Buzz The Nature and Necessity of Bees [Hardcover]

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. InBuzz, 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.

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

Thor Hansonis a conservation biologist, Guggenheim Fellow, and author of award winning books includingFeathers,The Impenetrable Forest, andThe Triumph of Seeds. He lives with his wife and son on an island in Washington State.

Vividly zinging...[Hanson] zips and waggles through fascinating journeys to meet fellow bee obsessives, reminding us that...we have brought trouble upon ourselves: 40 percent of the bee species are in decline threatened with extinction.