Over the course of 29 chapters in FLY AGARIC: A Compendium of History, Pharmacology, Mythology, and Exploration–many of which stand out for their careful scholarship and clarity–editor Kevin M. Feeney and his coauthors consider Amanita muscaria and its near relations. They consider the Fungi from every angle: mushroom gathering, identification, and preparations; the chemistry and physical reactions associated with its psychoactive properties; and its extensive religious-mythic references from regions as diverse as Siberia and the Yucatán Peninsula.
Feeney’s first section on mushroom hunting, Amanita basics, and Amanitas in North America is very strong. Similarly, the chapters on archaeological evidence by Carl de Borhegyi and Giorgio Samorini are excellent and well-documented. Millman’s work, and the Salzman and Lincoff chapter on Kamchatka are especially compelling, as well as Ewa Maciejczyk’s chapter on Amanita muscaria chemistry. Nearly half the book addresses cultural references to fly agaric, with many of the authors responding to R. Gordon Wasson’s 1968 publication “Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality.” Wasson’s seminal book explored the connections between Amanita and the sacred Soma mentioned in the ancient Sanskrit Rig Veda. Occasionally in these chapters, there’s a sense that authors are over-inferring the connection between myth and mushroom. That said, the broad, overlapping cultural references are never less than fascinating.
FLY AGARIC serves both an academic audience and nonacademic enthusiasts. It is also a complex, multi-author work. These attributes create tremendous challenges for an editor: Is there overlapping or contradictory information? Should the work be stylistically consistent? Is the chapter sequencing as coherent as possible? Feeney who serves as the editor and the author or coauthor of 11 of the book’s 29 chapters seems to have taken a more hands-off approach to stylistic consistency and overlapping information across the chapters, adding a loose quality to the work. Whether this looseness was deliberation or necessity, it enhances the multiple-voiced perspective and rarely impedes the richness of the content. While a few chapters are uneven, overall, this readable reference volume serves as a fascinating resource for students and enthusiasts of mycology, mythology, and pharmacology.
For those interested in mycology, pharmacology, and the role of psychoactive substances in world mythology and religion, Author/editor Kevin Feeney’s excellent, integrative volume, FLY AGARIC, honors and expands this unusual and fascinating field of study.
~Ellen Graham for IndieReader