Buzz : The Nature and Necessity of Bees

A superb natural andcultural history of bees - the only such book to celebrate their fulldiversity.

BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK''Popular science at its most accessible: fun, fascinating and full of engaging pen portraits of the scientists and bee enthusiasts he meets in the course of his research'' Melissa Harrison, Guardian''A smooth and accessible account of the insects that provide a significant amount of what we eat, introducing their fascinating diversity of behaviour. A reminder of why bees are wonders that we must protect.'' Matt Shardlow, BBC WildlifeBees are like oxygen: ubiquitous, essential, and, for the most part,unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationshipsthat bind the human and natural worlds. In Buzz,the award-winning author of Feathers and The Triumphof Seeds takes us on a journey that begins 125 million years ago, whena wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young.From honeybees andbumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees havelong been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence.They''ve given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers, and as much as athird of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk ofdisappearing.As informative andenchanting as the waggle dance of a honeybee, Buzz shows uswhy all bees are wonders to celebrate and protect. Read this book and you''llnever overlook them again.