[Pollinator] Complete letter (hit send button, oops)

[Peter Bernhardt]

Dear Lisa:

Thanks for your opinion and comments on the novel.  If you read the
"letter-to-the-editor" section of the Sunday (June 15) book review at The
New York Times consider also the comments of a Mr Curtis Crowell (treasurer
of the New Jersey bee-keepers association).

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/books/review/letters-summer-reading-issue.html?_r=0

If Mr Crowell is not a member of NAPPC someone should invite him.  Mr
Crowell's letter makes some points that have a lot of merit.  The best part
is that the NY Times actually published his letter that described both the
natural insemination of queen bees and offered praise for the work of
Thomas Seeley (who is very praiseworthy).  Speaking from personal
experience, the book review section of The New York Times  (sorry, I hit
the send button here)...doesn't review books on biology or natural history
very often.

Lisa, I think you are right.  Books that humanize other organisms can be
useful and offer a riveting story at the same time.  Readers may develop
compassion for the "bee-person" but, more important, they may help develop
a latent interest in the organism that lasts long after the novel becomes a
pleasant memory.

For those interested, Rudyard Kipling (yes, that Rudyard Kipling) wrote a
similar story about a bee hive in trouble and the bees talk and do non-bee
things.  You can see how it supports Kipling's rather conservative view.
 Here's the link.

http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/1976/

Peter
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