Bees: Nature's Little Wonders by Candace Savage

Bees: Nature's Little Wonders by Candace Savage looks at the incredible insect in a way you have never experienced before. It covers everything from what the relationships between bees is like, the diversity of bees, and what is going on in the mind of a bee. I picked up Bees because I'm a huge nature and science nerd, but what I found is a wonderful little book with crossover appeal to anyone who might just be a little interested in bees. Savage combines everything from poetry and sayings involving bees, to the history of the bee. Not only does she tell the story in an interesting way, but the book itself is extremely aesthetically attractive. You can click here to get an inside preview of Bees (it looks even better in real life!).  

I did find two rather large gaps in the material covered. First, there is a not a single mention of Killer Bees which have spread and terrorized over the years and which I certainly would have loved to learned the facts behind. Secondly, Savage only spends the final three pages of the book discussing the threats to bees in a way that is rushed and vague and I certainly thought a book funded by the David Suzuki Foundation would have spent a little more time on the environmental struggles facing the bee. That said, it's wonderful and informative on the topics it does cover. Savage tells the reader about the history of scientists studying the bee in chronological order, focuses on the key historical and contemporary figures.  I personally have a strong biology background but I had no real prior knowledge of bees going into reading this book. Luckily, Savage is clear and concise although the book itself is not overall scientific in detail.

The format of Bees is fantastic for getting a well-rounded impression of the insects and Savage definitely appears to have done a lot of research while writing the book which also includes plenty of references at the end for further reading. The book is full-colour and the images are a wonderful variety of photos and artistic renderings of the bee. Overall, I fully recommend Bees by Candace Savage as a lovely and informative introduction for individuals interested in learning a little more about this incredible insect!

Release Date: October 1st, 2008
Pages: 136
Source: Publisher 
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