What do you think?
Rate this book
Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper
One woman's charming and personal account of abandoning the rat race to live blissfully as a beekeeper and honey entrepreneur—plus everything you'd ever want to know about bees.
Ten years ago, Marina Marchese fell in love with bees during a tour of a neighbor's honeybee hives. Surprised to find that allowing docile honeybees to crawl across her hands instilled a serene tranquility and comfort, Marina quit her job, acquired her own bees, built her own hives, harvested honey, earned a certificate in apitherapy, studied wine tasting in order to transfer those skills to honey tasting, and eventually opened her own business. Today, Red Bee Honey sells artisanal honey and honey-related products to shops and restaurants all over the country.
Honeybee is not only a warm and inspiring story of one woman's intimate experience with honeybees (arguably the most industrious creatures on earth) but it is also bursting with fascinating and practical information about all aspects of bees, beekeeping, and honey, including life inside the beehive and the role of the queen, drones, and workers; how bees make honey; pollination and its importance in sustaining life; building a beehive; hiving and keeping honeybees; harvesting honey and comb; healing with honey and the practice of apitherapy; and much, much more. Recipes for food, drink, and personal care products are included throughout. Also included is a detailed appendix of 75 different varieties of honey.
Ten years ago, Marina Marchese fell in love with bees during a tour of a neighbor's honeybee hives. Surprised to find that allowing docile honeybees to crawl across her hands instilled a serene tranquility and comfort, Marina quit her job, acquired her own bees, built her own hives, harvested honey, earned a certificate in apitherapy, studied wine tasting in order to transfer those skills to honey tasting, and eventually opened her own business. Today, Red Bee Honey sells artisanal honey and honey-related products to shops and restaurants all over the country.
Honeybee is not only a warm and inspiring story of one woman's intimate experience with honeybees (arguably the most industrious creatures on earth) but it is also bursting with fascinating and practical information about all aspects of bees, beekeeping, and honey, including life inside the beehive and the role of the queen, drones, and workers; how bees make honey; pollination and its importance in sustaining life; building a beehive; hiving and keeping honeybees; harvesting honey and comb; healing with honey and the practice of apitherapy; and much, much more. Recipes for food, drink, and personal care products are included throughout. Also included is a detailed appendix of 75 different varieties of honey.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2009
25 people are currently reading
290 people want to read
About the author
C. Marina Marchese
4 books5 followersCarla Marina Marchese is an author, artist, beekeeper, and the founder of The American Honey Tasting Society (AHTS). She is an accredited instructor for the Italian National Register of Experts in the Sensory Analysis of Honey, where she received her formal training as a honey sensory expert.
Marchese's fourth book, The World Atlas of Honey, is a beautifully illustrated global survey of the flavor of honey that includes profiles of more than eighty countries and the botanical sources of honey found in each. Her previous books include Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper, Honey for Dummies, and The Honey Connoisseur.
Marchese's fourth book, The World Atlas of Honey, is a beautifully illustrated global survey of the flavor of honey that includes profiles of more than eighty countries and the botanical sources of honey found in each. Her previous books include Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper, Honey for Dummies, and The Honey Connoisseur.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
April 11, 2013
Here are a few gems that ruined the book for me:
"Beeswax candles are sustainable, emitting negative ions that actually clean the air and invigorate the body."
"Ear candling is a procedure that gently removes wax buildup inside your ears."
"Bee venom is said to be very effective for aiding multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis."
"It has been reported that bee venom has been used to kill cancer cells when all other treatments fail."
"Beeswax candles are sustainable, emitting negative ions that actually clean the air and invigorate the body."
"Ear candling is a procedure that gently removes wax buildup inside your ears."
"Bee venom is said to be very effective for aiding multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis."
"It has been reported that bee venom has been used to kill cancer cells when all other treatments fail."
August 13, 2015
This was not the best book I have read in this genre, but I did enjoy parts of it. Part of the problem is that the books did not seem to know what it wanted to be. It started out as a memoir on how the author got into beekeeping, then it flirted with being a beekeeping manual without quite enough details. For a while I felt that it was an advertisement for the author's line of natural bee products that I am not familiar with, and then it turned into a review of honeys around the world with a pitch that honey should be as competitive as fine wines. Any of those books would have been fine, but the odd mixture of incomplete parts left me feeling that it was not well laid out, and it definitely needed more editing. There is an interesting index of world famous honeys in the back, and it does mention my personal favorite Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey (perhaps because I have not tried many of the others, but Leatherwood is excellent) so I liked that part.
I expected the book to be more like the excellent, though obscure _Beeing: Life, Motherhood, and 180,000 Honeybees_ by Rosanne Daryl Thomas which I read a few years ago and absolutely loved (5 stars), but this book was not nearly so inspiring. If you liked this book, please find a copy of _Beeing_ as it is a much better book in this genre. If you want a better book on the different types of honey in the world, I recommend _The Honey Trail: In Pursuit of Liquid Gold and Vanishing Bees_ by Grace Pundyk which is a fascinating travel tale sampling the honeys of the world and where they come from with many more details than this book.
I expected the book to be more like the excellent, though obscure _Beeing: Life, Motherhood, and 180,000 Honeybees_ by Rosanne Daryl Thomas which I read a few years ago and absolutely loved (5 stars), but this book was not nearly so inspiring. If you liked this book, please find a copy of _Beeing_ as it is a much better book in this genre. If you want a better book on the different types of honey in the world, I recommend _The Honey Trail: In Pursuit of Liquid Gold and Vanishing Bees_ by Grace Pundyk which is a fascinating travel tale sampling the honeys of the world and where they come from with many more details than this book.
July 22, 2011
This book was both fascinating and disappointing but mostly disappointing. Fascinating because it is extremely informative about the life of honeybees and the beekeeper. Marchese is very methodical and detailed in presenting all that you ever wanted to know about honeybees and beekeeping. Except that her writing is so basic that I felt as if I were back in fifth grade. At times, I also felt like I was reading information posted to Wikipedia rather than someone's personal account of the subject matter. Marchese was a former creative designer that left her job to pursue a new passion ... I am positive that she has a treasure trove of mistrials in starting her beekeeping adventures. And, to be perfectly honest, that is how this book is billed. Based on the title - Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - I was expecting more of a funny, memoir-type tome not literal beekeeping lessons. Finally, and this is a huge pet peeve of mine, the book was rife with typographical errors, which could drive a grammar geek batty. Despite all of this, I would still recommend this book but only to those truly interested in the biology of honeybees and/or the art of beekeeping.
November 17, 2017
You will learn lots of things in this book if not all that you will ever need to know about honeybees. Awesome read if you're thinking about beekeeping.
March 1, 2011
This delicious book by beekeeper and founder of Red Bee, C. Marina Marchese, should go to the top of the reading list for anyone who cares about honey-- and why not care about honey? It's delicious, it's nutritious, and the bees (and good beekeeping practices) help us all in so many ways, and most importantly, in pollinating major crops such as apples, almonds, blueberries, cucumbers--- you name it. The book is a mix of personal memoir (how the author got her start after a career in design, and many of her beekeeping adventures and misadventures), and advice, some of which far surpasses the everyday practical (e.g., use a Pfund color grader to evaluate color). The book also includes a glossary, bibliography, and resources. The appendices, the multilingual "Deciphering a Honey Label" and "75 Varietals of Honey" are especially useful for traveling honey aficionados.
I have tried some of Marchese's artisanal honeys, which are extraordinary (I loved the Tupelo and Golden Rod). Find out more at her webpage, www.redbee.com
I have tried some of Marchese's artisanal honeys, which are extraordinary (I loved the Tupelo and Golden Rod). Find out more at her webpage, www.redbee.com
July 5, 2011
It was a fast easy read with some illustrative diagrams and recipes for honey and beeswax throughout.
The book is basically a memoir of how Marchese came to bee-keeping, how she established her first hive, and explains some of the basic knowledge beekeepers need to maintain healthy hives and harvest honey for public consumption. The writer shows her affection for her bees, which is endearing. She's also a now a retailer of honey and beeswax products, so it sometimes reads as blatant advertising, and I tended to take some of her health-benefit claims for honey with a grain of salt.
I was interested in her account of how she started her hive in the context of imagining us taking on a similar project. She lays out a clear description of the equipment necessary to start beekeeping. She also explains what a typical year of caring for a hive looks like. Her discussion of how bees are essential to food crops through pollination is quite good.
The book is basically a memoir of how Marchese came to bee-keeping, how she established her first hive, and explains some of the basic knowledge beekeepers need to maintain healthy hives and harvest honey for public consumption. The writer shows her affection for her bees, which is endearing. She's also a now a retailer of honey and beeswax products, so it sometimes reads as blatant advertising, and I tended to take some of her health-benefit claims for honey with a grain of salt.
I was interested in her account of how she started her hive in the context of imagining us taking on a similar project. She lays out a clear description of the equipment necessary to start beekeeping. She also explains what a typical year of caring for a hive looks like. Her discussion of how bees are essential to food crops through pollination is quite good.
September 5, 2010
Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper is a great beginner/"I'm interested in honey/bees books. I loved the tidbits of almost everything interesting about bees and honey. Marchese is a woman who was workign the regular job traveling to China several times during the year and running out of steam. She goes to see Mr. B's hive and her interest grows into a passion. The author explains the general bee society, habits, community.
I can't wait till I can have honeybees.:)
I can't wait till I can have honeybees.:)
January 15, 2012
Not that I'm planning on becoming a beekeeper, but ever since Tom's present to be last year (a conference on the honeybee), I've been intrigued by these little creatures. This piece is story book, recipe book, history book, and biology book all rolled into one. A very interesting read for someone who wants to learn something unfamiliar.
January 9, 2015
This was the first book I read on beginning beekeeping. I felt like the writing was over-simple. The author's tone made it feel like Young Adult fiction. There was some good introductory information, but she didn't go in depth. I didn't finish it. I enjoyed Kim Flottum's Backyard Beekeeper much more.
March 3, 2010
This is a great intro to becoming a beekeeper. An easy read, decent stories (albeit a little indulgent), and some humor. LOTS of good information and written in a really reader-friendly/this-fatigued-mama-can-actually-comprehend-and, oh-my-goodness, REMEMBER it kind of way!
February 10, 2015
This book could have used a better editor - ridiculous amount of typos. Nonetheless an interesting read for anyone looking to get into beekeeping.
February 12, 2017
While Marchese's affection and appreciation for honeybees is infectious, this book is too light on information to be considered a "how to." In addition, she perpetuates false information like clipping a queen's wings will prevent a hive from swarming. She also makes a lot of unproven claims about the curative properties of various bee products. If you're interested in beekeeping, there are many other books that will be more helpful and are based on science, like The Beekeeper's Bible or even Beekeeping for Dummies.
January 14, 2018
Overall a good book worth the read. It is not a how to manual. It reminded me of listening to someone is passionate about a hobby and how they get lost in the story and ramble about some details. I was able to gain a few gems from this book and it gave me a few ideas on differnt ways to approach the hobby/business.
September 13, 2020
Incredibly fascinating book with a wealth of information and interesting anecdotes! Goes through the practical aspects of beekeeping as well as touching on some of its history, and goes into great detail about honey/honey tasting/the plants involved in creating each honey type. Very fun page turner, highly recommend!
April 3, 2020
The book would have been more enjoyable if the author presented stories about her beekeeping experiences alone. Instead, she tried to incorporate information regarding the history of beekeeping and medicinal uses of honey, which left the overall story disjointed.
May 18, 2020
We enjoyed this sweet little book about beekeeping but found the story aspect lacking. This book is a great introduction for anyone interested in beekeeping. It is never dry but is still informative. It is a coincidental feminist read.
March 26, 2024
The book was relatively easy to read but jumped around to different subjects: exposure to beekeeping, bee biology, bees and food, medicine, travel and a lot about different kinds of honey.
It has some interesting insights but tries to cram in too many different things into a small book.
It has some interesting insights but tries to cram in too many different things into a small book.
June 6, 2018
Interesting narrative of a new beekeeper. Extensive appendix on many bee/honey topics.
July 1, 2019
This book gave me what I wanted - some information on the fascinating behavior and lives of honeybees.
December 14, 2019
Too many facts and not enough story
December 19, 2019
"From where my honey shrine was situated, I could eat my honey and watch the bees that made it."
December 23, 2019
Great dive into the world of beekeeping. Covers a lot of basics and helps you learn the questions to start asking.
August 30, 2020
Got this from the library but now I'm going to buy it as I'm starting my first hives next year.
May 7, 2021
Loved it! I was drawn into the story and learned along with the writer a love for honey bees and their hives
April 27, 2024
There were so many typos?
March 17, 2017
As an "info about keeping bees" book, I would not recommend this. Some info is ok, but much of it is blatantly incorrect (e.g. The sugar syrup recipes for spring and fall are swapped-a serious error for the bees) or not properly attributed to a specific climate and therefore could be wrong if you are not in the same climate zone as the author.
I did like the sections and appendices about honey tasting and beekeeping terms around the world.
Also, the amount of typos was very distracting and some of the swapping of words added to the level of inaccuracy, it seriously needs both editing and review by an experienced beekeeper.
I did like the sections and appendices about honey tasting and beekeeping terms around the world.
Also, the amount of typos was very distracting and some of the swapping of words added to the level of inaccuracy, it seriously needs both editing and review by an experienced beekeeper.
July 2, 2019
A quick read on how the author, C. Marina Marchese, became a beekeeper. Helpful chapters on the process and equipment for keeping bees. Good resource for those interested in this hobby.
March 1, 2010
A great and informative read! Anyone who has the slightest interest in honeybees, beekeeping or how honey is made will enjoy this story.
A woman named Marina, who was feeling in a bit of a rut with her current 9-5 job, visited a neighbour and his honeybee hives and ended up falling in love with the idea of beekeeping. This book tells the story of how she got her own honeybee hives started. There are a lot of really neat and interesting facts throughout the book as well as a brief history of honey. Some fun information as well, like where the term "honeymoon" came from and how the phrase "none of your beeswax" came to be.
I found it all really fascinating! Honeybees are actually amazing little creatures. They're highly intelligent and very social, so I really enjoyed learning what goes on inside the hives. There are also a few recipes throughout the book. Some are for dishes like Honey Apple Pie or Honey Almond Biscotti but there are also a couple of recipes for food meant for the bees, if you happen to have your own hive. Even a recipe for lip balm using beeswax.
There's a really great section on why honeybees are so important and why we cannot live without pollination. Before plants can grow, they need to be pollinated and honeybees are responsible for the pollination of many crops like melons, avocados, citrus fruits and cucumbers etc., which all require visits from a honeybee before they can bear fruit.
The author is also very interested in environmentally conscious beekeeping and touches on how honeybees support sustainability and why it's important to buy locally made honey from your local beekeepers and Farmer's Markets.
At the end of the book there are two appendixes. The first one explains how to decipher a honey label and the second one lists 75 varietals of honey and explains how honey tastes different depending on the kinds of flowers the honeybees are getting their nectar from.
Marina is now the maker of Red Bee Honey.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and found it really informative! While I won't be rushing out to start my own hives anytime soon, I definitely have a greater appreciation for honeybees. :)
A woman named Marina, who was feeling in a bit of a rut with her current 9-5 job, visited a neighbour and his honeybee hives and ended up falling in love with the idea of beekeeping. This book tells the story of how she got her own honeybee hives started. There are a lot of really neat and interesting facts throughout the book as well as a brief history of honey. Some fun information as well, like where the term "honeymoon" came from and how the phrase "none of your beeswax" came to be.
I found it all really fascinating! Honeybees are actually amazing little creatures. They're highly intelligent and very social, so I really enjoyed learning what goes on inside the hives. There are also a few recipes throughout the book. Some are for dishes like Honey Apple Pie or Honey Almond Biscotti but there are also a couple of recipes for food meant for the bees, if you happen to have your own hive. Even a recipe for lip balm using beeswax.
There's a really great section on why honeybees are so important and why we cannot live without pollination. Before plants can grow, they need to be pollinated and honeybees are responsible for the pollination of many crops like melons, avocados, citrus fruits and cucumbers etc., which all require visits from a honeybee before they can bear fruit.
The author is also very interested in environmentally conscious beekeeping and touches on how honeybees support sustainability and why it's important to buy locally made honey from your local beekeepers and Farmer's Markets.
At the end of the book there are two appendixes. The first one explains how to decipher a honey label and the second one lists 75 varietals of honey and explains how honey tastes different depending on the kinds of flowers the honeybees are getting their nectar from.
Marina is now the maker of Red Bee Honey.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and found it really informative! While I won't be rushing out to start my own hives anytime soon, I definitely have a greater appreciation for honeybees. :)
August 1, 2010
I was absolutely fascinated by this book! Spurred on by the Secret Life of Bees, I wanted to learn more about honeybees and honey. It came across my lap literally at the library and I swooped it up and took it home. If I were in a situation where I could take up beekeeping as a hobby I can tell you I would do it in a second! I include here a review from Amazon:
This review is from: Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper (Hardcover)
Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper, is an intriguing and wondrous journey through a spellbinding world created by author, Marina Marchese. Marchese's study of the world of bees offers revelations our human world needs to consider and become privy to. This is not just a book for beekeepers and those who love the taste of honey. It is an in-depth, inviting exploration of an invaluable creature's life which plays an all important, eternal role in the on-going salvation of Earth, Nature and the survival of Humankind! Ms. Marchese has fully crossed the threshold of this fantastic realm by living daily within it. She reveals, interprets and depicts the dynamic presence and respect afforded life's magnificent Queen Bee by multitudes of male subjects. Equally, "Honeybee" makes us well aware of our own need to fully understand, value and protect the life of this small but magnificent lifeform. Marina Marchese's book, "Honeybee" offers us so very much more. It tenders succulent recipes; splendid wine and honey concoctions and blends; and helpful pollen oriented health care products. It offers a graceful glimpse via a nearly meditative viewing of the exceptional cosmos of the honeybee. It is not only a book worth reading, it is a life exploration to be shared and not to be missed by everyone who cares for our Earth and its' future.
This review is from: Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper (Hardcover)
Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper, is an intriguing and wondrous journey through a spellbinding world created by author, Marina Marchese. Marchese's study of the world of bees offers revelations our human world needs to consider and become privy to. This is not just a book for beekeepers and those who love the taste of honey. It is an in-depth, inviting exploration of an invaluable creature's life which plays an all important, eternal role in the on-going salvation of Earth, Nature and the survival of Humankind! Ms. Marchese has fully crossed the threshold of this fantastic realm by living daily within it. She reveals, interprets and depicts the dynamic presence and respect afforded life's magnificent Queen Bee by multitudes of male subjects. Equally, "Honeybee" makes us well aware of our own need to fully understand, value and protect the life of this small but magnificent lifeform. Marina Marchese's book, "Honeybee" offers us so very much more. It tenders succulent recipes; splendid wine and honey concoctions and blends; and helpful pollen oriented health care products. It offers a graceful glimpse via a nearly meditative viewing of the exceptional cosmos of the honeybee. It is not only a book worth reading, it is a life exploration to be shared and not to be missed by everyone who cares for our Earth and its' future.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews