In Praise of Bees: A Cabinet of Curiosities

A comprehensive study of the bee's place in human society from prehistoric cave paintings and inscribed clay tablets, through to our contemporary world. Covering everything about the relationships between human society and bees, this book is filled with nuggets of bee science and practical beekeeping, myth, religion, politics, philosophy, and folklore, plus a selection of verse and a rich variety of illustrations ranging from scientific etchings to modern photographs. It also offers an in-depth look at bees' complex society and their present plight. The ongoing political and scientific controversies regarding pesticides and other threats are also discussed, given the bee's importance as plant pollinator in agriculture and the wild.