Submitted by Griffen Bay Books
San Juan Islander Thor Hanson has written another lively, informative and entertaining book titled “Buzz,” which will be released at an official launch party hosted by Griffin Bay Bookstore at Brickworks at 7 p.m., July 10. This is your chance to get a copy that’s right off the press and hear Hanson talk about his latest foray into nature before he takes off on a book tour.
“Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees” takes readers on a tour of the natural and cultural history of bees. They’re like oxygen: ubiquitous, essential and, for the most part, unseen. While people might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. In “Buzz,” author and biologist Hanson takes readers on a journey that begins 125 million years ago when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young. From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters and masons, bees have long been central to harvests, mythologies and humans’ very existence. They’ve given people sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers and as much as a third of the food people eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing.
As informative and enchanting as the waggle dance of a honeybee, “Buzz” shows readers why all bees are wonders to celebrate and protect.
“Never highbrow or authoritative, Thor Hanson writes with the infectious enthusiasm of one encountering wonders for the first time; less a teacher than a fellow traveler on a shared voyage of discovery. Surely among the finest nature writers of our time whatever subject Hanson turns his hand to, the result is spellbinding,” write Katrina Van Grouw, author of “The Unfeathered Bird” and “Unnatural Selection.”
Hanson is a Guggenheim Fellow, a Switzer Environmental Fellow and an award-winning author and biologist. His books include “Buzz,” “The Triumph of Seeds,” “Feathers,” and “The Impenetrable Forest.” He has also illustrated the children’s favorite “Bartholomew Quill.” Hanson’s writing has been translated into more than 10 languages and has earned many accolades.
