The Mind of a Bee

By: Lars Chittka

Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray

Most of us are aware of the hive mind—the power of bees as an amazing collective. But do we know how uniquely intelligent bees are as individuals? In The Mind of a Bee, Lars Chittka draws from decades of research, including his own pioneering work, to argue that bees have remarkable cognitive abilities. He shows that they are profoundly smart, have distinct personalities, can recognize flowers and human faces, exhibit basic emotions, count, use simple tools, solve problems, and learn by observing others. They may even possess consciousness.

Taking listeners deep into the sensory world of bees, Chittka illustrates how bee brains are unparalleled in the animal kingdom in terms of how much sophisticated material is packed into their tiny nervous systems. He looks at their innate behaviors and the ways their evolution as foragers may have contributed to their keen spatial memory. Chittka also examines the psychological differences between bees and the ethical dilemmas that arise in conservation and laboratory settings because bees feel and think. Throughout, he touches on the fascinating history behind the study of bee behavior.

Exploring an insect whose sensory experiences rival those of humans, The Mind of a Bee reveals the singular abilities of some of the world's most incredible creatures.

©2022 Princeton University Press (P)2022 Tantor

Fascinating!

I knew bees were impressive creatures but I never appreciated how impressive they really are until listening to this book! I couldn’t stop listening to hear more about the wild world of bees.

The amazing bee

Fascinating research on the sophisticated minds and abilities of bees. We are truly surrounded by miracles.

Great book

Very informative, and really interesting in-depth discussion on what makes a bee tick. Well worth a listen.

great story that will have you beelieving in bees

i loved the science and info- did not love the narration which was somewhat flippant

An fascinating look

Though I was already firmly on the author's side before I read this book, it presented numerous facets of the insect brain in thoroughly interesting ways. The more we look, the more we find that "lesser" creatures are more like us than we supposed, and this trend only seems to go in one direction with no end in sight. The burden of proof should be on those that still claim that insects don't feel pain or have a form of consciousness. Loved the book.