Bee traces the bee's role in art, politics, and social thought, drawing on scientific studies, literature, and historical texts. The volume examines the evolution of the bee's cultural image from a symbol of virtue and civility to the dangerous swarms of killer bees in Hollywood horror flicks. From ancient political analogies to Renaissance debates about monarchy to studies of bee behavior that portend ominous conclusions for our own socialization and use of technology, Bee analyzes the complex connections between the bee and human culture.
Crow (Animal series) by Boria SaxThis book considers crows, ravens, magpies, and their relatives in myth, literature, and life. It ranges from Noah's raven through Victorian novels to recent films. It will be of interest to anyone who has ever been intrigued, puzzled, annoyed, or charmed by these wonderfully intelligent birds.
At present, there are 11,006 species of ant known. They are found throughout the world except at the polar icecaps, and it is estimated that their combined population makes up half the mass of all insects alive today. Ants have figured in fantasy as miniature armies, as models of good behavior, as infiltrating communists, and as creatures on the borderline between the realms of the organic and the machine. Ant experts have been hired to help solve problems with information networks.
Fly (Animal series) by teven ConnorFly explores the history of this much-maligned creature and then turns to examine its newfound redemption through science. The secrets of the fly’s versatile powers of flight, Steven Connor reveals, are only beginning to be understood and appreciated. Its eyes and wings, for instance, have evolved so perfectly that they provide inspiration for some of today’s most daring technological and scientific innovations. And the humble fruit fly, Connor demonstrates, stands at the center of revolutionary advances in genetic research.
Falcon (Animal series) by Martin WallenThe fastest animal on earth, the falcon deserves attention not just for the combination of speed, power, beauty and ferocity that have made it an object of fascination for thousands of years, but for the light it sheds on the cultures through which it has flown. This book, bridging science and cultural history, surveys the practical and symbolic uses of falcons in human culture in new and exciting ways.
