A fascinating guided tour through the history, folklore, and function of the endangered honeybee.
Featured recently in major national... read full description
Featured recently in major national... read full description
reviews
Aug 25, 2009
Jennifer
rated it: 
Fantastic! This is a book I would cheerfully recommend to folks interested in getting into beekeeping, or wanting to understand more about bees or beekeeping. It's a light-hearted and easy read that still manages to deliver good information without being overly scholarly or preachy.
Susan Brackney is definitely speaking from the hive tool and the heart. I found myself nodding at her descriptions, and she manages to elegantly capture the soul of beekeeping. In a book less than 15 More...
Susan Brackney is definitely speaking from the hive tool and the heart. I found myself nodding at her descriptions, and she manages to elegantly capture the soul of beekeeping. In a book less than 15 More...
Sep 23, 2011
Keller
rated it: 
Despite the Oprah endorsement I picked this up yesterday because I have, in fact, always wanted to know everything I could about bees. (Don't tell Joe, but I want a farm where I can raise animals for home spun yarn, and bee-keep our own fresh honey.)
UPDATE: Finished! Turned out to be a sweet mix of memoir/journal and information/instruction. Not the most in depth introduction to keeping bees, but a nice primer on the subject, and one that upon completion, if it has not piqued your inte More...
UPDATE: Finished! Turned out to be a sweet mix of memoir/journal and information/instruction. Not the most in depth introduction to keeping bees, but a nice primer on the subject, and one that upon completion, if it has not piqued your inte More...
Sep 05, 2011
Ryan
rated it:
Plan Bee is a non-fiction book that has proven it self to be one of a kind. Though it has a gratuitous amount of information on bees, it is so well written that the whole time, I fell as if I were reading a fiction novel. Brackney found a way to put vital information about bees in a book that even for someone who wasn't interested in the subject could find it fascinating. She starts from the basic information of a bees anatomy, to why bees do what they do, to the history of bee keeping. The
More...
May 31, 2010
Inga
rated it:
A Quick and interesting intro to honey bees written by a bee keeper. Covers a little of everything; colony collapse, how to be queen, bee anatomy and more. Falls in nicely with the current trends of DIY (real start to finish bee's wax projects) and sustainable agriculture (learn exactly how bees contribute and are effected by shifts in cultivation and habitat). There is even a quiz to determine if you have what it takes to tend a hive yourself.
Funny, illustrated and broken into More...
Aug 03, 2011
Melissa
rated it:
This is a new favorite of mine. For the average nature lover who knows little about bees, this is a great introduction. This author has the gift of telling you fascinating facts with humor and respect for these invaluable creatures. I have always wanted to have a beehive, but know that it requires a great deal of patience, work, and time. This book gave me a glimpse into that life and made me feel better for having other ways to help these bees with plants and gardening techniques. I hope S
More...
Jun 17, 2011
Driftless
rated it: 
Farmer fantasies are all the rage, especially amongst my white-collar, middle-class neighbors. People with no farming background are searching out ways to get their hands dirty, striving to produce beautiful crops and taking well-earned credit for the results of their hard work. When I was a kid, Burpee tomatoes and zucchini were sufficient to fulfill the fantasy, but modern times have upped the ante considerably, adding not only hundreds of heirloom plants, but livestock such as chickens, ti
More...
Oct 16, 2009
Jessica
rated it:
Brackney's book about bees and bee-keeping is a great introduction for those who are interested in honeybees and considering possibly-maybe becoming a beekeeper (including a cute quiz to rate your commitment level). Her style is somewhat narrative with a humorous and educational tone that grabbed my attention but may frustrate those looking for more in-depth explanations. Therefore, I'd highly recommend this book to the bee novices out there.
Aug 26, 2009
Nanalilly
rated it:
This book made me interested in bee keeping. What really sells Plan Bee, is the authors gentle writing style. She writes like a grandmother telling a child a story of her youth, even when she gets into the science of bees and bee keeping. At parts, it can be quite dry, and slightly useless if you are not actually planning on bee keeping. That is the only downfall of the book though. It really is an odd, lovely little book.
Jan 07, 2012
Tom
rated it:
This book is a light introduction into bees and beekeeping. It also contains an interesting mix of instructions for bee box assembly, candle making, recipes for lip balm, energy bars, and how to make a bees wax death mask. It wouldn't have hurt if this book was more in depth, but it was a pleasant read, and its always nice to be able to fly through a book.
Nov 29, 2010
Megan
rated it:
This was a quick (and surprisingly fun!) overview about honeybees that was interesting. It had the right about of detail for those who are curious about bees and beekeeping, without one feeling over or underwhelmed with information. Black and white photos, woodcuts, and drawings are used through out the text and were helpful.
Apr 29, 2010
Christina
rated it:
Quick, fun and informative. Did not know that honeybees are not native to North America. Makes me feel slightly better about their population collapse...This is the book to read if you want to know about bee sex or find instructions for a do-it-yourself beeswax death mask!
Jan 11, 2011
Kate
rated it:
I enjoyed this quick read because it contained a lot of good information about beekeeping, who's in the hive, how the bees organize and run their world, and gardening tips to attract and support honeybees. Written in an entertaining manner.
Jun 10, 2009
Skigirl
rated it:
Good book and a fun read if you're interested in the subject, however Fruitless Fall has a lot more information and is considerably more in depth if you're interested in bees/pollination/problems facing future food production/etc.
Mar 20, 2011
Bronwynnro
rated it:
Absolutely obsessed with bumble bees! Even have a tattoo dedicated to them on my left foot. I learned so much more about these fascinating insects, than what is common knowledge, after reading this book. My love only grew.
May 03, 2010
Wan
rated it:
did you know that bee dna is closer to humans than that of other insects...it's true, i read it in a book.
This was an informative read. By no means is it an instruction manual on bee keeping, but it doesn't claim to bee (sorry).
For a great how-to bee keeping book check out "The Backyard Beekeeper".
This was an informative read. By no means is it an instruction manual on bee keeping, but it doesn't claim to bee (sorry).
For a great how-to bee keeping book check out "The Backyard Beekeeper".
Jun 10, 2010
aya
rated it: 
written in a horribly annoying conversational style replete with even more horrible puns. this might be passable if i felt that i gained any solid information about bees or beekeeping. but i didn't.
Sep 30, 2010
Lori
rated it:
This was in intertaining an informative book about honeybees. The author has a pleasant sense of humor and is well-informed about the subject. She clearly loves her honeybees.
Feb 04, 2010
Teresa
rated it:
An enjoyable and very quick read about bees and the people who love them. I'm not starting a second career as an apiarist, but I do have a better appreciation for honeybees and their keepers. Good book for a lazy Saturday morning.
Sep 17, 2010
Jessica
rated it:
I thought this was a cute and informative book. I liked her style of writing, not pretentious and totally real with slight humor. An easy and pleasant read.
Dec 02, 2011
Lucy
rated it:
Totally fun. I had no idea there were solitary bees and caucasian bees. Also learned that bee sex is quite violent and that bees can get diarrhea.
Jun 17, 2011
Fran
rated it:
Those cute black and yellow flying creatures that can cause us to stiffen in anxiety are really very fascinating. They work a lot harder than I do! Their social structure and communication methods quite advanced. Though their protection weapon is very intimidating, they are essential to our environment. They are responsible for pollinating about 80% of all the plants on the planet. About 30% of what we eat is the result of the activity of honeybees. As much as we usually want to kill them so the
More...
Jun 01, 2010
Carrie
rated it:
Somewhat irreverent look at beekeeping. I liked it, but I wouldn't classify it as a Everything you wanted to know.
Jun 26, 2011
Melissa
rated it:
I found this book to be interesting and very informative. It made me realize that bees are an amazing insect. I would recommend this book to anyone as a learning tool to understand the lifes of bees.
Nov 17, 2010
Kathy
rated it:
Made me want to start a beehive. Cleverly written, and a story to tell.
Aug 18, 2009
Patricia
rated it:
A cute, informative work about bees and beekeeping. Definitely not a definitive guidebook, but entertaining and amusing to read.
Jun 17, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
Very informative. Tells about bee anatomy, bee diseases. the history of bee keeping, etc. And the author is funny
Sep 12, 2009
Margaret
rated it:
If I met this lass / I would think she was crazy / but now I love bees
Sep 07, 2010
Martin
rated it:
Super easy read but very interesting and full of beekeeping information. I had hoped that it was going to be a bit more scientific and explain why honey bees are disappearing and why they suddenly abanadon their hives. Brackney has a wonderful sense of humor and this was a good introduction to the art of beekeeping which, one day I hope, will be a hobby of mine.
Dec 07, 2011
This book was written using humor, and a sense of wonder. Short chapters with detailed footnotes. Delightful read.
