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A Short History of the Honey Bee

Humans, Flowers, and Bees in the Eternal Chase for Honey

By Ilona McCarty and E. Readicker-Henderson
Hardback , 164 pages
ISBN: 9780881929423 (0881929425)
Published by Timber Press
$19.95(US)

Review Quote

“[W]hen this honey connoisseur speaks of the sweet substance as ‘the truest distillation of the landscape,’ it’s easy to be seduced by the idea. You’ll want to participate in a honey tasting after finishing this book.”

Whether describing the life of an individual bee from her start as an egg to her death from hard work roughly six weeks later, or how honey is made from flower nectar by the alchemy of the bees, the author’s passion for the subject shines through.

This book by the poetic E. Readicker-Henderson and the talented photographer Ilona far exceeded my wildest expectations. I am, in short, in love with this book! ... Readers, I implore you. Buy this book. Then buy it for others. And teach your children every word. Every one.

"Amazing photography and whimsical yet engaging text."

"Filled with just the right mixtures of learning, personal narrative and historical facts, this piece is enhanced by strikingly beautiful photographs by Ilona, set among the pages like brilliant gems.  The prose is comprehensible and inspiring."


"Readicker-Henderson … makes no apology for his very personal delight in the succulent ambrosia of honey and his enthusiasm for local products rather than the bland, sweet, blended gloop sold in plastic bottles."


"Honey is a main subject of this delightful book … certainly our diet cannot be the same without honey bees."

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