A collection of translated love letters and poems from the ancient Mediterranean, illustrated by antique paintings, or Fayum Portraits, from the Greek cemeteries of Roman Egypt.

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln and Muhammad Ali both consumed bee pollen to boost energy, or that beekeepers in nineteenth-century Europe viewed their bees as part of the family? Or that after man, the honeybee, Apis mellifera, is the most studied creature on the planet? And that throughout history, honey has been highly valued by the ancient Egyptians (the first known beekeepers), the Greeks, and European monarchs, as well as Winnie the Pooh? In Sweetness and Light, Hattie Ellis leads us into the hive, revealing the fascinating story of bees and honey from the Stone Age to the present, from Nepalese honey hunters to urban hives on the rooftops of New York City. Uncovering the secrets of the honeybee one by one, Ellis shows how this small insect, with a collective significance so much greater than its individual size, can carry us through past and present to tell us more about ourselves than any other living creature.

Love can be as sweet as honey, or it can sting like a bee. Bo Smith knows that if you go looking for honey, you get stung, so he has his life just how he wants it. No hassles, no complications, and no heartache. As the handsome high school athletics coach, he would be the pick of the small town he grew up in... if he was into commitment, or dating...or even calling back. But he has sworn off anything resembling a future and his mind isn't going to change. Then his eyes lock on the new girl in town...She's beautiful, intelligent, and full of surprises. Just the kind of complication he has been avoiding.Sophia Brown is looking for the sweet simple life. She has it all planned out. Getting used to life alone isn't easy, but she has her garden, her bees, and her dog Triton to tend to. It's the fresh start she's been dreaming of, surrounded by nothing but open fields to stare at all day. Nothing at all...unless you count the high school football team and their distractingly handsome coach, practicing right across the street.But when sparks fly, Bo must choose between the sting of his past or the sweetness of the future. He may just find that honey tastes good on everything.

"In that glistening dollop, I could taste the sun and the water, the metallic minerals of the soil, the tang of the goldenrod and the wildflowers blooming around the meadow" Essential to the food, drink, religion, economics , medicine and arts of every civilisation since the Egyptians, honey - and the bees that make it - have been a vital part of the human record for millennia, appearing on cave paintings, wax tablets and papyrus scrolls. From the temples of the Nile to the hives behind the author's house, men and women have had a long, rapturous love affair with the beehive. ROBBING THE BEES is a biography, history, celebration and love letter to bees and their magical produce. Holley Bishop follows beekeeper Donald Smiley on his daily tasks then explores the lively science, culture and lore that surround each step of the process and each stage of lives of the bees and their honey. Throughout are the author's lyrical reflections on her own beekeeping experiences, the business and gastronomical world of honey, the myriad varieties of honey (as distinct as the provenance of wine), as well as recipes, illustrations and historical quotes. Combining passionate research, rich detail, and fascinating anecdote, ROBBING THE BEES is a sumptuous look at the oldest, most delectable food in the world.

Essays on holistic medicine discusses the power of healing, the relationship between healer and patient, medical practice, and the concept of wellness.

An exploration of the importance of bees in our world is offered through the author's lyrical observations to his young sons, often with analogies between the insects and children, and always beautifully presented with unconditional love for them both.