issues of major concern, The Mushroom at the End of the World is a brilliant work, superbly conceived, and a delight to read."—Marilyn Strathern, emeritus professor of social anthropology, University of Cambridge

"This book uses the matsutake mushroom as a lens through which to examine contemporary environmental history, global commodity production, and science. With soaring prose, penetrating intellect, and sustained creativity and originality, it links disparate topics in new and profound ways. Spanning an astonishing number of fields, this work is destined to be a classic."—Michael R. Dove, Yale University