Author:Dave Goulson,Dave Goulson
Random House presents the audiobook edition of A Sting in the Tale, written and read by Dave Goulson.
A Sunday Times bestseller
Shortlisted for the 2013 Samuel Johnson Prize
Dave Goulson has always been obsessed with wildlife, from his childhood menagerie of exotic pets and dabbling in experimental taxidermy to his groundbreaking research into the mysterious ways of the bumblebee and his mission to protect our rarest bees.
Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee is now extinct in the UK, but still exists in the wilds of New Zealand, descended from a few queen bees shipped over in the nineteenth century. A Sting in the Tale tells the story of Goulson’s passionate drive to reintroduce it to its native land and contains groundbreaking research into these curious creatures, history’s relationship with the bumblebee, the disastrous effects intensive farming has had on our bee populations and the potential dangers if we are to continue down this path.
[Goulson’s] book is not only enormously informative, but also hugely entertaining: its light touch and constant humour make cutting-edge research a pleasure to read about… For anyone interested in the natural world, this is essential reading.
—— Michael McCarthy , IndependentGoulson reminds himself that he ‘began studying bumblebees not because they are important pollinators but because they are fascinating, because they behave in interesting and mysterious ways, and because they are rather loveable.’ It’s worth reading A Sting in the Tale for the same reasons.
—— Hannah Rosefield , Literary ReviewA worthy book of the year.
—— Mary Beard , ObserverGoulson has plenty of wondrous biological stories to tell, as well as the tale of his own struggle to return the short-haired bumblebee to Britain.
—— Patrick Barkham , GuardianThis isn’t one of those natural science books that simply tells you things – it admits how much we don’t know.
—— Mark Mason , SpectatorGoulson combines enthusiasm with academic authority, addressing the amateur beekeeper and professional apiarist in well-judged proportion.
—— Iain Finlayson , The TimesGoulson's case for the importance of bumblebees will live long in my memory for its sheer passion and scientific detail.
—— Shami Chakrabarti , GuardianEntertaining and enlightening… Wholly engaging…A must for all gardeners.
—— Naomi Schillinger , Garden AnswersA very readable introduction to the remarkable world of bees and bee conservation.
—— Good Book GuideThis book will make you bee-conscious. You will learn a lot, not just about bumblebees, and you will never have a dull moment… So read this book. Do it for the bees.
—— Nicholas Lezard , GuardianA lovely book
—— Big IssueAs relief and instruction, I haven’t read a more entertaining and endearing book on matters biological than Dave Goulson’s
—— Nicholas Lezard , GuardianA terrific primer on where we are now and where we might be heading… Harari is a superb global cartographer, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is a lucid and essential read.
—— Marina Vaizey , Arts DeskBound to be one of the biggest books of the autumn... Exhilarating… compulsively readable and with almost every page providing something juicy to chew on.
—— Reader's DigestIntelligent, lucid and refreshingly unpretentious.
—— DesignCurialThe book contains many gems… compelling… accompany the author as he peers fascinatingly into the future.
—— EconomistHarari’s purpose is admirable. He wishes to empower ordinary people with his clear thinking.
—— Liz Ryan , UK Press SyndicationIt feels urgent and necessary, as though it is capturing a crucial moment in time… It is a direct call to action and probably the most genuinely impactful of all three Harari books.
—— Culture CallingI’m predicting that 21 Lessons for the 21st Century will complete a Harari hat-trick of classics… The clarity of Harari's vision is astonishing... thanks to him, the world makes better sense to many more of us.
—— Bookseller *Book of the Month*Compelling reading.
—— Daniel Snowman , Jewish ChronicleThis is an important book.
—— PQ21 Lessons is another extremely readable volume [from Harari].
—— Emily Nicolle , City AMWith Harari's incise vision and measured prose this is a book to convert those dormant anxieties and Evening-News-induced insomnia into a deeper, more empowered comprehension.
—— Culture WhisperHarari effortlessly jumps between diverse topics.
—— Dov Greenbaum and Mark Gerstein , ScienceA thought-provoking, provocative, informative, terrifying, fact-filled series of essays which get the reader thinking, worrying and hoping.
—— Marina Vaizey , The Tablet, **Books of the Year**Harari essentially takes the pulse of society today and worldwide.
—— Pierre Jacques , Revolution[Harari] is a rare voice of calm reassurance, slicing through chaos.
—— Allan Hunter , Daily MirrorVividly written and spiked with references to Monty Python and The Lion King, Harari’s essays are thought-provoking and accessible
—— Jane Shilling , Daily MailA rollercoaster philosophical review of where we find ourselves today… 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is an absorbing, realistic, stark, yet hopeful book.
—— Perry Timms , Dialogue ReviewA bold and provocative read that expands one's frame of mind on the present-day world as we know it with the author's unique perceptions.
—— Chirag Jain , News PuddleOne of my favourite reads/listens recently was Michael Palin's excellent Erebus. Highly recommended.
—— Denzil Meyrick , The HeraldA true tale that brings the main characters and events to life with wit, empathy and clarity . . . A beautifully written and researched book from a natural storyteller. I expected something fantastic and I got it.
—— Jim McKeller , Sorted MagazineProbably the most enjoyable non-fiction book I have ever read.
—— Radio TimesTrigger warning: when scientists conclude that yesterday's worst-case scenario for global warming is probably unwarranted optimism, it's time to ask Scotty to beam you up. At least that was my reaction upon finishing Wallace-Wells' brilliant and unsparing analysis of a nightmare that is no longer a distant future but our chaotic, burning present.
—— Mike DavisA lucid and thorough description of our unprecedented crisis, and of the mechanisms of denial with which we seek to avoid its fullest recognition.
—— William GibsonPinker is right ... Much good news today tends to be underreported, even unreported. Human beings today lead longer, safer, healthier, wealthier and indeed happier lives than at any point in recorded history ... Pinker surveys the stupendous advancements that the human race has made in modern times according to a dizzying range of metrics
—— NationAn engaging, compelling set of reasons to be cheerful ... it is a welcome antidote
—— NatureThe world is better than ever before. And Steven Pinker can prove it.
—— VoxA substantial and wide-ranging book on the state of our world today ... In forensic detail, Pinker enumerates the myriad ways in which life is getting better ... The book is packed with statistics vaunting the gifts of progress
—— Irish TimesAfter devouring all 453 pages and 75 graphs of psychologist Steven Pinker's Enlightenment Now, I admit defeat. The defeat of defeatism. This man has done the math. Since the 18th century things have been getting better in pretty much every dimension of human wellbeing.
—— Big ThinkSteven Pinker has a cure for your despair ... life is better than it has ever been. Pinker's case is compelling
—— ProspectUseful and exciting ... Pinker doesn't declaim, he demonstrates - with dozens of graphs and charts - that humankind has spent two centuries winning the battle against entropy in all fields: from health to peace, the environment to democracy, wealth to happiness, to equality between men and women. He asks us crucial questions ... Steven Pinker is right
—— El Mundo (Spain)Enlightenment Now seeks to undo, with facts and figures, the pessimism that has paralysed the world ... We must read this book and absorb its message
—— El Pais (Colombia)Guys, it's really not that bad. In fact, it's the best it's ever been ... Pinker urges people to look at the bigger picture and dive into the data
—— New York PostThings are not as bad as your Facebook news feed makes them seem ... a cheerful, contrarian tract for dark times
—— Niall Ferguson , Boston GlobeCompelling ... At a moment when liberal Enlightenment values are under attack, from the right and the left, this is a very important contribution ... An impressive and useful accomplishment
—— AtlanticWhat makes Invisible Women so compelling is the mountain of data she draws on… a brilliant exposé
—— Ian Sample , Guardian, *Books of the Year*Every man should read this book… [Invisible Women] chats, in page after steely, meticulous page, precisely how the world…is designed around men, and how this puts women at an impossible disadvantage
—— James McConnachie , Sunday Times, *Books of the Year*Funny, exasperating and anger-inducing, there is something for everyone
—— Eleanor Parsons , New ScientistThe essential book of the year, mayhap the decade
—— Marina Vaizey , Tablet, *Books of the Year*A staggering expose of design prejudice and an impassioned call to action
—— ListPerez takes the truism that ours is a world designed for men and backs it with evidence. Impressively collating vast amounts of research
—— Prospect, *Books of the Year*A must-read for men and women alike
—— Hannah Beckerman , Sunday ExpressThis calm, dispassionate, hilarious, entertaining, maddening, infuriating narrative is a highly readable manifesto for real change
—— Marina Vaizey , The Arts Desk, *Books of the Year*This well-researched book turns everything we accept as normal on its head…[Invisible Women] succeeds in making a powerful case for change in a non-preachy, educative style… It is not entertainment; it is a thesis – and a powerful one at that
—— Alison Herbert and Dr Phyl Hughes , Law Society GazetteThis incredibly well-researched and engaging book highlights how the lack of gender-focused data results in the needs of more than half of the population being ignored. The numerous examples cited by Criado-Perez – ranging from infrastructure to healthcare – are shocking and sobering… Invisible Women offers valuable insight into the transformative power of diversity and equality to drive better economic outcomes
—— Christie Guimond , BriefingSuch an insightful book and a good read for everyone
—— Julie Stewart , Business TimesIncredibly topical and relevant in a rapidly changing world, Criado Perez’s multi-award-winning exposé on data bias has seen her become an authority on modern day inequalities
—— CapacityInvisible Women...is already a classic, but I can't recommend it enough
—— Sarah Pedersen , Times Higher EducationA powerful, insightful book
—— Tim Harford , WeekCompelling... revelatory... Criado Perez provides bountiful evidence of her thesis
—— Mariel McKone Leonard , London School of EconomicsA huge eye-opener
—— Jojo de Noronha , GrocerA witty, furious page-turner
—— Emma Donoghue , WeekInvisible Women is highly recommended to both men and women as an incredibly readable piece of journalism... Many of you will also find you cannot put down this passionate and informative book until you've finished it... illuminating and engaging
—— Platinum Business MagazineCompelling
—— Dr Mariel McKone Leonard , London School of EconomicsFilled with hair raising facts and figures, [Invisible Women] investigates the jarring matter of discrepancy and representation in our modern world... make no mistake, once you begin reading, it's hard to stop
—— Reilly Dufresne , Glasgow Guardian, *Christmas Gift Guide 2020*A deeply important and useful book... Fast, funny, angry and vital... A proper game-changer.
—— Caitlin Moran , Foyles, *Author Picks for Christmas*Criado Perez keeps the gobsmacking revelations flowing in a conversational manner, making the reader feel like she’s having lunch with a funny, knowledgeable and passionate friend
—— Science News