In Honey Bees: Letters From the Hive, bee expert Stephen Buchmann takes readers on an incredible tour. Enter a beehive--one part nursery, one part honey factory, one part queen bee sanctum--then fly through backyard gardens, open fields, and deserts where wildflowers bloom. It's fascinating--and delicious!Hailed for their hard work and harmonious society, bees make possible life on earth as we know it. This fundamental link between bees and humans reaches beyond biology to...

They work hard, are devoted to family, love sex, and know the importance of a good piece of real estate. Honey bees, and the daily workings of their close-knit colonies, are one of nature's great miracles. And they produce one of nature's greatest edible bounties: honey. More than just a palate pleaser, honey was once an offering to the gods, a preservative, and a medicine whose sought-after curative powers were detailed in ancient texts . . . and are being rediscovered by modern medical s...

“Fascinating...Buchmann’s knowledge and enthusiasm jump off the page.” —The Wall Street Journal“An extraordinarily good book.” —Edward O. WilsonThe lively and definitive story of the beauty, sexuality, lore, economics, and ecology of the world ’s flowers, written by a devoted scientist and illustrated with his stunning photographs.Flowers—and the fruits they often become—feed, clothe, and inspire us. Indeed...

This book features four peer-reviewed reviews on understanding and conserving pollinators.The first chapter provides a brief overview on pollinators and the ecosystem services they offer, as well as the role of data collection and sharing in achieving more sustainable farming and beekeeping practices. The chapter also considers how existing data collected by farm management systems can be used to ascertain the impact of particular agricultural practices on pollinators and key polli...

Reviews recent advances in understanding pollination dynamics and the role of plant-pollinator relationships in agro-ecosystemsProvides a comprehensive assessment of the major threats to economically important pollinators, including the impact of climate change and pest and disease threatExplores best practices for the protection of key pollinators and the ecosystem services they deliver

For many of us, the buzzing of a bee elicits panic. But the next time you hear that low droning sound, look closer: the bee has navigated to this particular spot for a reason using a fascinating set of tools. She may be using her sensitive olfactory organs, which provide a 3D scent map of her surroundings. She may be following visual landmarks or instructions relayed by a hive-mate. She may even be tracking electrostatic traces left on flowers by other bees. What a Bee Knows: Exploring...

Flowers, and the fruits that follow, feed, clothe, sustain, and inspire all humanity. Flowers are used to celebrate all-important occasions, to express love, and are also the basis of global industries. Americans buy ten million flowers a day and perfumes are a worldwide industry worth $30 billion dollars annually.Stephen Buchmann takes us along on an exploratory journey of the roles flowers play in the production of our foods, spices, medicines, perfumes, while simultaneously brin...

***Selected as One of the Best Books of the 21st Century by *The New York Times ****WINNER of the NATIONAL BOOK AWARD and A NEW YORK TIMES TOP 10 BEST BOOK OF THE YEARA finalist for the Kirkus Prize, Andrew Carnegie Medal, Aspen Words Literary Prize, and a New York Times bestseller, this majestic, stirring, and widely praised novel from two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward, the story of a family on a journey through rural Missis...

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet: Booktrack Edition adds an immersive musical soundtrack to your audiobook listening experience!SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILEY'S WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTIONThe beloved debut novel that will restore your faith in humanityWhen Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn't expecting much. The ship, which has seen better days, offers her everything she could p...

Living a fulfilling life may seem like an unachievable dream in today's distraction-ridden and pressuring society. We all yearn to look back to find we lived a life of significance—and that's still attainable.New York Times bestselling author, Rachel Macy Stafford, develops nine life-changing habits that will help you focus on investing in the most significant parts of your life. As your hands, heart, and eyes become open, you will experience a new sense o...

Hope lives in Africa. Twenty years after the genocide that left Rwanda in ruins, Giller Prize-winning author Will Ferguson travels deep into the once-mysterious "Land of a Thousand Hills" with his friend and cohort Jean-Claude Munyezamu, a man who escaped Rwanda just months before the killings began.From the legendary Source of the Nile to Dian Fossey's famed "gorillas in the mist," from innovative refugee camps along the Congolese border to the world's most escapable priso...

The case for getting back on our feetThe humble act of putting one foot in front of the other transcends age, geography, culture, and class, and is one of the most economical and environmentally responsible modes of transit. Yet with our modern fixation on speed, this healthy pedestrian activity has been largely left behind.At a personal and professional crossroads, writer, editor, and obsessive walker Dan Rubinstein travelled throughout the U.S., ...