Buzz
A review of

Buzz

The Nature and Necessity of Bees

Thor HansonIcon Books • 2019

Who Bees Are

by David Meyer

Prolific biologist and author Thor Hanson offers a compelling, fact-filled, fun overview of bees, their evolution, their role in nature, and the benefits and threats of their interaction with people.

Thor Hanson’s charming investigation into the lives and habits of bees proves delightful and essential reading. Hanson, a conservation biologist, Guggenheim fellow and co-host of PBS’s Nature series American Spring Live, offers reflections on a bee’s exquisite anatomy as well as conversations with entomologists and preservationists. Given the Colony Collapse Disorder of 2006 and ongoing threats to bee habitat, Hanson urges people to become more responsible stewards of this vital natural resource.

Hanson’s readable, engaging overview garnered enthusiastic reviews from multiple sources. The Christian Science Monitor called it, “a loving, infectiously enthusiastic natural history.” The Wall Street Journal said Hanson is, “…an insightful observer of evolution, at his most elegant when digging deep into the science.” And The Guardian called this, “Fun, fascinating and full of engaging pen portraits of scientists and bee enthusiasts.”


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