The Mind of a Bee

“Quite simply a magnificent book. No one knows the mind of a bee better than Lars Chittka. A satisfying blend of sound science and spellbinding storytelling. I was mesmerized from the start.”—George McGavin, zoologist, author, and broadcaster

“Lars Chittka’s The Mind of a Bee is a mind-blowing presentation of scientific evidence and insight showing beyond any reasonable doubt that bees have awareness, memories, basic emotions, intelligence, and personalities—and that what we are doing to them and their world has not just practical but moral implications.”—Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words and Becoming Wild

“The time that insects were seen as little machines, incapable of complex thought, emotions, and learning, is far behind us. We can wish for no better guide than Lars Chittka for an accessible introduction to the wonders of bee intelligence.”—Frans de Waal, author of Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?

“Thanks to Lars Chittka’s captivating account of bees’ thinking and feeling, I now look with fresh eyes at these small animals. They plan ahead, feel pain, and express their very own personalities. The ingenious experimental evidence Chittka offers in support of these and many other points is as convincing as it is fascinating.”—Barbara J. King, author of Animals’ Best Friends: Putting Compassion to Work for Animals in Captivity and in the Wild

“Lars Chittka is an ideal guide to the rich sensory world of bees and to their surprisingly sophisticated powers of cognition. Beautifully illustrated and filled with insights from decades of research, The Mind of a Bee combines scholarship and storytelling in nothing less than a tour de force. Highly recommended for any serious bee enthusiast!”—Thor Hanson, author of Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees

“Intensely detailed, meticulously researched, and always illuminating, The Mind of a Bee is as enjoyable as it is intellectually stimulating. This book takes a fascinating deep dive into bees’ lives and minds, raising critical new questions for us as a species.”—Helen Jukes, author of A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings