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startjpw23's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
The book lists various experiments that were done in an attempt to understand the mental abilities of bees. These experiments took place from the 1800's to close to current times. The author was involved in a fair number of experiments initially as a student working under other professors/researchers and after receiving his doctorate leading his own studies or in collaboration with other noted researchers. The first chapter gives some introductory information about bees, their world, and the challenges they face, how they fit in with humans, and more. The second chapter talks about the vison of bees and how they perceive their environment. The third chapter talks about experiments to try to understand how bees were able to fly long distances from their hives and locate desirable flowers to collect pollen and nectar. And then how the bees were able to find their way back to their nest. Later chapters talk about experiments to try to determine how much of bee's activities are instinct, how much is learning, how much is conscious decision making, do they feel pain, and more. Mainly the book talks about social bees - honey bees and bumble bees. They do talk a little about solitary bees, wasps, and ants. As with most nature books, this book ended on a cautionary note. The author talked about the issues that have negatively impacted the populations of pollinating bees worldwide. He did have some suggestions about what should be done. I struggled a bit with the science in the early part of the book. After that, I was able to follow what was talked about in a better way. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I learned a fair amount. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the mental abilities of bees and how they function in their environment. If, like me, you struggle with the science in the early part of the book, I suggest you keep reading. It will be worth your time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death