The honeybee has lived in close association with human beings formillennia. Tragically, however, humanity's once intimate connection with thisunique creature has been harmed by our increasingly utilitarian andexploitative dealings with the natural world. We are now in urgent need ofre-establishing a deeper relationship, not just for the sake of the beesthemselves but for the whole of nature--and of course for ourselves.

Lorenzen--a true master beekeeper--provides numerous insights toenable a more fruitful engagement with the living world. Offering an enrichmentof the knowledge and practice of beekeeping, he discusses the origins of thehoneybee, its relationship to the floral kingdom, the digestion of the bee, thetreatment of bee diseases as well as appropriate beekeeping techniques. He alsodevelops subtle spiritual concepts such as the idea of the bee colony as an"individuality" and "group soul," providing new depth and wisdom to ourunderstanding of how bees live and work.