Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees

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 WildlifeBees are like oxygen: ubiquitous, essential, and, for the most part,unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationshipsthat bind the human and natural worlds. In Buzz,the award-winning author of Feathers and The Triumphof Seeds takes us on a journey that begins 125 million years ago, whena wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young.From honeybees andbumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees havelong been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence.They've g