Bee People and the Bugs They Love Lib/E

About the Book

Master Beekeeper Frank Mortimer invites readers on an eye-opening journey into the secret world of bees, and the singular world of his fellow bee-keepers. There's the Badger, who introduces Frank to the world of bees; Rusty, a one-eyed septuagenarian bee sting therapist certain that honey will be the currency of the future after the governments fail; Scooby the "dude" who gets a meditative high off the awesome vibes of his psychedelia-painted hives; and the Berserker, a honeybee hitman who teaches Frank a rafter-raising lesson in staving off the harmful influences of an evil queen: "Squash her, mash her, kill, kill, kill!"

In connecting with this club of disparate but kindred spirits, Frank discovers the centuries-old history of the trade; the practicality of maintaining it; what bees see, think, and feel (emotionless but sometimes a little defensive); how they talk to each other and socialize; and what can be done to combat their biggest threats, both human and mite.

With a swarm of offbeat characters and fascinating facts (did that bee just waggle or festoon?), Frank the Bee Man delivers an informative, funny, and galvanizing book about the symbiotic relationship between flower and bee, and bee and the beekeepers who are determined to protect the existence of one of the most beguiling and invaluable creatures on earth.

About the Author :
Frank Mortimer is an adjunct instructor at the Cornell University Master Beekeeping Program, Vice President of the New Jersey State Beekeepers Association, and a certified master beekeeper. As president of the Northeast NJ Beekeepers Association since 2011, he has significantly grown his club's membership; aligned the Northeast NJ Beekeepers with Ramapo College; founded the "Honey Cup," an annual honey tasting competition, and promoted beekeeping throughout the Northeast. Frank has published multiple articles in Bee Culture Magazine and has led beekeeping seminars across New Jersey and at The New York Botanical Garden. In addition, he successfully campaigned for his hometown of Ridgewood to become New Jersey's first "Bee City USA." Frank is married, has three children, and beekeeping is something the whole family enjoys doing together. Michael Butler Murray is a professional actor, narrator, and musician who has voiced over fifty-five audiobooks. His recorded titles run the spectrum from dramatic to comedic fiction and nonfiction titles varying in topics from the Middle East to understanding your dog's olfactory senses. Born on Long Island, New York, he has been performing his entire life. Over the past few decades, he has performed in slews of musicals, dramas, and improv shows across the country, has appeared in several films, and performs regularly with his guitar comedy duo, Schoolcraft & Murray. He loves stretching his legs in the great outdoors, sailing, surfing and, naturally, sitting in a quiet box reading aloud.

Review :

"A useful how-to guide as well as an affectionate ode to nature's pollinators."

-- "Publishers Weekly"

"Author Frank Mortimer is self-deprecating about learning to be a competent beekeeper and laugh-out-loud funny...Michael Butler Murray's sardonic delivery is absolutely perfect...Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award."

-- "AudioFile"

"It is an achievement to convey so much knowledge so accessibly without once seeming overbearing..[due tp] the honest descriptions of friendships that spring up around a shared, all-absorbing interest in bees...A successful and funny book that is sure to swell the ranks of the world's beekeepers."

-- "New York Times"

"This book includes great humor and a use of allegory that reveals tremendous background knowledge."

-- "San Francisco Book Review"