Letters from the Hive: An Intimate History of Bees, Honey, and Humankind | 
 enlarge | Authors: Stephen Buchmann, Banning Repplier
Publisher: Bantam
Category: Book
List Price: $24.00
Buy New: $4.89
You Save: $19.11 (80%)
New (7) Used (17) Collectible (2) from $3.99
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 664519
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 288
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.8
ISBN: 0553803751
Dewey Decimal Number: 638.1
EAN: 9780553803754
ASIN: 0553803751
Publication Date: April 12, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
They work hard, are devoted to family, love sex, and know the importance of a good piece of real estate. Honey bees, and the daily workings of their close-knit colonies, are one of nature's great miracles. And they produce one of nature's greatest edible bounties: honey. More than just a palate pleaser, honey was once an offering to the gods, a preservative, and a medicine whose sought-after curative powers were detailed in ancient texts . . . and are being rediscovered by modern medical science.
In Letters from the Hive, Prof. Stephen Buchmann takes us into the hive--nursery, honey factory, queen's inner sanctum--and out to the world of backyard gardens, open fields, and deserts in full bloom, where the age-old sexual dance between flowers and bees makes life on earth as we know it possible. Hailed for their hard work, harmonious society, and, mistakenly, for their celibacy, bees have a link to our species that goes beyond biology. In Letters from the Hive, Buchmann explores the fascinating role of bees in human culture and mythology, following the "honey hunters" of native cultures in Malaysia, the Himalayas, and the Australian Outback as they risk life and limb to locate a treasure as valuable as any gold.
To contemplate a world without bees is to imagine a desolate place, culturally and biologically, and Buchmann shows how with each acre of land sacrificed to plow, parking lot, or shopping mall, we inch closer to what could become a chilling reality. He also offers honey-based recipes, cooking tips, and home remedies--further evidence of the gifts these creatures have bestowed on us.
Told with wit, wisdom, and affection, and rich with anecdote and science, Letters from the Hive is nature writing at its best. This is natural history to be treasured, a sweet tribute that buzzes with life.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Wonderful read! July 30, 2008
Eclectic Reader (Sunnyvale, CA)
This book delivered on all expectations, and then more. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the honey hunts by various peoples, how honey is used as medicine, the history of honey, the recipes, etc. The one thing I would have liked to see more is information about honey in South America. Buchmann touched on the topic briefly, but never really elaborated like he did with other places. Yet I appreciated the amount of detail he devotes to Central and North American stingless bees.
The writing style is simply AWESOME. I enjoyed very much how he and the writer peppered the book with fun remarks. For example, after reading the gruesome battles and killings between queen bees, they finish the paragraph by comparing it to Shakespeare's plays. Even if you are not into bees, you are going to enjoy reading this book.
great read February 18, 2008
Tammy S. Hopman
I enjoyed this book tremendously. As a complete novice in the world of bees, it gave me the information I wanted while being thoroughly enjoyable to read and providing great historical connections. Added bonus, the recipes are terrific!
A lovely book that could do with lovelier writing August 31, 2007
Roy A. Birk
All in all, this book was very enjoyable. Parts were charming, while half or more sounded more like an article in a scientific magazine or, indeed, a travelogue. Those parts could have used a bit more literary touch. The content throughout, however, is really very interesting, especially if you're not all that familiar with honey bees, and I'm very happy to have read this. The publishers also did a beautiful job on the book, which contains pretty little illustrations to punctuate the chapters.
Beekeepers Poetry June 26, 2007
Jim Mcleod (Northland, New Zealand)
What a great book full of insights, humour and knowledge about bees in the world. Great easy read which has appealed to this new amateur beekeeper
 Charming little book March 18, 2006
M. Masters (Pittsburgh PA)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Faint praise you say? Ok, maybe my ruffly apron is tied too tight today. The history and the cultural sections were excellent but the numerous recipes were unwelcome, mere space fillers. In fact most of the contents were fillers, neatly boxed items you could cull from a rural calendar or a few copies of Country Living. Great book for short attention spans and folks who have no trouble falling asleep. You won't fall asleep in the middle of anything in this book, nothing's that long. Which reminds me, the hardcover version is not 288 pages as stated on amazon. It's 276 pages, and that includes 54 pages of: afterword, acknowledgements, five appendices, sources, permissions, index and "about the authors."
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