<p> <b><i>The vital role of bees in human ecology is underlined by the estimate that every third mouthful of human food is dependent on the pollinating services of bees.</i></b> </p><p> Only recently have biologists discovered that human survival is inextricably linked to the survival of insects, specifically, bees. Today the 16-20,000 species of bee continue to play vital roles in human ecology. We survive only by grace of the life-sustaining network of bee-plant relationships. </p><p> <b><i>Bees</i></b> immerses readers in the world of Apinae whose diversity of form and behavior is eloquent testimony to the fine-tuning of natural selection. Written by a world-leading entomologist and specialist in bees, the book's topics include:<br> <ul> <li> What are bees? (The Wasp Inheritance) - Bees as foragers, their nesting instinct, on-board computing facility, sun-compass orientation and sense of time</li> <li> The many ways of being a bee -- Solitary versus social, Miners and masons, Leafcutters and carpenters</li> <li> Bees and flowering plants</li> <li> The male of the species -- Mating strategies, patrols, competition, territoriality, the role of scent</li> <li> The enemies of bees -- Cleptoparasites, cuckoo bees</li> <li> Bees and People -- historic and contemporary</li> <li> Bees in Folk and Modern Medicine</li> <li>The Conservation of Bees -- the decline of bees and honeybees, bees in human ecology, bee conservation, urban bees</li> <li> Bee projects -- the backyard bee scientist.</li> </ul> </p><p> Bees can be found throughout history in roles poetic and military, in medicine and agriculture, in the kitchen and in the kit of a traditional healer. They have played a bigger role in human existence than is often recognized. This beautifully illustrated, appreciative tribute will be welcomed by entomologists, students and all naturalist readers. </p>