26 May 2011

Dean Stiglitz and Laurie Herboldsheimer

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Beekeeping, by Dean Stiglitz and Laurie Herboldsheimer, available on Amazon. Anyone read it? The review on Amazon is worryingly worthy

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1615640118/ref=pe_98741_25196441_snp_dp

2 comments:

HB said...

That review is so wordy, I didn't have the patience to read the whole thing. I have read the book. I don't agree that it's for beginners. It does not cover the basics in depth, as the authors realize there are many other books that do that. It really focuses on the concept of no inputs. However, the book is designed so that it should be read front to back, as a beginner would. Advanced beekeepers picking a topic of interest, skipping around and reading a chapter here and there, may be confused, as the authors will reference concepts mentioned earlier (that they assume you have read). These are concepts not commonly found in other books, so this book is a standout.

If a new beekeeper seeks to use a "treatment-free" and fairly hands-off style, this is a good book. But I recommend first reading Beekeeping for Dummies. I recommend the Dummies book to all new beekeepers, regardless of the style of hive or management they plan to use, because it covers the basics of bees and beekeeping so well. Put The Idiot's Guide next on the pile of books to read, and be sure to read it front-to-back to get the full benefit.

Kelly Jacobs said...

I recieved 9 Bee books for Christmas 2011. I plan on being a Bee Keeper in 2012. The Complete Idiot's Guide for Beekeepers is my favorite of the pile. I also enjoyed a video where Dean spoke for an hour...with constant interuptions.
I like the no chemical direction of the book and educational materials. It's better for planet earth.