The Backyard Beekeeper by Kim Flottum (2005, Paperback)

I absolutely love Kim Flottum's style of writing. It is clear, friendly, and eloquent, yet I honestly couldn't tell if Kim was a man or woman. That's not an easy task for a writer, but I like that. The photographs in the book are excellent, the advice is sound, and the instruction is easy to understand. This is a book for a beginner beekeeper and it does a great job of getting someone started. Rather than have honey recipes in the book, I would have preferred more information on pest management and requeening, but that is probably because I started my hive of feral bees before reading the book. I definitely wish I had read the book first! A member of my local beekeeping club recommended this book, probably because I was asking him too many questions that are clearly addressed in it. If you are thinking about doing beekeeping as a hobby, definitely read "Backyard Beekeeper."

This book is evidently written by someone who knows the subject matter and can portray it to someone like me who wants to learn but knows nothing of raising bees. This is a manual for the beginning beekeeper.

Author is very knowledgable, but writes in easy to understand language. The pictures help the reader understand the actions being described.