Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees

BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK JULY 2018







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.