This book should be a must-read for all of us, but especially our students, who will need to preserve our precious bees from extinction. With 1/3 of the food we eat dependant upon this little pollinators and the dangerous chemicals killing them off, we must all do our part to save them. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to, but only my students, but to everyone! .
Thank you for the opportunity to review this book

This book is a love letter to the bees of the world. Hanson's writing style is captivating and held my attention which is hard to do in a nonfiction book. This book covered a lot of topics from the anatomy of bees to their role in the natural world to looking at bees through a mythological lens. Really enjoyed reading this!

I cannot believe it has taken me this long to read a book by Thor Hanson.

This book is a love letter to the bees of the world. I really enjoyed the writing style. Hanson has an incredible voice and his enthusiasm for the natural world is contagious!

There is so much that is covered in this book - the unique anatomy of bees, why vegetarianism helped them thrive as a species, the very important role bees play in the natural world and how that directly affects humans, the perseverance and passion of individuals who are trying their hardest to prevent colony collapse and so much more. My favourite section of the book looks at the bee through a mythological lens. It is amazing how so many ancient cultures have used the humble bee as symbols of luck, prosperity and even evil.

After reading this, I will not take bees for granted. They are an integral and vital part of our world and it is important that we do what we can to protect them. Highly recommend!

I received a free copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Words like enchanting, captivating have been used to describe Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees. Why? Because it’s truly well written.

Let me drive this home. It’s so well written I feel like crying. All throughout 2018, I have been on the lookout for a science non-fiction book that reads well and I’ve finally found it.

The author Dr Thor Hanson is indeed a rarity. Not all scientists can write as well as him. Because it’s a scientist’s nature to be observant, readers get to immerse themselves in the wealth of detail and information as seen through a scientist’s eye. Combined with a talent for writing accurate and succinct sentences, the result is magnificent. Readers get a very visual info. You can clearly see his passion for bees. I felt like I was right next to the author, experiencing his adventures in learning about wild bees.

What I appreciate most about this book is the timely use of appropriate analogues. They go miles in making the topic at hand seem relevant to readers. The author goes out of his way to make sure the readers understand what’s going on, effectively keeping them captivated by his writing.

I have learnt a lot from this book. It surprised me that the word ‘meme’ was used outside of the context we’re all so well-versed with i.e. internet memes often including cats or potatoes. Upon reference to the dictionary, I was further surprised that ‘meme’ is a noun used in biology. Huh.

Also – Did you know bees are descendants of wasps? I didn’t.

Excellent and rambly and poetic, just as I’d expected from the author’s other books. This book unites science, curiosity, history, and poetry in the way Carl Sagan used to do, and I’m always excited to see that.

Absolutely loved this book. The writing style was flowing and relaxed but hugely informative. The author's passion for bees shone through every page and consequently inspired me to learn more as a reader.

This was just the type of non-fiction book I like reading, which meant that I learned a lot from it without having the feeling I am being lectured to.

Thor Hanson has a wonderful way of explaining the world of bees, as if he is telling the reader about his discoveries as he delves deeper into this fascinating (and essential) group of insects. The passion the author has for his subject is clear and he explained things very well without getting too preachy or scientific. I loved the way he involved his young son occasionally in the narrative, as it is so important we teach our children the importance to take care of the world around us. Teaching our children to love nature is to teach them to love the world.

I enjoyed finding out about various types of bees, their behaviours and the way small changes to their environment can have major consequences. What I took away from this book is that the issues bees seem to have around the globe can be fixed if we only put a bit of effort in.

Absolutely loved this incredible book about bees. There are so many wonderful and different types of bees in the world and we need all of them. As a beekeeper, I of course appreciate anything that helps educate others and promote our essential pollinators to continue to thrive. I really enjoyed learning about what different species of bees need in order to be healthy and increase their populations. Recommend this to bee enthusiasts and anyone who wants to help these beneficial insects that we all depend on for life.

Full disclosure, I. flipping. love. bees. They always seem so happy when they're just buzzing to and fro with their fluffy little butts and furry little legs. I just really love bees.

But until now, I knew very little about them. They buzz. They pollinate. They make honey. Occasionally, they sting. There are a bunch of different kinds that look nothing alike. Some of them are super fluffy and others are not but no matter what they go 'buzz' and make me happy. But I didn't have any technical knowledge.

Buzz changed that; covering everything from evolution to habitats to the decline in bees across the globe and veering into personal stories from the author regarding bees, Buzz is a quick little read about a very important topic, all without it becoming too academic-sounding.

My Goodness! Anything you ever wanted to know about bees is in this book! The author tells in great detail the evolution of bees from wasps and then comes back to this theme throughout the book. He explores most of the 20,000 different species of bees, telling what they see, how they see, what they eat, why they eat it, etc.

He goes into great detail about the propagation of bees. For example, a queen bee can designate the sex of the offspring! Who would have thought that?

He has made an unbelievably detailed study of bees into a fascinating read. Highly recommended for people interested in bees in particular or nature in general.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher, Perseus Books, for an advanced copy of this book.

BUZZ: THE NATURE AND NECESSITY OF BEES – Thor Hanson
Basic Books
ISBN-10: 0465052614
ISBN-13: 978-0465052615
July, 2018

BUZZ is more than a title because a ‘buzz’ of interest kept me reading. The information on the evolution of bees from wasps, changing from carnivores to vegetarians during the age of dinosaurs was fascinating, as was learning how long man has been harvesting and treasuring honey. As a gardener, I also found the number of bee species astounding and their effects on how flowers developed through the millennia interesting. Only recently I learned Michigan has over 300 variety of bees, but had no idea on how many species there are in the world. All the information Mr. Hanson gives on the many types of bees in BUZZ is thought-provoking, and goes far beyond the scope of honey bees and their decline.

BUZZ is a well written personal narrative telling of the author's own interest and journey of discovery on the topic of bees. Author Thor Hanson writes in easy to understand language rather than in the jargon of science, but he provides quick definitions when words of a scientific nature are used and gives supporting evidence on his information from many experts in the field. BUZZ also holds a message that humans need to become more aware of their relationship to the creatures and plants that surround us and makes living possible.

Robin Lee

I was given an advanced review e-copy of uncorrected page proofs from the publisher through <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">NetGalley</a>. I'd love to see the final book because all of the images were in gray-scale. That and I'd like to share it.

If asked to reduce this love affair to one word, I would choose <i>habitat</a>. Mr. Hanson repeats that theme/concept/perspective multiple many times throughout his book, but gently, as part of the story, and not in-your-face. It needs to be in our faces, though, because we are destroying the habitats of so many species that are vital. "Ideal habitat", "perfect habitat", "limited habitat", "diversity of habitats", "nesting habitats"... "habit [...] eroding"...

Hanson is quick to inform that while honeybees are the widest known, and are in the news the most for their decline, they are only some species of the more than 20,000 identified species in the world. Not generally known, even by agriculturists who stand to benefit from the knowledge, is the relationships of the particular bees species that best serve fertilization of particular crops, and the <i>habitats</i> necessary to sustain a symbiotic bonds. Worse, with our increased production, we run risks (I'll risk a quote myself, noting this isn't the final copy of the book):<blockquote>When farmers and orchards devote hundreds or thousands of acres to a single crop, it creates a brief and intense flowering period that often overwhelms local bee populations, particularly in highly cultivated landscapes with limited nesting habitat.</blockquote>So, a stopgap solution is a cottage industry of pollination services...mobile hives for rent. The problems with this should be obvious: transportation can be harmful to the health of bees; not all bees are adapted to general pollination - many need specific <i>habitats</I> and food sources. Now, the purveyors do tend to ship around the kinds of bees that can pollinate different crops, but that is still not a sustainable solution (hint: native bee populations is a solution.)

Among the abundance of information here, I found this nugget interesting (okay, I found <i>lots</i> of nuggets): when researching the history of bee/human relationship, Hanson describes research into how it might tie to human evolution - how <i>Australopithecus</I>, with a massive jaw and molars could lead to <i>Homo</I>, with smaller jaws and teeth and a greater brain capacity. Common theories point to tools development and hunting richer foods, but some anthropologist are linking honey - incredibly energy-rich - to that brain explosion. New analysis techniques "can pinpoint lingering chemical fingerprints from even the tiniest stains and residues." Anthropologists used to wash tooth specimens for display but now know that fossil plaque contains "a surprising amount of information about ancient diets, and it can even hint at social behavior." Science helps science!

The story of bees cannot avoid the hard truth of Colony Collapse Disorder, sudden and too often evidence-less, though seemingly decreasing in frequency, crisis in mass die-offs of hives. Finding reasons for the bee population declines lead to what are called the "four Ps": parasites, poor nutrition, pesticides, and pathogens. Of those four threats, poor nutrition is probably the least obvious, but as one researcher says: "People look across a park or a golf course and think it;s green and lush, but to a bee it's like a desert or petrified forest - there's nothing to survive on." Telling. To those four, though, must also be added N for nesting habitat (there's that word again), I for invasive species, and CC...the danger with so many complications: <i>climate change</I>. An oversimplified example is plants flowering earlier before bees emerge from nests, too late for the preferred food.

I knew some of bees, enough to want to read more though clearly not enough having read this. Hanson does a beautiful job explaining in accessible terms the histories of bees, some on different species, the biology/anatomy, the interaction, and the decline and loss. This <i>is</i> a story, and it is Hanson's, but it is also all of ours. It is wonderfully told, not academic though bursting with obviously deeply researched information.

A note on the notes: I am not a fan of end notes not referenced directly in the text. I know that is increasingly done so as to not interrupt the reading flow or make the book seem academic, but I find it irritating to find them at the end and then have to flip back and find the reference on a page. And if I happen to check before starting, it is even more annoying to know there are cites, but flipping back and forth "just in case" disrupts more than a simple superscript. But that's me. Some books don't even provide citations, so there's a win. And I'm not dinging the format...this is excellent.

Buzz by Thor Hanson is a wonderfully written book about bees - all sorts of bees. The author does not focus on honeybees, but "celebrates bees in general, from leafcutters and bumbles to masons, miners, diggers, carpenters, wool-carders, and more." This is not a book about honey-bees and how to cultivate them.

Hanson starts off with why bees are important, then delves into their evolution from wasps, bee anatomy, habitats and habits, as well as the special relationship bees and flowers have. Without bees the colourful and fragrant flowers we have today would not exist. There is also a fascinating section on honeyguides (a species of bird), early hominins and their possible evolutionary honey munching habits. Hanson also briefly covers Colony Collapse Disorder, the decrease in wild bees in connection with current mono-culture farming habits, how farmers are working to provide more habitat for wild bees, and how our food is reliant on bee pollination.

This book is well-written, informative, wide-ranging book on a fascinating topic, made more personal with Hanson's observations and experiences. Thor Hanson loves bees and this is evident through out the book.

NOTE FROM BOOK: "A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to help preserve and protect wil bees."

A fascinating book about a fascinating creature, or indeed a multitude of fascinating creatures, as this book looks at the many different species of bees found worldwide. Both informative and entertaining, this book is destined to be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in the natural world around us. While concisely and clearly written, with a distinct lack of off putting jargon, the book is comprehensive in its scope. Beginning with the historic importance of bees , and their use and cultivation in ancient times, Hanson then moves on to the evolution of the bee from its precursor, the wasp, before also examining how bees have diversified into the multitudes of species found today, differing in their reproduction, nesting habits, and diet as well as habitat. Personally I found the chapter dealing with the economic contribution and importance of bees to be both fascinating and a little disturbing, given that the author also describes in some detail the ongoing decline and even disappearance of certain species. Taking the example of a McDonalds Big Mac Meal, he dissects the parts and when you take away components which involve bees in one way or another, the resulting meal is certainly quite a lot more bland. It's a very effective way of making the point that bees are important in many more ways than most people could ever imagine.

A great and fascinating book about bees and their lives. Most interesting and definitely a read considering the decline in the bee world.

Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees by Thor Hanson is a natural history. 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. Buzz 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.

Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees is a pretty perfect combination of personal narration, scientific explanation, and history. I never knew there were so many kinds of bees in the world, and how varied they are. I already knew how important they were as pollinators, and about the current bee population crisis, but Hanson's passion for the subject made even the things I already understood seem new and more important. This is a very accessible but detailed natural history that anyone interested in bees or the need we have for them in order to keep eating might want to read. The information and images are very well presented and organized with a conversational narrative tone that makes it an enjoyable and engaging read.

Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees is just the book I needed. I have always been fascinated with bees, although not as interested as our author. This book gave me all the information I could want and more.