"Thewhole hive is really pervaded by the life of love. The individual beesrelinquish love but develop it instead throughout the hive. And so we start tounderstand bee existence if we recognize that the bee lives in an air, anatmosphere, that is entirely impregnated with love." --Rudolf Steiner

Fromtime immemorial, bees have fascinated human culture. Mythic pictures andwritings tell of our close affinity and connection with these complexcreatures, as well as the inestimable value of honey and wax. In recent years, bees have come to prominence again in the media, with reports of colonycollapse and the wholesale demise of bee populations, forcing us to awaken tothe critical role they play in human existence.

RudolfSteiner's unique talks reveal the hidden wisdom at work in bee colonies. Speakingin Switzerland in 1923, in response to concerns from beekeepers among his localworkforce, Steiner delivered a series of addresses whose multi-layered content, structure and wording is unparalleled. In The World of Bees, editorMartin Dettli, a longstanding beekeeper, uses Steiner's seminal bee lectures asthe main framework of the book, augmenting them with further relevant passagesfrom Steiner's collected works. Dettli also provides substantial commentarieson the texts, placing them within the context of contemporary beekeeping.

Thisnew anthology is an essential handbook for anyone interested in beekeeping orthe indispensable work that bees do for humanity. It features chapters on theorigins of bees, human beings and beekeeping, the organism of the hive, thesocial qualities of bees, their relationship with wasps and ants, plants andelemental beings, the efficacy of honey, bee venom, as well as scientificaspects such as silica and formic acid processes and a critique of modernbeekeeping.