More than Honey

A wonderfully thorough immersion in the world of bees and beekeeping. More Than Honey leaves one with reverence for this six-legged miracle, and profound concern about the future it faces." — Rowan Jacobsen, author of Fruitless Fall

A fascinating look at the increasingly perilous world of the honeybee—based on an award-winning documentary

The saying goes that without bees, humankind would only survive for four more years; these crucial pollinators are, indeed, worth more than honey. In More Than Honey, Marcus Imhoof and Claus-Peter Lieckfeld examine the history and current status of our relationship to and reliance on bees while exposing the human behaviors contributing to the decline of the bee population—a decline that could ultimately contribute directly to a world food problem. Illustrated with jaw-droppingly detailed photos of bees, More Than Honey is a fascinating, accessible overview of a species that is inextricably tied to our survival.

Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute.

Markus Imhoof is an Oscar-nominated Swiss filmmaker and director of the international award-winning documentary More Than Honey. He is descended from a long line of beekeepers.

Claus-Peter Lieckfeld co-founded and edited the German ecological magazine Natur. He currently works as a freelance writer, and in addition to co-authoring several books, has written numerous articles on nature. Both live in Berlin.

"Twenty-five years ago, I hung up my bee veil and stopped being a commercial beekeeper. Something had gone terribly wrong... More Than Honey takes a deeper look at the puzzle of Colony Collapse Disorder and explains the true cost of human biological success." -Sue Hubbell, bestselling author and former bee keeper

"What’s really frightening about [More Than Honey] isn’t what a hive of angry bees might do to us, but what we’ve done to them." -The Washington Post

"A wonderfully thorough immersion in the world of bees and beekeeping. More Than Honey leaves one with reverence for this six-legged miracle, and profound concern about the future it faces." -Rowan Jacobsen, author of Fruitless Fall

"With beautiful photography and many anecdotes, More Than Honey introduces the reader to the fascinating world of honey bees and their unique role in modern Agriculture. It provides a dramatic view of the complex and unsolved challenges facing bees and beekeepers today." -Dr. M. Marta Guarna, Scientific Director, Bee IPM, University of British Columbia

"The movie More Than Honey opened the eyes of millions to the complex relationship between bees and humans. The book is a perfect next step to gain a deeper understanding of what honey bees can tell us about our future." -Walter Haefeker, President, European Professional Beekeepers Association

"I consider More Than Honey required reading for anyone who is seriously interested in bee health." -Dr. Noah Wilson-Rich, Founder & Chief Scientific Officer, The Best Bees Company, author of The Bee: A Natural History

"Enhanced by beautiful color photographs of bees, this examination of the troubled relationship between humans and bees is a fascinating and educational read for anyone interested in the fate of both species." -Publishers Weekly

"Industrialisation has backed honeybees into a dark corner of the hive. But books like this…shed some light." -Richard Jones, BBC Wildlife Magazine