Abc@xyz

[Oldbee]

The new issue of the book ABC@XYZ; $50-$60. Is it worth it? Are there MANY new informational sections? Is it good for new beeks as well as "old"?

[riverrat]

just got it 3 weeks ago it has color photographs and has been greatly expanded. it gets into more areas of bees than ever before in my opinion I would say it has been a big improvement over the last edition

[MapMan]

I have a 1945 edition which I acquired at an auction. It is good reading! It is fascinating to see that that many of the techniques in use today were also in use over 60 years ago. Of course there are some new studies, etc. since then, so I had to chuckle when they recommended putting honey in baby's milk.:eek: The printing back then during the war years wasn't quite up to the standards of today, with the photographs being high contrast, but I like to browse through the edition.

MM

[Jeffzhear]

I have a 1959 edition of ABC AND XYZ which was my Dad's. It is one of my most prized possessions. My Mom wrote in the book the day my Dad hived his first swarm, so the book represents my Mom and Dad. BTW, his first swarm hived was on May 25th 1961 and she bought him the book in September 1960... Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[MapMan]

Yes, Jeff it is always interesting to see margin notes from active beekeepers of the time. The previous owner of this book has underlined and bracketed many pages of the book.

In back pages he writes when he "sowed about 5 acres to buckwheat about June 15th". Also "5 sq ft/box @ 10cents/sq ft = 50 cents/box", and figures for how many frames he needed (5000 boxes of frames) and how many per night he needed to make (3 boxes per evening - 5.5 years to assemble)!!!

MM

[Michael Bush]

I have five of them ranging from the 1886 version (which is just ABC of Bee Culture) to a 1980's version.

I love them all.

[Oldbee]

I was able to page through, briefly the 41st edition recently. It is a nice book with many new color photos that probably explains why it's somewhat thicker than the 40th; 1990 edition. Many references are made to some "new" developments regarding beekeeping since 1990. There has been many books written recently [since 1990; almost 20 years!!] that have a "specialist" slant to them like queen rearing, increase essentials, TBHives, organic beekeeping and others that perhaps make a "Bible of Beekeeping" obsolete nowadays. It's a good book as a "gift" for a new beekeeper; e
xpensive; but HC. books are now.

I didn't expect so many "nostalgic" comments on this thread but they are most appreciated. Maybe 50 years from now ABC@XYZ of BEEKEEPING [41st] will also be treasured by children/grand children.

P.S., I am NOT a "book reviewer"!!

[berkshire bee]

I picked up a 1940 copy really cheap. It doesn't look like it ever left the shelf. It will get some good use now. I love the old pictures.

[beegee]

The new edition has 900+ pages compared to 500+ for the previous edition. the color photos are nice and there are a few more topics. Worth $60? To me it is.I'll get a lot more use from it than the last restaurant dinner I bought for me and my wife and granddaughter. That cost $65.00, plus tip. The last tank of gas I bought for my pickup was $69.00 and it's already burned and gone.

I have the previous edition of ABC & XYZ and I also have the latest Hive & Honey Bee and also a 1975 version. I have a library of 45+ bee books and climbing.

The absolute best bee book value is Walter Kelley's How to keep Bees and Sell Honey... @$5.00/copy. A lot of information, although not the best quality book, it has a certain folksy charm and is quite informative.

[TX Ashurst]

I am sad to report that I fell for an EBay scam. The add said it was the 2005 edition of The ABC & XYZ of Beekeeping, and the price was about $40 if I remember correctly - anyway reduced. When I got it, I eagerly cut the plastic wrapper and started leafing through it. It had very poor quality print, rough paper, useless photos, etc. So, I checked the fly leaf and it was a 1949 edition, reprinted (via copy machine) in 2005.

I complained to the seller and to EBay, saying a cheap copy of an old book didn't make for a new book, and I wanted my money returned because the add is deceptive. EBay registered the negative feedback, but hasn't followed up and still allows the add to run. The seller sent me an email saying their return policy was that books in the original shrinkwrap could be returned for credit. I read that as saying I'm S.O.L. because I didn't notice their deception until I opened the book.

Buyer beware.

[Oldbee]

TX Ashurst: Sorry for your bad luck about that. There has been some "confusion" about the new edition of ABC@XYZ and some "unscrupulous" advertisers are taking advantage of that.

[Chef Isaac]

I think a really good book are any written by Richard Tylor.

I read the queen rearing booc by Roger Morse.... I didnt like it. It was very broad.

[berkshire bee]

So, can you mention the seller's name so other's don't have the same experience?

[MapMan]

If I'm on the lookout for a good used edition, I have found that http://www.abebooks.com/ is a very reliable site. They have full descriptions of what is available, including the condition of each book. Shipping is usually very reasonable, too. Do a search on ABC and XYZ, and you come up with over 40 listings. They even have an 1886 edition, if you are willing to fork over $166.70...

MM

[riverrat]

unless you are wanting a earlier edition make it easy on yourself dadant offers the 41st edition that way you know what you are getting:D

[TX Ashurst]

Well, my lucky stars!
I did a search of ebay today and I can no longer find that ad. So, maybe it did some good to complain after all.

The tip-off was that it either had no photo of the book, or the photo was of a plain, yellow cover.

I did get some good out of the book, though. My grandson is interested in bees (though not in having any for himself - yet), and he is a real bookworm, so I gave it to him. He thought it was great.