While almost all mushrooms share beneficial properties that strengthen the immune system, the chapters of Medicinal Mushrooms are dedicated to mushrooms that are the most promising for healing a variety of illnesses, including reishi (for liver disorders), cordyceps sinesis (anti-aging), maitake (cancer) and hericum erinaceus (Alzheimer's Disease), among others. Mushrooms have been found in human culture for thousands of years. They have been used as medicine since the very beginning, but in the past fifty years several major advancements in medicine have come from mushrooms and other fungi, including the most famous of all, penicillin. This book explores mushroom history, as well as their potential uses in the future.

Georges M. Halpern, MD, PhD is a Professor Emeritus at Stanford University and University of California. Andrew H. Miller is the founder of several successful herbal product companies. They both live in Portola Valley, California.