Why do scientists call a bee colony a mammal with many bodies? What is the secret of the exceptional success and superior qualities of honey bees, the “most domestic” of all insects? What made them unique and important for maintaining biological diversity in nature? The book by the leading German ethologist and sociobiologist Jürgen Tautz, translated into ten languages, reveals these and many other secrets of the life of both individual bees and the entire superorganism of a bee colony, based on the complex interaction of physical, chemical and biological processes. Step by step, the author explores the depths of bee nature, and stunning photographs give the publication a special aesthetic charm. “For modern man, bees are not only the most important assistants in agriculture, but also indicators of the state of the environment and evidence of the unbroken connection between humanity and nature... The deeper we are able to penetrate the hidden life of honey bees, the greater is our wonder and our desire to explore this extraordinary world. If, after reading this book, the reader watches the bee a little longer than usual and perhaps remembers one or another remarkable aspect of its life, it means that we have achieved a lot.” (Jürgen Tautz, Helga R. Heilmann)