Customer Reviews

A Book of Bees: And How to Keep Them

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4 star:		(9)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

There is no better information on beekeeping for public, hobbiest or professional. Where six beekeeper can have ten opinions between them, Sue Hubbell is someone that I read a year after assertively taking up bees - and I agree with 99.5% of the knowledge and methodology that she shares. As bees are now threatened and the public is becoming supportive and curious about them, this book is a wonderful read even if one never even thinks of getting close to bees. The book is a joy. The author conveys the essence and reveals an accurate portrayal of how one uses probability and intuition to undertake what can only be equated to playing chess with a logical, but still wildly independent species, that beautifully represents the best that nature has to offer, and then there's the honey which one can thoroughly appreciate with greater insight. This book is a winner. Buy several. Give them to people you want to have as lifelong friends.

I received a call from a friend who said he had a book on bees that I needed to read. I raised my eyebrows, you see, because I'm allergic to bees. Why would I want to read a book on bee-keeping?

What you'll find in this book is a story about a life. A woman who has survived a broken marriage and has made an interesting career in farming, but not just an ordinary farm. As she puts it, she farms not pigs, cattle, or horses- but "bugs". With over 300 hives of bees, she stays busy year around tending to animals that (as you'll find) have maybe more personality than the typical farm critters.

The story covers the 4 seasons of a typical year. She is a talented writer with a style that is both captivating, interesting, and (due to her choice of words) entertaining. The bees themselves are a treat to learn about, from their close-knit community behavior to the critical details of their survival.

But, it's not about the bees. It's about a simple rural life that a lot of us feel we have missed. If you daydream about a simple life away from the office, then this book is for you.

A friend lent this book to me and I waited a while before I picked it up, but when I did, I could hardly put it down. Sue Hubbell's writing style is engaging and just fun to read.

I learned a lot about bees and beekeeping, a little about the author and a little about myself when I read this book. She lays it on the line about what is involved in beekeeping. If you have any inclination to keep bees, Sue Hubbell will dispell any romantic myths you may have about the process. But she also paints a picture of idyllic days in fields surrounded by forests, observing the wondrous life of bees.

Sue Hubbell's real contribution to the beekeeping literature is that she tells about her own special ways with bees, based on many years working with them, some of which counter common theories about them. I would think that a beekeeper would find this information very useful, and I found it simply fascinating.

Buffalo Sue says this book is delightful. I'd like to find a different word to be original but I can't.
It is delightful in the way Sue Hubbell somehow manages to be both down to earth as somebody making a living with bees must yet is also as bright eyed as a kid experiencing something wonderfully new every day which is in fact what you get with bees.
If you are into bees buy it.
If you are not into bees but enjoy the idea that even today there is a satisfying way to live that does not require destruction of the environment or the death or discomfort of your charges you would enjoy it.

This book is a fun read about bees. Definetly not a technical manual, so I don't know why the "How to Keep them" part of the title got added on. There's a lot of good historical information about bees, biological information, and some tricks of the trade from Sue who is a commercial beekeeper in the Ozark Mountains. She shares some great stories about her life, which is intricately woven with the lives of her bees.

Back in early April, I mentioned one of Sue Hubbell's other books, A Country Year: Living the Questions on my blog, where she writes about her time living in the Ozarks and raising bees as a profession.

While A Country Year was meant as entertaining reading, this book is Hubbell giving you clean and excellent information on the keeping of bees, along with some of the poetic language from A Country Year. Just like that book, I will finish this book in a day or two, as it pulls me through the various seasons of the beekeeper. Winter is prep time. Spring brings hard work and maintenance. Fall is harvest and preparing the hives for Winter.

I get fixated on ideas somehow, and Hubbell's books are feeding my current fixation on bees. My neighbors hive, clearly visible from my back yard, has grown more interesting. It gives me a life model to explore my newly gained knowledge without completely suiting up in bee gear. It is heartening to know that the flowers and trees in my garden benefit from these bees, as much as the bees benefit from them.

I picked up this book with no particular interest in honeybees, attracted only by the warmth of Sue Hubbell's unpretentious style, and something fine about the writer as a person. She is wonderful company. She has a busy mind grounded in serenity, an unusual mixture of curiosity and peace. I really feel I've spent time in her company. I read all of her books. Then I read works by Lorenzo Langstroth and Francois Huber because she mentioned them. Attracted to the Victorian and Edwardian bee masters because I am a devotee of Sherlock Holmes, I read dozens of titles. Finally, I wrote a book about Sherlock Holmes and beekeeping. And it all started because I picked up A Book of Bees!

I first read this book several years ago and bought and gave away three copies. I'm so glad it has been republished. Sue Hubbell recounts a year in her life as a beekeeper, with musings on nature, and with a loving portrait of her honeybees. Bees are wondrous and if you don't think so, Hubbell will help you see the light. I have finally succumbed to the urge to keep bees myself, and now I value the book for it's information and wisdom on beekeeping. One thing, though. The insect pictured on the cover...is not a honeybee! I bet she was not pleased! This is a peaceful read, a good summer book, and a keeper.

Unique, well-written -- poignant, humorous -- subtle, yet compelling. Hubble's comic timing and keen storytelling are second to none. This is one of the most wonderful gifts I've ever received. Read it! Give it to every person you know. It's unique and so very lovely. I am grateful to the person who recommended this gem. A Book of Bees is a wonderful revelation. Ostensibly about bee-keeping, but really about life.

Hubbell has a genuinely unique insight into nature that is fresh and original while her writing is well crafted. Being a beekeeper of over ten years, I was attracted to the book for that reason but came away with much more. Hubbell's musings on life in general and her backwoods alternative to the modern drum on the digital age is a good escape. An insightful read for anyone interested in a deeper perspective on one aspect of rural life. Enjoy.