Book Review | Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World

Author Paul Stamets | Review by The Bioregulatory Medicine Institute

Mycelium Running, by Paul Stamets—a world-renowned mycologist, author, and speaker—serves as both a manifesto and a manual—an

invitation to rethink fungi not as background organisms, but as the living intelligence that quietly stabilizes life on Earth. Stamets reveals the vast underground networks of mycelium as nature’s original regulatory system, orchestrating nutrient cycling, detoxification, and biodiversity with a

sophistication that rivals any engineered solution. Through this lens, fungi emerge as master bioregulators—organisms that sense imbalance and respond with precision, resilience, and grace.

At the heart of the book is Stamets’ portrayal of mycelium as a highly adaptive environmental regulator. He introduces concepts such as

mycofiltration and mycoremediation, showing how fungal networks actively detect, bind, and neutralize pollutants—from petroleum hydrocarbons to heavy metals—without the need for synthetic chemicals. These processes mirror biological feedback loops: contamination triggers a fungal response, enzymatic pathways are activated, and ecological balance is gradually restored. Particularly compelling are the real-world field trials, including mycelial mats used to absorb diesel spills, which illustrate fungi’s innate

capacity for self-regulation and landscape-level healing.

Beyond theory, Mycelium Running shines as a hands-on guide for ecological intervention. Stamets offers practical techniques for outdoor cultivation that enhance natural bioregulation—such as inoculating wood chips to support mycoforestry, strengthening trees through symbiotic mycorrhizal partnerships. He emphasizes species-specific strategies, including the use of turkey tail fungi to break down agricultural pesticides,

reframing fungi as allies in biological pest management rather than passive decomposers. These sections empower readers to work with mycelium as a living tool—deployable in gardens, farms, forests, and even contaminated industrial sites.

The book’s greatest strength lies in its seamless fusion of visionary philosophy and applied science. Stamets’ now-famous metaphor of “mycelium as nature’s internet” is more than poetic—it provides a conceptual framework for understanding how ecosystems communicate, adapt, and self-correct.

Ultimately, Mycelium Running succeeds as both inspiration and blueprint. It challenges readers to see ecological repair not as a technological problem to be dominated, but as a biological process to be supported—one in which mycelium stands at the center, quietly regulating life in a rapidly changing world.

Bioregulatory medicine is a total body (and mind) approach to health and healing that aims to help facilitate and restore natural human biological processes. It is a proven, safe, gentle, highly effective, drugless, and side-effect-free medical model designed to naturally support the body to regulate, adapt, regenerate, and self-heal. BRMI is a non-commercial 501(c)(3) foundation and will expand and flourish with your support. Our goal is to make bioregulatory medicine a household term.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for the direct care of a qualified health practitioner who oversees and provides unique and individualized care. The information provided here is to broaden our different perspectives and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.