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Summary
Summary
As seen on PBS's American Spring LIVE, the award-winning author of The Triumph of Seeds and Feathers presents a natural and cultural history of bees: the buzzing wee beasties that make the world go round.
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.
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.
Reviews (2)
Booklist Review
Ancient people knew their bees and where to find them, for sweet honey to eat and wax to burn for smokeless light. From honey, people also made mead to drink and medicine to heal. Today, many of us enjoy honey but few of us appreciate bees themselves and the role they play in the environment and the economy. One estimate posits that 37 percent of the food we eat depends on bee pollination. Sadly, many of us fear, avoid, and even poison bees. According to conservation biologist Hanson, populations of many species of bees are in decline due to habitat loss, herbicides, pesticides, and introduced pathogens. Despite this news, the author is surprisingly optimistic that we can reform and protect our bees, citing recent research and improved agricultural practices. In Buzz, he states his case while entertainingly recounting human-and-bee history and his own experiences with many bee species. Readers might just notice more bees buzzing around their outdoor lives after reading this encouraging book.--Roche, Rick Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Lively and entertaining, Hanson's (The Triumph of Seeds) work introduces the world of bees-all bees, not just honeybees, which the author describes as "the chickens of the bee world." (Wild bees are far more common.) Bees have long held fascination for humans; they are mentioned in Shakespeare and found in primitive rock art. Beekeeping began in the Neolithic era, while mead, which is made from honey, is one of the oldest forms of alcoholic beverages. Hanson discusses what is known about bee evolution. The fossil evidence is poor, but it is suspected that bees evolved from sphecid wasps, coevolving with flowers, which have developed various ingenious methods of attracting them. Bees have also played a role in human evolution, with honey providing at least 15 percent of the caloric intake for hunter-gatherer groups. The author also details Colony Collapse Disorder, stating that approximately 40 percent of bee species are in decline, and provides suggestions for farmers and home gardeners in supporting bee populations. VERDICT Of interest to farmers, gardeners, ecologists, and anyone concerned about bees and their impact on our food -supply.-Rachel Owens, Daytona State Coll. Lib., FL © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Table of Contents
| Author's Note | p. ix |
| Acknowlcdginenls | p. xi |
| Preface: A Bee in the Hand | p. xiii |
| Introduction The Buzz About Bees | p. 1 |
| Becoming Bees | |
| Chapter 1 A Vegetarian Wasp | p. 15 |
| Chapter 2 The Living Vibrato | p. 31 |
| Chapter 3 Alone Together | p. 55 |
| Bees and Flowers | |
| Chapter 4 A Special Relationship | p. 77 |
| Chapter 5 Where Flowers Bloom | p. 103 |
| Bees and People | |
| Chapter 6 Of Honeyguidcs and Hominins | p. 123 |
| Chapter 7 Keeping Dumbledores | p. 141 |
| Chapter 8 Every Third Bite | p. 157 |
| The Future of Bees | |
| Chapter 9 Empty Nests | p. 175 |
| Chapter 10 A Day in the Sun | p. 201 |
| Conclusion The Bee-Loud Glade | p. 213 |
| Appendix A Bee Families of the World | p. 217 |
| Appendix B Bee Conservation | p. 227 |
| Notes | p. 229 |
| Glossary | p. 251 |
| Bihliogyaphy | p. 255 |
| Index | p. 271 |