The Buzz about Bees: Biology of a Superorganism [Hardcover]

Jürgen Tautz (Author), Helga R. Heilmann (Photographer), David C. Sandeman (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 20, 2009

With spectacularly beautiful colour photographs and an easy understandable text The Buzz about Bees tells the story of honeybees in a new perspective. Based on the latest data, notably from his own research group, Jürgen Tautz provides a wonderful insight into the realms of bees. In contrast to the view of bee colonies as perfect societies of selfless individuals ruled by a queen, Tautz introduces them as a "superorganism", a self organizing and complex adaptive system based on a network of communication; a fascinating result of evolution – a mammal in several bodies. The entire range of astonishing bee activities is described. Remarkable action photographs never shown before present bees busy with cell cleaning, caring for the brood, serving in the queen’s court, visiting flowers, receiving nectar, producing honey, comb building, entrance guarding, heating and cooling. Spotlights include bees grooming, swarming, fighting, telephoning, sleeping and communicating by high-toned beeping, scents and dances.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the Reviews of the German Edition: (Phaenomen Honigbiene, Spektrum, 2007) "…In small steps, … the author approaches the deeper nature of bees … With … 250 photos, … the presentation is excellent. Over 50 of them are full-page photos and give the volume … a particular aesthetic allure. Any beekeeper … who has ever tried to photograph their bees would be envious. As a basic work, ‘The Buzz about Bees’ is not only a milestone in bee literature for … beekeepers, but … recommended for anyone interested in nature. It links new up-to-date insights with established knowledge …" (Gilbert Brockmann, in: ADIZ/db/IF, 2007, p. 2) "It is hard to decide what is better about this book: the pictures or the text. Let’s start with the pictures. You look at them and are astounded and numerous adjectives occur to you: radiant, brilliant, magnificent, sharp, informative … When it comes to the text, I have to admit: Tautz has it easy. … Not only in the pictures, but also in the text, bees really come alive. … ‘The Buzz about Bees’ is the most wonderful book …" (Hubert Rehm, in: Laborjournal, 09/2007, p. 82) "… The work never comes across as dry or lecturing, not least thanks to the wonderful pictures … But all nature fans who have always wanted to know ‘how bees do it’ will find just what they want. In ten clearly structured chapters, Tautz describes the life of the individual bees and of the entire swarm … Tautz … links bees and their way of life with many aspects of modern human technology. … Read it, be amazed – and enjoy a slice of bread and honey as you do so!" (Christine Scholtyssek, in: Spektrum der Wissenschaft, September 2007, p. 92) "… ‘The Buzz about Bees’ is … marvelously illustrated … The pictures are aesthetically attractive, and … provide rare insight into … life in the bee colony. Readers familiar with scientific literature will initially be surprised: an academic book completely free from diagrams and tables, and all in an easy-to-read style with linguistic concessions to popular science. … The book’s content provides a graphic presentation of how the ‘miraculous’ elements of bees’ life result from a perfected interplay of physical, chemical, and biological processes in the superorganism of the bee colony …" (Martin Dambach, in: Entomologie heute, 2007, Issue 21, p. 221) From the reviews of the English edition: “Excellent and Informative, July 26, 2008” “I found this book to be extremely well written and easy to understand. The detail provided in all the information in this book really gives excellent insight into the structure of the hive and the behavior of the bees without getting bogged down in incomprehensible jargon. Additionally, the plentiful photographs are incredible. Anyone who is interested in honeybees should read this book.” (J. Desimone, Helmetta, NJ, USA in: amazon.com) “Educational, impressive, entertaining till the last page, July 19, 2008”Last year I was fortunate enough to read Juergen Tautz’s book, “The Buzz about Bees”. It was hard to put the book down, once I started reading it. Finally it has been published in English and I am delighted that I can share this book with all my friends here in the US. “The Buzz about Bees” is a fascinating and groundbreaking book! Tautz and his team have done an excellent job presenting their research and studies, also the photographs are of very high quality and are quite beautiful. Tautz’s approach to understanding the life of the bees is very innovative and inspiring. Many new and mesmerizing facts about bees are presented such as the mammal-like qualities of the bees. The journey through the book continues from “the bee colony - a mammal in many bodies” and moves to the “super-organism”, which describes the honeybee colony as an undividable entity and as “an organic interpretation of an individual”. The captivating facts put forth by the author are many. Tautz explains “propagated immortality” which is the unique way in which bees proliferate, and the flower wisdom of the bees illustrated with impressive details (ex. bees can gather and carry the amount of nectar of almost half their body weight). Tautz goes on to reveal more aspects of pollination, such as how the flowering world and the bees coevolved on earth, to the extent to which we depend on them  - critical in this time where many pollinators are endangered species! He introduces the concept of the “comb-wide-web” to describe the important relationship between wax comb and communication capacities of bees. The talent of the author is evident in his ability to combine excellent scientific work within a wider philosophic framework. As a gifted communicator, he launches this charming and intriguing journey into the beautiful world of the bees and enables us to understand the life of bees on a new and deeper level. In this book you may find, why bees have held humans in their thrall since millennia. All together, “The Buzz about Bees” is a fascinating book, with numerous facts and detailed photographs, compelling for readers of different ages and backgrounds. Educational, impressive, entertaining till the last page, this is a book for anyone who is interested in bees, nature, and the miracle of life.” (Michael Thiele ‘Beekeeper’, Sebastopol, CA, USA in: amazon.com) From the reviews: “The Buzz about Bees is more concerned with the minutiae of the honeybee’s life … it manages to be accessible and entertaining as well. As Jürgen Tautz … points out, colonies show an eerie collective intelligence and should be treated as highly sensitive entities, a point that is often not understood by those who keep bee colonies and treat them like ‘poor migrant workers’, transporting them to climates to which they are not adapted while keeping them in cramped conditions in which disease spreads rapidly.” (Robin McKie, The Observer, July, 2008) "The most up-to-date honey bee biology book I’ve ever seen. It has an incredible collection of photos showing things never seen, and it explains much of honey bee biology with a clarity seldom reached. … Chapters cover bees and flowers, sex, royal jelly, construction comb, intelligence, family and the difference between a colony as an organism, and a group of individual bees – climate control, comb construction and hygiene. Basically, everything is connected to everything else in a honey bee colony. Don’t lose sight of that." (Kim Flottum, Bee Culture, July, 2008) "I confess I knew very little about bees before reading it, but a combination of beautiful, detail photographs and an insightful text means that the remarkable lives of these creatures are revealed in great detail. Particularly fascinating were both the complexity of the bees’ system, and the nature of the colony as a superorganism – in fact, the book is subtitled Biology of a superorganism. … it is excellent." (Brian Clegg, PopularScience, July, 2008) "The book is in essence a series of illustrated lectures on different aspects of bees. … is lavishly illustrated with perfect photographs by Helga Heilmann, and will surely become a popular source of biological understanding for beekeepers and everyone who wants to understand more of the sophisticated way that a honey bee colony exists." (Bees for Development Journal, Issue 88, 2008) "Tautz provides a profound insight into the daily life of the hairy honey maker and overcomes plenty of common prejudices about bees. … The Buzz about Bees has the potential to become a classic as well. … In addition, the book delivers useful advice for everyday life … . This is a marvellous book with almost 300 marvellous bee photos … ." (Weanée Kimblewood, Lab Times, Issue 5, 2008) "A honeybee book with a real difference. … And Helga Heilmann’s stunning colour ‘action’ photographs take you inside the bee colony as never before … . Jürgen Tautz has a real knack for bringing science to a general audience … . It’s an interesting read – dip in … . is one of the very few good honeybee books that you won’t be satisfied just to borrow from the library: you’ll want to have a copy on your own bookshelves, to pick up again and again." (Rebecca Leaman, Central Beekeepers Alliance, September, 2008) "This book makes clear one thing, even for a reader lost in the dense fog of scientific explanation therein: We humans simply can’t live without bees. Bees fertilize 120,000 species of flowering plants, including nearly all of those that give us food; humans and domestic animals can’t live exclusively on self-pollinating grain. … For anyone willing to spend the time to study these pages, learning about the ‘superorganism’ that is a beehive will be fascinating. The photographs are beautiful and informative, and the translation excellent." (The Internet Review of Books, Vol. 2 (1), 2008) "The book … proves a useful peg on which to hang the story, one that is interesting for experts, and lay readers alike. Tautz starts with an original and fast introduction to the biology of the honeybee, with a chapter that consists solely of photographs and captions. It is surprisingly effective. … ‘Phänomen Honigbiene’, the original German version of the book, became a best-seller when published last year. The English version reviewed here is well on its way to outperforming that success." (Sander Voormolen, NRC Handelsblad, October, 2008) "Tautz presents a highly accessible and engaging summary of bee biology with special focus on the hive as an organism from the sociobiological perspective. I am not an entomologist nor a sociobiologist but found the biological explanations understandable. … Besides being informative and understandable, this book also contains beautiful photographs and figures … . I’ve shown this book to non-beekeeping individuals who have spent a great deal of time just looking closely at those pictures. … is a necessary addition to any beekeepers library." (Abelisto, Canaries in a Coal Mine, October, 2008) "The subtitle, Biology of a Superorganism, tells us the approach this book takes about bees. ... this book will ...

Review

“Studying the book Buzz about Bees - Biology of a Superorganism I have been greatly impressed not only from scientific points but also from philosophical points. I feel that this book has the power to change our view of the world or Weltanschauung.” (Prof.Dr. Tohru Marunouchi, Nagoya, Japan) “Excellent and Informative”, July 26, 2008 (J. Desimone, Helmetta, NJ, USA) “Educational, impressive, entertaining till the last page”, July 19, 2008 (Michael Thiele ‘Beekeeper’, Sebastopol, CA, USA) “The new book The Buzz about Bees by J. Tautz is a joy to behold! …The book, and its brilliant photography by H. Heilmann, is highly successful at explaining the magic of the bees’ ‘superorganism’ to the scientifically interested public.” (Prof. Lars Chittka, Queen Mary College) “Wow! I decided to buy it based on your recommendation. It is one of the best bee books I have ever read. I would also say this is probably one of the best science books I have ever read. The author is on par with Carl Sagan, Steven Hawkings, etc. This is a must read for anyone interested in honeybees or biology in general.” 5 August 2008 (Gary, biobees.com) “I've just finished reading the English translation of your book, and wanted to let you know that I think it’s a wonderful book on honey bees. The photographs by Helga Heilmann are also fabulous. Once again, my hearty congratulations on a fine book!” 10 September 2008 (Stephen Buchmann, International Coordinator, Pollinator Partnership, Tucson, AZ, USA) “A beautiful account, stunningly illustrated, of what it is like to be a honeybee, to live in service of the hive, while in partnership with humans. Comprehensive and up to date, it provides answers to many of the scientific mysteries that remained unsolved about honeybees. A prize-worthy addition to the natural history literature…” 10 November 2008 (Thomas Eisner, Schurman Professor of Chemical Ecology, Cornell University, USA) “The author has a lively and engaging style and the skill to explain complex ideas intelligibly to a general audience. … The chapters encompass the recent spectacular discoveries that revolutionize the understanding of the bee superorganism. This compelling book deserves to be read by everyone interested in the third most important domestic animal, the superorganism which the beehive contains. The book will be of interest to a wide readership and it will appeal not only to specialists but also to general readers” 12 February 2009 (Professor Karl Maramorosch, Cook College, Rutgers University, USA) “I must congratulate you on your excellent book, The Buzz about Bees. The writing is superb.” 21 April 2009 (Mark W. Moffett, Ph.D., Research Scientist, NMNH,  The Smithsonian Institution, Associate Curator,  University of California at Berkeley, Contract Photographer, National Geographic Magazine)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 298 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1st edition (May 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3540787275
• ISBN-13: 978-3540787273
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #501,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Educational, impressive, entertaining till the last page, July 19, 2008

By 

Michael Thiele "Beekeeper" (Sebastopol, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Buzz about Bees: Biology of a Superorganism (Hardcover)

Last year I was fortunate enough to read Juergen Tautz' book, '"The Buzz about Bees"'. It was hard to put the book down, once I started reading it. Finally it has been published in English and I am delighted that I can share this book with all my friends here in the US. '"The Buzz about Bees"' is a fascinating and groundbreaking book! Tautz and his team have done an excellent job presenting their research and studies, also the photographs are of very high quality and are quite beautiful. Tautz's approach to understanding the life of the bees is very innovative and inspiring. Many new and mesmerizing facts about bees are presented such as the mammal-like qualities of the bees. The journey through the book continues from '"the bee colony - a mammal in many bodies"' and moves to the '"super-organism"', which describes the honeybee colony as an undividable entity and as '"an organic interpretation of an individual"'. The captivating facts put forth by the author are many. Tautz explains '"propagated immortality"' which is the unique way in which bees proliferate, and the flower wisdom of the bees illustrated with impressive details (ex. bees can gather and carry the amount of nectar of almost half their body weight). Tautz goes on to reveal more aspects of pollination, such as how the flowering world and the bees coevolved on earth, to the extent to which we depend on them '- critical in this time where many pollinators are endangered species! He introduces the concept of the ' "comb-wide-web"' to describe the important relationship between wax comb and communication capacities of bees. The talent of the author is evident in his ability to combine excellent scientific work within a wider philosophic framework. As a gifted communicator, he launches this charming and intriguing journey into the beautiful world of the bees and enables us to understand the life of bees on a new and deeper level. In this book you may find, why bees have held humans in their thrall since millennia. All together, '"The Buzz about Bees"' is a fascinating book, with numerous facts and detailed photographs, compelling for readers of different ages and backgrounds. Educational, impressive, entertaining till the last page, this is a book for anyone who is interested in bees, nature, and the miracle of life.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating. beautiful, November 24, 2008

By 

S. McG. (Aus. Tex. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Buzz about Bees: Biology of a Superorganism (Hardcover)

I'm just a regular person who's interested in the world around her--not a beekeeper, scientist, or teacher--and I found this book absolutely fascinating. It is filled with remarkable, and sometimes groundbreaking, information about honey bees and bee hives. It's written at a level that is suitable for scientists and bee professionals but is also understandable for lay people. The images are sharp and absolutely stunning. I think about this book every time I see a bee-like insect or a group of plants being visited by pollinators. It's a wonderful addition to any nature library.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Honey Bee Book of all times, September 22, 2008

By 

James G. Miller "Master Beekeeper" (Cheney, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Buzz about Bees: Biology of a Superorganism (Hardcover)

I have been teaching beekeeping for the last 8 eight years. I search and search for reliable material to put into the class. I have found numerous books over the years that have been written by good beekeepers and professors but none write about the inside of the hive. This book is about the hive, the bees in the hive and how they interact with each other. The German's are renouned for their accuracy and research. I believe that they have outdone themselves this time. If you want to understand what happens in the hive this is the book for you. It is written clearly with lots of related pictures. I thank Juergen Tautz for his time and effort in writting this book.