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    Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees
    Unavailable
    Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees
    Unavailable
    Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees
    Ebook388 pages5 hours

    Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees

    By Thor Hanson

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    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 Wildlife



    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherIcon Books
    Release dateJul 2, 2018
    ISBN9781785783753
    Unavailable
    Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees
    Author

    Thor Hanson

    Thor Hanson is a biologist whose previous books include The Impenetrable Forest, Feathers (longlisted for the Samuel Johnson prize), The Triumph of Seeds, Buzz, and Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid. He has appeared on BBC Radio 4 and contributed to publications including BBC Wildlife and the Huffington Post. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest, USA.

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    Reviews for Buzz

    4.5/5

    28 ratings4 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Very understandable, beautifully written natural history book. The narrative starts with stories about the history and biology of bees and our connections to them. It concludes with a look at their devastating decline and future prospects. Of interest to anyone that enjoys nature and to anyone that appreciates a variety of foods.
    • 5/5
      Captivating and informative."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 beloved Thor Hanson 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."If you're looking for information on bees look no further. This book starts a hundred and twenty five million years ago at the very history of the modern be and takes you on a journey through the ages into what is now known as our honey bee. The book goes over the importance of the be not only in the role it plays in nature but also the role it plays in mythology and inhuman beliefs.Incredibly detailed but beautifully written. I would normally say that a book like this is too long but in order to encompass all of the information it has to be that way. I understand why the author made the book as long as it is. You just can't make it any shorter and do the subject justice. I now know more about bees than I ever thought I would thanks to this book. Although it was informative and a reference book in nature it was not daunting to read. Thor Hanson does a wonderful job of threading the story together in a way that makes it easier for the reader to follow. This book is not just for scientists it's for everyone!I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in knowing a little bit more about the subject. Good book!
    • 5/5
      Captivating and informative."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 beloved Thor Hanson 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."If you're looking for information on bees look no further. This book starts a hundred and twenty five million years ago at the very history of the modern be and takes you on a journey through the ages into what is now known as our honey bee. The book goes over the importance of the be not only in the role it plays in nature but also the role it plays in mythology and inhuman beliefs.Incredibly detailed but beautifully written. I would normally say that a book like this is too long but in order to encompass all of the information it has to be that way. I understand why the author made the book as long as it is. You just can't make it any shorter and do the subject justice. I now know more about bees than I ever thought I would thanks to this book. Although it was informative and a reference book in nature it was not daunting to read. Thor Hanson does a wonderful job of threading the story together in a way that makes it easier for the reader to follow. This book is not just for scientists it's for everyone!I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in knowing a little bit more about the subject. Good book!
    • 4/5
      Natural history books are probably the fastest growing segment of my reading life. After serendipitously discovering Hanson’s book about feathers last year I had a look at his other books. This was perfect because I love all manner of bees and I’m even becoming more tolerant of (read - not running away from screaming) wasps. Before reading this book I was toying with the idea of setting up an “artificial” habitat for native pollinators. Now I’ve decided to do it.This book focuses on species other than honey bees although they do figure into a chapter or two. Hanson says there are copious better sources of information on that species. Instead this book talks about wild bees and their role in, and influence on, nature and agriculture. It’s written quite well and full of personal anecdotes about his field work and writing process. A few things I learned from this book -Bees have two pairs of wings (that part I knew) that can hook together (that part I didn’t). They use this function to adjust lift during flight. Wow. There’s a lot more about exactly how bees, and especially the flight-maligned bumblebee, actually fly. From incredible muscle energy application to create 200+ strokes per second to that wings don’t move up and down, but laterally in a scooping motion, it’s an eye opening reveal. (p 46-7)And no wonder they’ve had to evolve such elaborate flight mechanisms. The specialized hairs on bees can, depending on species, hold more than 25% of the bee’s bodyweight. That’s like an average sized person carrying a 50 pound backpack around all day. (p 83)Not all bees have stingers. Only true hive/colonial bees can sting. Solitary bees, which make up the majority of the population, don’t have them. So cute little mason, sweat, digger, leaf-cutter, wool-carder and alkali bees pose no threat. Not that honey or bumble bees really do either. I’ve found both species quite blase about my nearness to them and only once did I get in trouble by being too nosy at a bumble bee nest in my yard. I can’t remember if I got stung or not, but I did get chased! (p 108)Mice and rats will eat bumble bee larvae and honey stores are are often the cause of nest failure in early spring before there are enough workers to defend the nest. Not sure if this carries to chipmunks or voles, but it might. Darn rodents! (p 155)Two things kept this from being a perfect book. That the illustrations and photos are not in color. Understandable though and I can’t knock keeping the price down. The second thing are the endnotes. They’re not indicated in the text at all and so even if you did want to read them in the narrative flow, it’s almost impossible. I found them informative and would prefer to have had them as page notes so I could read them immediately when referred to.