Author and freelance journalist Doug Bierend joins the show to discuss his new book "In Search of Mycotopia: Citizen Science, Fungi Fanatics, and the Untapped Potential of Mushrooms". The book describes Doug's journey of meeting a wide range of disparate characters involved in some way or another with fungi and the emerging DIY mycology community, and creates a vivid first hand practical and philosophical synthesis of the influences of fungi on contemporary culture, and vice versa.  We discuss themes from the book, what led him to this topic as a journalist, the progression of personal relationships with fungi and musings on different kinds of roles they could play in our collective future. Follow Doug's work: https://www.dougbierend.com/ Buy the book here: https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/in-search-of-mycotopia/