The Power of Fungi is an engaging exploration of fungi and their remarkable importance for human health, food, and the future of our planet. The book combines scientific insights with practical guidance, showing how fungi can support mental and physical well-being, enrich our diets, and even help solve major global challenges such as climate change and sustainable food production. It also features rich and innovative umami mushroom recipes developed by Copenhagen gourmet chefs, bringing the culinary potential of fungi to life. From medicinal mushrooms and delicious recipes to toxic species and groundbreaking innovations, it presents fungi as both powerful allies and forces to respect—ultimately revealing their essential role in shaping a healthier and more sustainable world.

Lene Lange is one of the world's most renowned mycologists. She has served as a professor at the University of Copenhagen, Aalborg University, and most recently at the Technical University of Denmark. Before that she worked for 20 years in R&D of international biotechnology, Novo Nordisk and Novozymes, where she finished in 2006 as research director in molecular biotechnology, focusing on the discovery of novel fungal enzymes for the development of new biological solutions addressing climate, biodiversity, and health challenges. Since 2018, she has run her own company, LL-BioEconomy, a research SME that participates as a partner in international, European, Nordic, and Danish research projects. Since 2014, she has also served as Vice Chair of the Scientific Committee, advising the European Commission and the Danish government on circular and bio-based solutions—areas in which fungi and their enzymes play a significant role. She started learning about fungi from early childhood. Her father, Morten Lange, was the first professor in Mycology in Denmark (and in Northern Europe); and her grandfather, Jakob Emanuel Lange, the author of one of the largest iconographies of mushrooms, Flora Agaricina Danica, was also internationally recognized mycologist, contributing to developing also the US-mycology.