Synopsis

A Radio 4 Book of The Week.

Bees are like oxygen: ubiquitous, essential, and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds.

In Buzz, the award-winning author of Feathers and The Triumph of Seeds takes us on a journey that begins 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young.

From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long 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 a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing.

As informative and enchanting as the waggle dance of a honeybee, Buzz shows us why all bees are wonders to celebrate and protect. Read this book and you'll never overlook them again.

Details

• Format : Standard 2nd Hand Paperback
• Condition : As New
• Category : Non-Fiction - Animals, Wildlife & Nature
• Published : 2018 (This Edition 2019 - Icon Books)
• ISBN : 9781785785115
• SKU : B003054
• PPC : SP300gm
• RRP : £9.99
• Quantity Available : 1 only.

External Reviews

'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 Wildlife.

'Thor Hanson is a charmingly enthusiastic bee fanatic and his book is a pleasure to read.' - Daily Mail.

'Since finishing the book I can't walk past flowers without looking for bees. Buzz is illuminating, inspiring and irresistible: in short, the bee's knees' - Francis Wheen, Mail on Sunday.

'Popular science at its intelligent best' - The Economist.

'Entertaining, well-informed . . . The real joy of the book is Hanson's celebration of the range of lifestyles and extraordinary capabilities that bees possess, other than honey production.' - Mark Cocker, New Statesman.

`An engaging, informative page-turner' - Brian Clegg, popularscience.co.uk.

The Author

Thor Hanson is an American conservation biologist and author. Hanson has published five books for general audiences and one children's book. He has also contributed to a range of periodicals and other media, including the PBS program, American Spring LIVE.