The Beekeeper's Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses

by Richard A. Jones, Sharon Sweeney-Lynch

The Beekeeper’s Bible is as much an ultimate guide to the practical essentials of beekeeping as it is a beautiful almanac to be read from cover to cover. Part history book, part handbook, and part cookbook, this illustrated tome covers every facet of the ancient hobby of beekeeping, from how to manage hives safely to harvesting one's own honey, and ideas for how to use honey and beeswax. Detailed instructions for making candles, furniture polish, beauty products, and nearly 100 honey-themed recipes are included. Fully illustrated with how-to photography and unique etchings, any backyard enthusiast or gardener can confidently dive into beekeeping with this book in hand (or daydream about harvesting their own honey while relaxing in the comfort of an armchair).

Praise for The Beekeeper's Bible:

"Jones and Sweeney-Lynch explain the science and society of bees in clear, accessible language. And the recipes are admirably useful: honey scones, honey soap, honey hangover cures. 'Oh, stuff and fluff,' as Pooh might say. Dip a paw into this richly satisfying volume and you won't have to do stoutness exercises."
 -The New York Times 

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“Lip-smackin’ throughout, The Beekeeper's Bible is, at its heart, a glorious invitation into the depths of the honeybee hive.” —Chicago Tribune
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"An elegant, information-packed addition to the library of the most serious beekeeper." —Better Homes & Gardens Country Gardens
“An amazing compendium of information, lore, facts, tips, techniques, and benefits of having bees in your life—whether you choose to keep a hive yourself, enjoy the by-products, or just appreciate these wonderful creatures for all that they contribute to our human ecosystem.”


—About.com

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Gardening, Cookbooks, Nature, Cooking, Food

416 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book that combined bee lore, beekeeping, medicinal recipes, and recipes for wonderful food.

It is also a good introduction to all of the items mentioned above. I liked that is had illustrations that spanned human history showing humanity’s relationship with bees.

An extra bonus in this book, it also gives a good introduction on pollinator gardens.

If you can find a copy of this , it’s a keeper. One to keep next to the Root books.

[zoe k · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned a lot about bees!

[Karli W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Information Overload. This book would be great for bee and beekeeping enthusiasts who are interested in history and all the various forms of beekeeping and uses of bee products etc. However, for someone looking to start a small hive and wanting straightforward and basic information, like myself, this is perhaps not the book for them. This gave me way more information than I wanted and needed.

[Addison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly I don’t think I could ask for anything more! So helpful and informative!

[Janice Wrona · Rating 4 out of 5]

thought I knew everything! Enjoyed history of beekeeping and mythology sections

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading this piecemeal for a while now and it's wonderful. I would strongly recommend this to any beekeeper or anyone thinking of becoming a beekeeper. True, most of the information you can find online, but this tome is indispensable. I keep it by my bed to brush up on subject if I am feeling restless.

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The encyclopedia of bees, with recipes even!

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

One day I'll have a house and be able to keep bees and when that day comes, this will be my Bible. Read it for dreaming purposes in the meantime.

[Barbie N · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a joy to go though. I learned so much and enjoyed the beautiful pictures. Now i look forward to trying some of the recipes!

[Nathan Brant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is amazing tome if you're considering beekeeping or just interested in bees. From history to habits, and practical beekeeping to honey recipes, this is a thorough and well-written book.

[Raegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much! excellent beginner beekeeper read, very detailed and love the addition of many recipes and applications at the end 👍

[Jacquie Slade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!!!! 1 of my many bee books I keep on hand. Very helpful for beekeepers and bee lovers alike.

[Genna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a while to get into this, mostly because the beginning reads a LOT like a high school textbook and I couldn't help but feel that Jones was trying to cram too much in without being able to linger on the more interesting bits, but once he got to the actual practical knowledge, it ended up being incredibly useful and something I'll definitely refer back to.

[Cassie Rauk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very through guide to keeping bees. Talking about everything from the mythology and history of bees to setting up your hive, and maintaining it.

[Harrison Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative bok

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic, thorough treatment of the topic. There was sufficient history and context to be interesting but not so much as to be boring filler. The actual practical, instructional sections were detailed and approachable with fantastic, relevant photos.

I could have done without the recipe and woo medicine stuff at the back, but that's me. Honey does have some interesting properties, but it's not magic.

The bit about mead was a bit laughable, having actually brewed mead and knowing it's a rather finnicky process; you don't just pop some honey, water, and champagne yeast in a container and wait a couple weeks (at least not if you expect the product to be remotely drinkable). I think it ill-advised to present that recipe and concept at all since homebrewing is really a massive topic of its own and they can't do any justice to the proper techniques of (insanely critical) sterilization. Absolutely learn about mead and how to make it from your honey...but it doesn't belong in this book if it can't be done correctly.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great reference / coffee table book full of history, beekeeping information (hives, bees, diseases, garden tips etc), production and sale (of honey, beeswax etc.) and recipes.
It's a HEAVY book, so it's not something I can easily lug around.

Definitely not a beginner book given the vast number of connected topics the book covers. I'd suggest The Backyard Beekeeper, 4th Edition:An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden for beginners.

[Jeff Netting · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice, attractive, well-organized book with great images. I knew nothing about beekeeping beforehand, and this was a great introduction, providing a history of beekeeping, a bit about bees, and an overview of how beekeeping works. I got this because I wanted to, someday, get some hives of my own, though I no longer think I’ll do this after seeing how much goes into it!

The book is a little clunky, physically, and parts are tedious. Still, it seemed to be a great introduction, though I have no clue how useful or accurate it is for someone who actually keeps bees or actually wants to get a few hives. I liked it, though, and I think it makes a great coffee table book.

[Abby Tharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book on and off throughout 2018. If you are looking to get bees in the future or want to brush up on your beekeeping knowledge this book is great.

I really like it because not only does it tell you everything you need to know about keeping bees, it also talks about the history of the bee and how much of humanity, our culture, and our religions are influenced by honey bees. It's incredibly interesting. This book also provides recipes for wax and honey. I know I will be referring to this throughout the many years to come.

[Jiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extensive information covering most things about beekeeping. We started keeping bees this year, so we read a number of books on the subject. The Beekeeper's Bible is very extensive and informative. It covers subjects as history, mythology and folklore which may or may not be of interest to new beekeepers but it also covers every other aspect of beekeeping as well. Good reference book and an interesting read to come back to when you encounter challenges with your bees. The recipe section is one of the best in any bee book I have read so far.

[Lorelee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly comprehensive, so much more than just a bee book.

Has lots of charming bee trivia fascinating folklore and an engaging history of beekeeping. Info on crafting with beeswax, candles, and creams. Tons of fabulous recipes with honey! Plus, marinades, drinks, and even flavored spirits! Beautifully illustrated with practical illustrations and unique etchings. This would be an invaluable handbook. Plus it is pretty enough to sit on your coffee table just to look through...

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thing is massive. I had it checked out for 3 months and probably only managed to take in a quarter of the information that's in this thing, despite skimming through the entire text.

On the plus side, I now know some basics about bee species and hive make-up.

Also there's a pretty awesome recipe for Honey Scones in it.

[Renee Alarid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I picked up this book to research the honey bees for my thesis, and I have to say that this book is everything and more! What an excellent book of information. If someone was ever interested in the honey bee, this book is for you! It has recipes, history, mythological, and how-to opportunities. The illustrations and photography are also impressive. A keeper for any library!

[William Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started keeping two hives this year, and started reading this book about the same time. I'd done a lot of prior research, but The Beekeeper's Bible still taught me some new things, and has been invaluable in providing tips and tricks to make things easier while caring for my bees. I'm looking forward to trying out some of the recipes with my first honey harvest!

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge component on saving and protecting our bees, and was very interested in the history, origins and recipes made with honey. I really enjoyed that there are still architectural structures of old hives around the world. The home uses also were interesting, but you will need lots of items to make them.

[Rachel Tooman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent resource for both new and established Beekeepers. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous and it even has delicious recipes. This was a library book and I immediately got on Amazon and ordered a copy for our home library.

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads like a textbook for bees, which is good because of all the information this book contains. It surely is one of the best and information thorough bee books around. Definitely a great resource for your library if you want to get into beekeeping or are beekeeping and need an all-in-one resource.

[Bill Robson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was given this book as a gift from my daughter Tori. Wow! I've read it slowly every day until I was done. So glad I can add this to my beekeeping book collection. This was just what I needed.

[Caroline Elders · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good general large reference, but includes some out of date methods

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about bees. Great recipes for honey, etc. (especially the honey scones recipe, that everybody in my family goes crazy for).