Preface Introduction Being in Nature Meaningful Mushrooms Sharing the Woods Talking Wild Organizing Naturalists Fungus and Its Publics Naturework and the Taming of the Wild Notes Index
Gary Alan Fine is Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University.
As with the best of good sociology, we are quickly persuaded [in
Morel Tales] that by studying seemingly esoteric behavior, mushroom
hunting, we can learn about basic social processes. Examining the
odd can lead to confrontation with what is central to human
experience...Fine argues and illustrates with rich data that there
is no nature without culture and no culture without particular
social groups acting within concrete situations...A well-crafted
sociological study, Morel Tales weaves together a well-developed
grounded theory with interesting ethnographic description. .. Next
time someone asks me 'What's so special about the way sociologists
approach the world? What do sociologists have to offer?' I will
recommend Morel Tales.
*Contemporary Sociology*
A delightful ethnographic analysis of the culture of field
mycologists (mushroomers) as a paradigm of the customs of
naturalists in general (birdwatchers, ramblers, botany clubs,
etc.)...This book is strongly recommended to all introspective
naturalists, particularly field mycologists and their professional
colleagues, and should be a priority acquisition for any
library...with a natural history collection.
*Society for General Microbiology Quarterly [UK]*
This book is first and foremost an eminently readable ethnography
about the everyday lives of hobbyist mushroomers, the social world
framing these lives, and the mentality of these enthusiasts as it
springs from their leisure passion...[T]his study constitutes a
rare contribution to the sociology of science, a field where
ethnographic research is rare and the role of amateurs consistently
ignored.
*Canadian Journal of Sociology*
If traipsing about in the woods looking for fungi is your idea of a
great time, then Gary Alan Fine's Morel Tales: The Culture of
Mushrooming is the book for you...Dr. Fine presents the experiences
and perspectives of several mycolophiles in their own words. From
encounters with wild animals to tales of valuable mushroom findings
along with some blunders, these pages provide insights into the
popularity of the mushrooming pastime...I thoroughly enjoyed Morel
Tales and can recommend it to both amateur and professional
mycologists.
*American Biology Teacher*
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