Product Description
New observations on the natural history of bees is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Franeºois Huber is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Franeºois Huber then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
The long-awaited revision to John Train's classic Dance of the Money Bees--

Survival is competition. What you have, including your savings, others want, and will struggle to get. The push to take it back from you is as relentless as that of the sea to overcome the dikes that contain it or the jungle to enfold a patch of cleared ground. The whole order of nature pushes to reclaim its own. Only through deep understanding and superior tactics can the investor hope to preserve even part of what he has earned, and it gets harder every yearÂ…..

In preserving capital the right attitude is indispensable. You must be passive in deciding to buy, but aggressive in searching out the values and in digging all the way down to the rock of realityÂ…..

It usually pays to wait patiently for the rare bargain in first-class assets, rather than keep swinging for the fences with a succession of exciting speculations. Enthusiastic hyperactivity is in fact the hallmark of the losing investorÂ…..

This book, then, is intended to tell the investor what he should be looking for and where to find it. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the lives and careers of the Brothers Gibb, very successful rhythm and blues artists, with numerous black and white photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Must Have
This book can only be descibed as a real joy to any true Bee Gees fan.It is down to earth and very informative.It shows the brothers for what they are, just three ordinary guys, doing what they enjoy most, creatingbeautiful music and sharing their wonderful gift of song with the world.Ihave heard tell that another book is to be relaeased in the year 2000, Ihope this is in fact so, as Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb deserve morerecognition for all they have given to the world over the past 35 plusyears.May they continue writing wonderful music for many years to come. If you haven't got this book already and you get the chance to purchase it,don't turn away as you will never know what you have missed.

The Definitive Bio on Bee Gees, so far!
Being a lifetime fan of the Brothers Gibb, known throughout the world asthe Bee Gees --- Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb --- I have bought just aboutevery biography written, both authorized or not, and have found DavidLeaf's book to be the very best.He seriously details the history of thisfabulous group, from the time they were youngsters singing "Bye-byeBlackbird" and "Lollipop", their struggle to make it big inAustralia, to their discovery by Robert Stigwood in 1967.This fine bookshows that the Bee Gees are more than just a Disco group, but a genuinephenomenon that has thrived since the 60's.

This book also hashundreds of great photographs and a listing of all their recordings.Trulya well-written tome that rises above the mere popcorn candy bios withnothing but cheesy information.However, since this book was written inthe late 70's, I can only hope that it will be updated someday, to includetheir induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and their recentsuccesses, like theirinternational hit album, STILL WATERS.The Bee Geescontinue to prove themselves a powerhouse around the globe, and not showingany signs of slowing down, at least not in this millenium!!

DavidLeaf's book is a treasure to own!And you don't even have to be a Bee Geesfan, but it does help!!!The story of the brothers Gibb Stayin' Alive withthe Fever!!!! ... Read more

Product Description
R to L (Japanese Style). In Amberground, a dangerous terrain where a man-made star casts a permanent twilight, young Lag Seeing aspires to become a Letter Bee: a postman entrusted to deliver the hearts of people separated from the ones they love. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

This manga has an interesting premise to it
I found a copy of this manga volume while browsing the shelves at my local library, and I checked it out and see what it was all about.

This volume starts with a government employee named Gauche, who is a Letter Bee (and as you can probably guess, it has to do with mail delivery).As a Letter Bee, it's Gauche's duty to deliver any letter to it's destination.It turns out that the letter he needs to deliver is a young boy named Lag Seeing.As Gauche takes the boy to his destination, the two become friends, and Lag is inspired to become a Letter Bee when he is older.Five years later, Lag starts on his way toward realizing his dream.

By the time I finished reading this manga volume, I was intrigued enough to want to read more volumes of this series if I can find them at my library.Personally, I think this is a manga series that can be enjoyed by readers who are fourteen or fifteen years of age and older.

I wrote this review after checking out a copy of this manga volume through the King County Library System.

Fun Read, LONG Chapters
Tegami Bachi Letter Bee Volume 1 is a pretty good read with a sort of "prelude" chapter and then a chapter 1 introduction to the story. The prelude is pretty interesting and introduces a character and the cover character as a young child.The world revolves around the delivery of letters with some supernatural elements.Letters can be anything from items and objects to even children and people as seen in this volume.The second chapter starts off with the main character and his pursuit of becoming a letter bee and hoping to find certain people.It ends pretty well and exciting and the ending preview of the next chapter makes it something that I cant wait to read.

This is a relatively new offering from VIZ Media and was in Shonen Jump for a few issues of that magazine.It was probably taken out because of the fact that the chapters span close to 100 pages.Regardless, its all worth it and is a pretty decent read. Its not like other series where you are turning pages so swiftly but its also not dull enough where you rather read something else.

The volume is read in the traditional format, has some pretty nice look art with clean sound effects and translations as well. Enjoy it and pick this up.

A Dark Dangerous World for Mail Carriers
Reason for Reading: The dark planet intrigued me but mostly the plot revolves around mail carriers and I {ahem} really like getting mail, so thought this sounded cool. Plus the cover is gorgeous.

Comments: Amberground is a dark planet divided into three rings separated by rivers which also separates the classes. In the middle of the planet is Akatsuki, the city of the government and wealthy. No one may enter without extremely hard to get special passes. Above Akatsuki is a man-made sun which glows down on the city bathing it in light. Across the river live the middle classes and across another live the lower classes, the further you go from Akatsuki and its man-made sun the darker the perpetual night-time sky becomes. It is in this world that the Letter Bees carry mail from one end to the other, they have special passes to cross the bridges and must traverse the dangerous lands inhabited by Gaichuu, huge insect like creatures completely covered in metal armour. Here we meet Gauche Suede, 18yos, on his way to pick up a letter but when he gets there he finds that the letter he must deliver is a child, Lag, who does not believe he has been abandoned to be delivered to his aunt.

I really enjoyed this manga story. Gauche is very determined and respective of his honourable job as Letter Bee, but Lag creates animosity between them right from the start and this is an ongoing source for humour to contrast the darker aspects of the story. Both Gauche and Lag have back-stories that are revealed during their journey showing the difficult, emotional situations each is dealing with separately. Of course what would a journey over dangerous terrain be without monsters to fight? And so Gauche and Lag find themselves often attacked by the Gaichuu in which there is no defence against except a special gun that all Letter Bees carry which, with concentration, will shoot a part of their heart energy at the insect-like creatures and reduce them to nothing. It is during one of these battles that a unique ability of Lag's is found. Part Two gets even better which takes place five years later and concentrates on Lag along with the introduction of a fabulous female character, Niche. I loved the plot, lots of story threads going on and the book ends on an exciting note leaving the reader anxious for the next volume. I also enjoyed the artwork, Lag is cute and Gauche while possibly slightly ambiguous was obviously a male to me. Many scenes of the terrain and background brought the desolation of the planet to the reader. The only thing that bothered me were the fight scenes lasted a little on the long side, sometimes too many pages of nothing but BAM, CLICK, WWHOOSH, AAAA, CLANK. These I skipped over, I got the point. In all, I really enjoyed the mixture of humour, darkness and plot. I'll be reading Vol. 2 shortly.

Lovely and extremely entertaining
A simply beautiful manga with creative characters. I just loved the idea of guns and heart bullets. Its a story of a young boy whose mother gets kidnapped into the man made sun. He becomes a packages is to be sent to his art by a letter bee AKA Tegami Bachi Gauche Suede. Lag (the main character) touched by what the letter bees goes through to bring letter, decides to become a letter bee himself.
The story is very heartwarming and touching. Each story is filled with care and love that is not uncreative at all. Hiroyuki asada is a really great mangaka and don't judge this book by the cover. The art ic clean and at first may take a little getting use to but it is very unique and will grow on you. I at first was also wary because i'm pretty picky with books because of the art sometimes. Trust me, it will instantly become your one of your favorite series. In fact it's getting to be pretty popular and their is even an anime being made. I suggest you get your hands on this book now or you'll regret it. :D

This may be another gem
Story overview:

In a land of perpetual night (called Amberground), there is no sun. The world is heated from something called Spirit Amber, which is a source of energy that is buried deep beneath the ground. Light (low as it is) seems to come from either the stars in the sky, or a small man-made sun that hovers above the capital, Akatskui (which is restricted only to the "elite" and those with a special Capital Crossing Pass).

An eighteen-year-old man named Gauche Suede, along with his dog, Roda, travel from place to place to deliver messages. This position is called a Letter Bee (basically, they are a postal service). Gauche comes across a town that has been burned down, and to his surprise he finds a package in the form of a young boy (named Lag Seeing). On their journey, both Gauche and Lag inadvertently (and in a strange way) exchange glimpses into each other's hearts. They form a bond, which five years later, brings Lag to go off on his own to become a Letter Bee himself.

However, that is not Lag's main goal. You see, the elite of Akatskui captured his mother, and now he seeks to find a way into the Capital. Gauche promised Lag that he would look into the issue, but there was no word from him over these past five years (after Lag was safely delivered to his aunt). Therefore, Lag goes out to have an interview to become a Letter Bee. In the process, he comes across a strange animal-like girl who he ends up helping, which causes him to miss his interview. But in doing so he gains one of the Letter Bee requirements, a "dingo" (a companion, usually a dog, that has a contract with the Letter Bee).

My thoughts:

There is a lot I left out in the overview above, but I did not want to give away too many spoilers, even if I did, there is not enough room to list all that went into this story. One of my requirements for a great story is that it has to have heart. This has that and more. I was refreshed to find a manga with artwork in the elegant and clean style that I appreciate so much. But that's not all. I love the characters, and a story about a dark world without any sun? It can't get any better for a speculative fiction buff. I am thoroughly looking forward to reading the next one once it comes out.

Things to consider:

This is rated "Teen" from Viz Media, but honestly, I can see it being appropriate for younger. There is the typical action violence, but it is done without any gore, and there were no inappropriate nude or sexual scenes. The closest was where Lag sees that Nichi is a girl, but this was done in good taste. Now, I cannot say anything for the series as a whole (as they are not yet released in the US), but this one gets a preteen (tween) safety stamp from me.

James D. Maxon

Author of,[...]

Manga and speculative fiction reviewer:
[...] ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (6)

mildly pleasant
I am curious about honey, because I feel I should like it more than I do, so I picked up this book partly based on reviews and the back cover.
The book is pleasantly written, informative, full of unexpected bits. There are recipes, sections on how the hive has been used as a political metaphor throughout the ages (in the Middle Ages, the queen was a king, of course), and interesting coverage of the scientists who advanced knowledge of the hive.
So, to sum up: this is a useful book, pleasantly written, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about bees. I have a little caveat to add, though. It miffed me how, nowadays, reviewers tend to be so extravagant in their praise. It is as if they feel they need to be heard above the din by shouting louder than anybody else. Could they please stop calling everything brilliant that is just good? After all, what is bad with good?
PS. This little rant should not, I hope, dissuade anyone from reading this book.

The Hive and Mankind
This book is not just about bees and the history of beekeeping.This also deals with how bees have been linked to sex, death, food and drink.The book deals with mead, the Church and bees, the Romans and bees, the Renaissance and bees.How bees, and their hives, shaped our ideas of nature, science, government and God.They became the symbols of power, of Kings and Popes, of socialism and order.
There are also lists of recipes for food made from honey and potions made with honey.This is a must for any fan of bees or any beekeeper.
Bee Wilson is a big fan of bees and the honey they produce, going so far as to visit an apiary and, yes, she has been stung.You can feel her wonder and joy at writing her first book on the subject.And it is a joy to read.
But one warning.Mormons are not shown in a good light as the other reviews show.

Questionable Scholarship
I initially enjoyed the book very much, but then I was very taken aback by the blatant religious bigotry in the book toward Mormons.If Ms. Wilson can express such slanted and misinformed views about Mormons in a supposed scholarly work it certainly calls the rest of her scholarship into question.I can't help but doubt the accuracy of the rest of the book -- why would she be accurate in other ways and be so totally inaccurate about Mormons, their origins and what they believe?Her claim that she doesn't "mean to be offensive" rings hollow -- she absolutely does intend to offend, and she absolutely does.Moreover, her sidebars about Mormons and their supposed beliefs have nothing whatever to do with bees and the fact that Utah is the beehive state.It was just Mormon-bashing plain and simple.

My husband (who is not a Mormon, by the way) read that passage and said that he no longer had any interest in reading the book because he found her bigotry so off putting.I would never have purchased the book had I realized it contained that, and I am surprised the publisher allowed her uninformed diatribe to pass through.It is a shame because the premise of the book is interesting.I can't know whether Ms. Wilson is telling the truth in the rest of the book or just sort of making stuff up as she goes along, however, so reading the rest of it at this point seems pointless.

Buzz on!
I picked this book up completely randomly but have loved every moment of it. I am a huge fan of honey, cooking and the convoluted histories of the foods we love. Always a big fan of honey (and bees!) it wasn't until I read this book that I realize how pervasive and longlasting our human fascination (obsession?) with bees has been. It's an easy read - very detailed with lots of great honey and bee trivia throughout the ages. The writer is a Brit and mentions the history of bees and honey in the U.S. only in passing, so people looking for something specific to North America might have to go elsewhere. This is definitely more of a Western European view.

A fun story.
THE HIVE: THE STORY OF THE HONEYBEE AND US joins others which have appeared earlier this year covering the bee - but goes further than most, drawing connections between the hive mentality of the bee and human affairs. Bees appear as symbols of many things and their honey product is widely used in cooking: their story blends myth with science and mankind has long been enamored of the bee. THE HIVE traces mankind's different beliefs about the bee over the decades, gathering history from around the world from science, religion, politics and beyond. Lovely black and white drawings throughout enhance a fun story.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch ... Read more

Product Description

From ancient cave paintings of honey bee nests to modern science's richly diversified investigation of honey bee biology and its applications, the human imagination has long been captivated by the mysterious and highly sophisticated behavior of this paragon among insect societies. In the first broad treatment of honey bee biology to appear in decades, Mark Winston provides rare access to the world of this extraordinary insect.

In a bright and engaging style Winston probes the dynamics of the honey bee's social organization. He recreates for us the complex infrastructure of the nest, describes the highly specialized behavior of workers, queens, and drones, and examines in detail the remarkable ability of the honey bee colony to regulate its functions according to events within and outside the nest. Winston integrates into his discussion the results of recent studies, bringing into sharp focus topics of current bee research. These include the exquisite architecture of the nest and its relation to bee physiology; the intricate division of labor and the relevance of a temporal caste structure to efficient functioning of the colony; and, finally, the life-death struggles of swarming, supersedure, and mating that mark the reproductive cycle of the honey bee.

The Biology of the Honey Bee not only reviews the basic aspects of social behavior, ecology, anatomy, physiology, and genetics, it also summarizes major controversies in contemporary honey bee research, such as the importance of kin recognition in the evolution of social behavior and the role of the well-known dance language in honey bee communication. Thorough, well-illustrated, and lucidly written, this book will for many years be a valuable resource for scholars, students, and beekeepers alike.

Customer Reviews (3)

Dated but still good
The book only gets 4 stars because it's getting out of date.Nonetheless, if you can pick it up used for a few bucks, it's well worth the money and time, and the most interesting topics, like dance communication and hive behavior, are nicely covered.It's actually hard to find books like this.A book on honey bee biology is likely to be either too basic, perhaps intended for high school students, or too detailed, intended for others in the field.This book is just about right for the college/grad student or amateur biologist.

What We Know about Honey Bees
This book is a review of current (as of 1987) research about honey bees.Topics covered include: origin and evolution, anatomy, development and nutrition, nest architecture activities of worker bees, pheromones, communication and orientation, collection of food, reproduction, mating, and differences between temperate an tropical honey bees.The book includes numerous black-and-white illustrations, a long-list of references, an author index, and a subject index.

Readers will come away from this book with a much greater understanding of these vital insects, encompassing everything from range to communication to gender roles.The book is written in clear language that is accessible to general readers as well as undergraduate students. Interested readers can use the cited references to learn about specific topics in greater detail.

A sense of wonder
I picked up this book in a store and bought it out of idle curiousity, as I am neither an entomologist, biologist or beekeeper. Its content amazed me and spurred me to return to reading general interest science books, an area I had largely shunned after leaving university.

Apart from the fascinating content, the book wins because of the author's superb style. While sacrificing nothing in the way of content (at least to thisnonspecialist's eye) he never indulged in technical jargon, making the book accessible to any interested person. ... Read more

Product Description

In this extensive update of his definitive reference, Charles D. Michener reveals a diverse fauna that numbers more than 17,000 species and ranges from the common honeybee to rare bees that feed on the pollen of a single type of plant. With many new facts, reclassifications, and revisions, the second edition of The Bees of the World provides the most comprehensive treatment of the 1,200 genera and subgenera of the Apiformes. Included are hundreds of updated citations to work published since the appearance of the first edition and a new set of plates of fossil bees.

The book begins with extensive introductory sections that include bee evolution, classification of the various bee families, the coevolution of bees and flowering plants, nesting behavior, differences between solitary and social bees, and the anatomy of these amazing insects. Drawing on modern studies and evidence from the fossil record, Michener reveals what the ancestral bee -- the protobee -- might have looked like. He also cites the major literature on bee biology and describes the need for further research on the systematics and natural history of bees, including their importance as pollinators of crops and natural vegetation. The greater part of the work consists of an unprecedented treatment of bee systematics, with keys for identification to the subgenus level. For each genus and subgenus, Michener includes a brief natural history describing geographical range, number of species, and noteworthy information pertaining to nesting or floral biology.

The book is beautifully illustrated with more than 500 drawings and photographs that depict behavior, detailed morphology, and ecology. Accented with color plates of select bees, The Bees of the World will continue to be the world's best reference on these diverse insects.

Customer Reviews (5)

Not to happy with it
We really weren't as thrilled about this book as we thought we would.Wouldn't spend that kind of money on this book if we had previewed it first.

Instant Classic
Yes, seems to me it's gone up in price since I bought mine. That's the trend with some of these well-produced academic type references that also appeal to wider public. Unfortunately,if you're interested in the natural history of these animals, you'll have to get it.

This book was too much for me
I purchased this massive book to help identify the many wild bees which are present in my area.However, although I am an entomologist, but not a taxonomist, I found it too difficult to use easily.It is not for use unless you are studying a dead specimen.I like to photograph insects and determine their species or family.This book will not easily enable you to do this. Another drawback is the lack of colored illustrations.

The Bees of the World�a must-have book
Anybody with a serious interest in bees -- and by that I don't mean just honey bees and beekeeping, but the thousands of other species that provide the fundamental service of pollination in both natural and agricultural ecosystems -- must seriously consider getting this book. It will be an invaluable resource for both those studying insects and those studying plants, for plant conservation is intimately wrapped up with the survival of their pollinators.

This is a magnum opus in both senses of the word. It is a big book, with over 900 pages, containing a wealth of information on bees. It is also a product of over half a century's research and learning by the world's foremost authority on bees, Charles Michener. His efforts, and those of the subsequent generations of researchers spawned from his lab at the University of Kansas, have been the foundation of our current state of bee knowledge.

At first glance, the book might appear intimidating: a heavy tome printed in a small font size, with black-and-white diagrams. The only respite seems to be a series of gorgeous color plates featuring the amazing photos of Edward S. Ross and Paul Westrich. A few minutes with it will quickly show you that it is a rich source of accurate information, and despite its technical content, well written and readable.

Broken into a series of sections, it provides complete coverage of bees and their biology. The first is a general discussion of bee biology (nesting, floral relationships, parasites, sociality, etc.); the second, explains the structure of bees and their origins; the third, bee taxonomy; and the fourth, (the bulk of the book) contains keys to identify bees and chapters on each family or subfamily with notes on each genera (distribution, floral preference, if any, etc.). This is accompanied by an extensive bibliography and reference list. This book will not only help you understand the ecological requirements of bees but also enable you to identify them to sub-genus level.

The price might deter you; it certainly gave me pause for thought. Having finally taken the plunge and purchased a copy I have no qualms at all about the expense. This is an astonishing work of scholarship. To have so much information gathered into one volume is invaluable. This is likely to remain the standard work of reference for many years.

Matthew Shepherd
Pollinator Program Director, The Xerces Society

Bees of the World--A definative work
If you work on bees, you will need to get a copy of Mich's Bees of the World. There is no way around it.

Some 16,000 bee species are placed to genus, and the indentification guides (keys and illustrations) are the bestyet.

[...] ... Read more

Product Description
This amazing little book has launched an industry!Now,in a new edition, it is twice as large as the original with 128 pages.It is completely redesigned with even more illustrations and lots more information about the bees and their propagation in "System" tubes as well as blocks.With answers to all the most frequently asked questions and some obscure ones too, it tells you in easy to read language everything you will need to know about the bee.A must have for all folks interested in raising Mason bees. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Well written. Illustrations could be better.
Given that I haven't actually used the information, and I never intended to even before I bought it, the text seems complete. It manages its completeness without being overly academic. I'd consider it more of a "technical" book rather than an "engineering" book: a brass tacks "how-to" rather than physiology, theory, etc. My biggest "complaint" are the illustrations. They seem to be a bit on the "cutesy" side. Perhaps that was what was intended in order to keep the subject light but I would very much have liked to see some detailed top/front/side views of both the male and the female subject - academic quality. Even jumped on Knox Cellars' website hoping for the diagrams but no such luck. Despite this, keep in mind, I feel this book is more than adequate to get anyone up and running with these little pollinators. The previous review does a sufficient job of summarizing so I won't here.

O what a lovely book!
This book tells all about orchard mason bees (and some other native pollinators), what they look like, what they do, why they're particularly good at it, and most of all how we can help.

Orchard mason bees are nothoneybees but a small, modest, hard-working, solitary little bee native tothe New World.They mind their own business and do a whale of a jobpollinating.My blueberry bushes have doubled and tripled their yieldssince I started putting homes out for the orchard mason bees.

Thepictures of the bee-faces in the section on telling the difference betweenthe boy bees and the lady bees are cute.But the text, while not heavy inthe least, is serious.Here is a man who believes in his bees and in waysin which we can acknowledge our part in the natural order by helping offsetthe pernicious effects of excess urbanization.The text is written at thelayman's level; no technical knowledge is required to read and understand,but there are references for people who want to get more deeply involvedwith technical issues.

Here is everything you will need to know to decidewhether you would like to harbor orchard mason bees and how to go about itif you do.

I got my first bee block from Knox Farms several years ago andupgraded to a bee condo last year.This year I took my courage in my handsand carefully changed my bee-full nesting tubes for clean ones to wait forspring.It was fascinating handling those tubes stuffed with beneficientbee life!I think this would be a great thing for kids to get involvedwith. (I'm fourty-something, and I think it's great).

If you areinterested in giving a hard-working native bee a hand, and benefitting allof the fruit and berry plants in your neighborhood, I cannot recommend thisbook highly enough.Easy to read but packed with information! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Acutely Self-Concious; An Insider Joke
Debuting in 1997 and running for a year, AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN is both fascinating and deeply flawed, an acutely self-concious mixture of irony, satire, and insider jokes that only a truly wayward student of fine arts, high literature, and American pop culture can actually appreciate.

The plot is satirical.Evan is a "hot" writer who's first novel lands him a photo shoot in a popular magazine--and this in turn leads him to a meeting with Alexa Vere de Vere, a incredibly sophisticated woman whose life seems to be ultimate statement of success.But Evan is naive and Alexa is a con who preys upon the newly famous.When Evan realizes he's been had, he sets out to uncover Alexa's origins and to expose her before the world... if, that is, he himself can escape the honey-trap of fame and the easy life.

The script is clever--perhaps just a shade too clever.It isn't enough to have seen AUNTIE MAME; you have to recognize the dialogue.It isn't enough to have read Proust; you have to understand why it is funny in this context.When all is said and done, it's rather difficult to know what audience the play is intended to reach; playgoers and play readers who know both David and The Pet Shop Boys are fairly few and far between and the coldness of the story and the characters tends to objectify the experience.Recommended, but more as a study than as theatre per se.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

No accounting for taste
I just attended a performance of this play, and I have to say, I really disagree with the other reviews.It may not read well, but it's incredible on stage.The way Beane builds up the language, and takes all the truths of Act One and inverts them in act two.It's a smart, funny and exhilarating.

Painful....
While Douglas Carter Beane has written some very funny plays, this is not one of them. This is truly one of the worst comedies I've ever seen on a major stage.

Skip It
Short Synopis - Evan Wyler is a writer who, after having his debut novel just published, is branded a 'hot' new talent.Soon he is descended upon by Alexa Vere de Vere, a social goddess who is seemingly fabulously wealthy and knows everyone in the world of the rich and famous.By the end of the first act however, Alexa has swindled Evan out of a large chunk of money and taken off.Act two deals with Evan trying to track down Alexa and take his revenge on her - whatever that may be.

What we have here is a deeply flawed work, and on top of that, it's a deeply flawed work that isn't even very fun.For a play that bills itself as a comedy, not being fun is...well...ouch.

There are two main problems - 1)The characters and 2) The story.For a play, this is a deathblow.

The characters...well, they're pretty boring.Yep, pretty boring people.

We'll start with Evan Wyler, our hero(?).Evan the writer is not once, not ONE time in the entire script, an interesting character.The only thing that seems to define him is the fact that there is nothing to define him by.He doesn't really seem to want anything too badly, he doesn't seem to care about anything too badly, and therefore nothing he does seems to have any deep rationale behind it.He just sort of drifts from one scene to another, loosely tethered by the other characters.For being one of the two leads in the show, it is absolutely surprising how little of a mark he makes.After reading the piece, one will ask themselves what made Evan what he was.He's gay.Does that matter in the story?Nope.He's a writer.Is that important in the script.Not after the first four pages.The character has no passion.The character dies before anyone has a chance to bring him to life.

Our other main character is Alexa Vere de Vere.She has a whole different set of problems as a character than Evan does.She doesn't seem to be void of any sort of passion or excitement as Evan does.The problem is, simply, the girl talks too much.She talks and talks and talks without saying anything at all.Sure, the argument can be made, "Of course she talks too much and never says anything!That's the whole point!Douglas Carter Beane is lampooning that whole caste of people, those in the 'biz', the 'movers and shakers' who talk talk talk because they are trying to make nothing into something, and everybody listens until nothing actually DOES become something!"Okay, sure, I get that.I get that and that's a valid point.But I get this point by Alexa's first scene, Scene TWO.What does that mean happens when the point keeps getting hammered in during the other fifteen scenes?It means it gets VERY old, very quickly.Beane doesn't help matters by presenting Alexa as a character who never really contains any sort of dynamic change over the course of the play.

The whole middle of the play lags (from about page 25-50.The script is about 70 pages long, so this is a LARGE chunk of time).It picks up a bit when we learn more about Alexa's backstory and the creation of her persona and transformation from Pennsylvania poor-girl, to NYC glitz-goddess, but it's not nearly enough to save interest in the piece by that point.

The play also ends on a weirdly self-congratulatory note, with Beane conversing about the importance and intelligence of writers.It's wildly out of place, especially when he has constructed a large portion of the play to be a comedic 'mystery' of sorts, focusing on if Evan will ever get revenge on Alexa for bilking him and others like him out of their money.

All in all, this play is definitely skippable.There are a few clever moments, but you won't be missing a thing.You'll be surprised by how little you laugh while reading this comedy.Hell, you'll be surprised by how little you THINK of MAYBE laughing. ... Read more

Product Description
In your hands is my ideallog book, with a positiveside. It is designed to makelogging your daily glucosereadings and journaling howyou feel simple, and,hopefully, uplifting. It is filledwith reminders to love andcare for yourself, encouragingyou to see your diabetes careas one aspect of your masterplan for well being. ... Read more

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Bee Healthy Diabetic Log Book
After many years with Type I Diabetes, I am very happy to have this log book.The design and 6 month format will help to
manage this diseaseconsistently and make this chore (that is what it is) even fun.I am planning on ordering another one for myself,my daughter and a young friend.I especiallylike the design. because it will probably make having Diabetes
less daunting for children.Thanks for such a happy product.There is one thing that I feel should be added and that is a page about 3-4 weeks before the end of the book to remind the user to order the next one for the coming six months. ... Read more

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Come explore the hidden shapes and patterns in nature. The peacock's flashy tail is a masterpiece of color and shape. A buzzing beehive is built of tiny hexagons. Even a snake's skin is patterned with diamonds.Poet Betsy Franco and Caldecott Honor winner Steve Jenkins bring geometry to life in this lively, lyrical look at the shapes and patterns that can be found in the most unexpected places. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

patterns and shapes that fascinate young kids
Children are fascinated by the world around them. Watch a young child, as they draw patterns in the sand or trace the lines in a seashell.If your child loves animals and visual details, look for this book.

This poetry picture book about patterns in nature brought delight to my children, through its vibrant pictures, the engaging poetry and the fascinating concepts. Franco and Jenkins explore the many forms and functions of nature's geometry. They show the mathematical genius of the bee, as it fits hexagons side by side in its honeycomb. They light up our eyes with the symmetry of the moth, showing the "stunning 'eyes', perfectly matched on either side."But my favorite poem is of the spider:

"Some spiders weave
delicate tapestries
that shine in the sunlight
and sway in the breeze.
They spin lacy lines,
then go round
and round.
Their knowledge of shapes
is truly profound." ... Read more

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A lyrical, humorous tale of those creatures we love to hate-bees!

These bees are happy! They cause mischief at picnics, in the backyard, and just about everywhere else. Who can resist them when they have such a good time doing it? And here, of course, comes a silly old bear determined to get at their hive for honey. What is he thinking!? Yorinks and Armstrong-Ellis, highly praised for her popular Twelve Days of Kindergarten, have created a silly, poetic, and oh-so-fun look at everyone's favorite garden menace. Also included is a bonus CD of ten silly sing-along songs about these buzzy, fuzzy yellow fellows.AUTHOR BIO: Arthur Yorinks is the author of 25 books for children, including Hey, Al, which won a Caldecott Medal. He divides his time between New York City and Cambridge, New York. Carey Armstrong-Ellis's two previous books are The Twelve Days of Kindergarten and Prudy's Problem. She lives in Maine. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Sorry, I tried to like it.
Okay, so I give it one star because the illustrations are mildly amusing at most, despite being a bit intense with lots of illustrations of scared/horrified faces in response to the bees.
That being said, the writing is just not good.It's almost as if the author said, "Hmm, I want to write a book about bees.Now let me think of as many words as I can that rhyme with the word 'bees' and somehow try to make a coherent story about it."Like I said, I tried to like it, but the very first line gave me a bad impression and left me thinking, "Huh???"Here's the first line so you get my drift:"Happy Bees, even the fleas love 'em.How can you not, as big as a dot, buzzing around a lot?"Is it just me, or does this not make any sense whatsoever? Why on earth would fleas love bees?You can tell that fleas are only mentioned because they rhyme with "bees" because then they're never mentioned again.Even with the illustration, it doesn't make sense.And don't get my started on the inconsistent rhyming. The book doesn't even have room to go downhill.It starts out there.This is one of those books where you read it and you think, "Wow, I guess anyone can get a children's book published."This is not true, of course, but it leaves me wondering how this one did.
Then we go to the CD.I thought that if I listened to the CD that the rhyme scheme, the rhythm, and the book in general would make more sense.I really tried to give it the benefit of the doubt.I was mistaken. The music was bad, made no sense (like the book) and really wasn't "singable" for adults or kids.I'm a music teacher and I can tell when somebody can write music and when someone thinks they can write music.This music sounds like it was written by someone who thinks anyone could write music for kids or thinks that it doesn't matter if the music is poor quality because supposedly kids can't tell the difference anyway.Poorly written music.Poor lyrics.I'm sorry to say, a poor product and story overall.
If you're looking for something with better rhyme scheme, better story, better illustrations, better humor, better message, WITH a singable CD for kids, check out "Marsupial Sue" by John Lithgow.

This book is awesome.
My kids and I love this book.We first discovered it on one of our weekly trips to the library and loved it so much we had to buy it. My 4 and 6 year old love dancing to the CD, which we even played on our roadtrip to the beach. It is hilarious and a must have for small kids!

A rollicking fun read-aloud story
Energetically illustrated by Carey Armstrong-Ellis, Happy Bees! by Arthur Yorinks is a picturebook that comes with a bonus CD of ten festive bee songs. Young readers are treated to the dilemma that a swarm of bees presents, causing havoc among humans at a picnic, chasing a bear after their honey, or just playing tag. The exuberant color pictures have a hidden ladybug in each spread, and the very simple text encourages beginning readers to sound out their first words. A rollicking fun read-aloud story.
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Customer Reviews (2)

The Life of the Bee
This is probably one of the most-read apiary book ever published. Written early in the 20th century, it is a delightful exploration and explanation of the complex society, habits and amazing accomplishments of these tiny creatures, whose industry complements that of humans in very many ways.

An old classic
The date on this item is misleading.It was written in 1901 in French and then translated into English by Alfred Sutro and published in English in 1910.It is a classic bee book written in a lively style.It's reasonably accurate, for a book so old, and has a nice readable style.Maeterlinck, the author describes it thus:

"It is not my intention to write a treatise on apiculture, or on practical bee-keeping...I wish to speak of the bees very simply, as one speaks of a subject one knows and loves to those who know it not."

I believe he succeded very well.
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We all know that bees make honey. They mystery for most of us is what happens between the time when those bees are buzzing around our garden and when we stick our knife in the jar. Based on careful observation and years of experience, Michael Weiler reveals the secret life of bees. He looks at all aspects of a bee’s life and work and vividly describes their remarkable world.

Did you know, for example, that it takes approximately 12,000 bee hours to produce a single jar of honey? If bees earned minimum wages, one jar would cost almost $100,000 (plus retail markup).

Here is a fascinating book for anyone interested in the intricacies of nature and the life of these fascinating insects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best recommendation for an understanding of bees
New to beekeeping, I have found bees interesting since I was a kid sitting in front of an observation hive at the county fair.

Though I've read this book through several times already, I keep coming back to it. It's a fascinating read, entertaining and lively. Most of the other beginner beekeeping books focus on manipulating the hive, treating diseases and harvesting honey. They usually fill out the last two chapters with candlemaking and recipes for muffins using honey instead of sugar that would be better suited to a cookbook than a beekeeping book.

Michiel Weiler's book instead explains the activities and life stages of both individual bees and the bee colony as a whole organism.

The book was originally written in German and titled 'Der Mensch und die Bienen-Betrachtungen zu den Lebensäußerungen des Bien'. For those who find the German language challenging, it translates 'The Man and the Bees-Reflections on the Living Manifestations of the Bien', which describes it much better. In German, 'Bien' (pronounced bee-en) can describe the individual bee and/or the bee colony as a whole.

A great reference book for anyone interested in bees and beekeeping, much of the book is written as if by a third person watching a visitor and a master beekeeper as they together observe and inspect the bees and hive. The bees' actions and the observations are carefully and thoroughly described and explained.

There are many line drawings and a profusion of black-and-white pictures.

The observer is taken through the different stages in the colony's development as the seasons change and the colony adapts. Queen development has it's own chapter, as does the parasitic Varroa mite. The book also has a chapter on the honey harvest and ends with analysis of honey and it's properties.

An appendix written by Günther Friedmann explains the German Demeter certification as it applies to apiculture, very interesting for anyone exploring an organic or biodynamic approach to beekeeping.

This book would be the first one I recommend to anyone interested in bees or beekeeping, without hesitiation.

Billiantly translated by David Heaf, who also translated 'L'Apiculture por Tous' by Abbé Emile Warré from the French. Incidentally, Mr. Heaf has made his translation of 'L'Apiculture por Tous' available at no cost, titled 'Beekeeping for All'. It is no replacement for this book, but mentioned here as a courtesy for anyone seriously interested in a better understanding of bees.



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Did you know that honey bees visit about two million flowers just to make one pound of honey? Buzz inside the beehive and learn about the world of honey bees, from the bee's body parts, to the pollination, hive community, and honey production. ... Read more

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"The more you investigate these creatures and the manner in which they live, the more you will come to the conclusion that there is a great intelligence in how they work and what they accomplish." --Rudolf Steiner

While the benefits of Steiner's research into agriculture and education are increasingly recognized, his research into the nature of bees has had limited impact on beekeeping practices and on our general understanding of nature. Wisdom of the Bees examines Steiner's insights and research into the nature of bees and its implications for the future of beekeeping.

Today, more than eighty years after Rudolf Steiner presented his lectures on bees, we are confronted with a serious decline of in honeybees around the world. This fact alone justifies this practical and timely introduction to biodynamic beekeeping. Erik Berrevoets revisits those seminal lectures and reexamines Steiner's observations and insights in the context of today's dire situation and provides practical advice for modern beekeeping practices.

Wisdom of the Bees is destined to become the essential introduction to the urgent subject of holistic beekeeping practices. ... Read more

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Bees are disappearing at an alarming rate. We use honeybees to pollinate nearly all of our domestic fruits, nuts, vegetables, cotton, and grains. The book looks at possible explanations for bees' disappearance, what scientists are doing to address the problem, and also what young readers can do. Bibliography and fascinating bee facts included. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A color-photo studded fact book about the alarming disappearance of whole populations of bees in North America
"The Buzz on Bees, Why Are They Disappearing?" is a color-photo studded fact book about the alarming disappearance of whole populations of bees in North America. The phenomena is called Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD, and since 2004 almost half of the honeybees in the United States have vanished. "The Buzz on Bees" explores possible causes, including pollution, mites, even migratory beekeeping. There suggestions as to how kids can be proactive in encouraging the survival of bees, including planting their own garden, encouraging parents to buy local, organically grown food, buying local honey, planting meadows instead of lawns, avoiding spraying pesticides, planting flowers to bloom at different times to ensure a summer-long food supply for bees, and even beginning to try home beekeeping, just like First lady Michelle Obama and her family. many interesting facts about bees are included along with countless fabulous photos. If bees are a key to the health and survival-potential of earth's environment, we need to focus on how to support bees and make a more habitable environment for them. "The Buzz on Bees" helps teach kids more about how to do just that.

Excellent
This book I would recommend.It is well written and the potography is excellent.Knowing some of the people in this book and hearing their comments I would highly recommend the book.I know that facts are correct because I know the honeybee business.
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