Empire of Ants

The Hidden Worlds and Extraordinary Lives of Earth’s Tiny Conquerors

By: Susanne Foitzik, Olaf Fritsche

Narrated by: Cat Gould

Ants number in the ten quadrillions, and they have been here since the Jurassic era. Inside an anthill, you'll find high drama worthy of a royal court; and between colonies, high-stakes geopolitical intrigue is afoot. Just like us, ants grow crops, raise livestock, tend their young and infirm, and make vaccines. And, just like us, ants have a dark side: They wage war, despoil environments, and enslave rivals - but also rebel against their oppressors.

Engineered by nature to fulfill their particular roles, ants flawlessly perform a complex symphony of tasks to sustain their colony - seemingly without a conductor - from fearsome army ants, who stage 12-hour hunting raids where they devour thousands, to gentle leafcutters cooperatively gardening in their peaceful underground kingdoms.

Acclaimed biologist Susanne Foitzik has traveled the globe to study these master architects of Earth. Joined by journalist Olaf Fritsche, Foitzik invites listeners deep into her world - in the field and in the lab. (How do you observe the behavior of ants just millimeters long - or dissect a brain the width of a needle?) Empire of Ants will inspire new respect for ants as a global superpower - and raise new questions about the very meaning of "civilization".

©2019 Rowohlt Verlag GmbH (P)2021 Tantor

Ant facts aplenty

Overall a good listen. While the narrator did a fine job I did find myself wishing for a bit more emotion in the delivery.

All the things I didn't know I needed to know about ants!

Not my favourite narrator: the performance was kind of dryand robotic, but it was a pleasure after all.

fine facts, didn't like reader

The facts about about ants were interesting. Although the overall organization of the book wasn't my favorite. I did not care for the sing song voice of the person who read it at all. Every sentence ended on a pointed down note.

A new favorite book of mine!

I lived how fun this book was to listen to without being silly or anything less than very educational. I can never look at ants without respect again.

Great and very educational 

The narrator is very good and was great at keeping it entertaining while teaching about ants