The Pulitzer Prize-winning authors of The Ants render the\nextraordinary lives of the social insects in this visually\nspectacular volume.

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The Superorganism promises to be one of the most important\nscientific works published in this decade. Coming eighteen years\nafter the publication of The Ants, this new volume expands our\nknowledge of the social insects (among them, ants, bees, wasps, and\ntermites) and is based on remarkable research conducted mostly\nwithin the last two decades. These superorganisms—a tightly knit\ncolony of individuals, formed by altruistic cooperation, complex\ncommunication, and division of labor—represent one of the basic\nstages of biological organization, midway between the organism and\nthe entire species. The study of the superorganism, as the authors\ndemonstrate, has led to important advances in our understanding of\nhow the transitions between such levels have occurred in evolution\nand how life as a whole has progressed from simple to complex\nforms. Ultimately, this book provides a deep look into a part of\nthe living world hitherto glimpsed by only a very few. 110 color\nand 100 black-and-white illustrations.

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