> Books are fine in their place. But it is useful to separate fact from 
> fiction. And, to bear in mind, most things worth doing cannot be learned 
> from books. You can't learn to drive a car, install a water heater, plant 
> an orchard, make love, or raise honey bee queens -- from a book. The way 
> to learn is to make mistakes; the bigger the blunder, the better the 
> lesson.

I'll second that.  Reading bee books written by authors with a romantic 
slant or agendas and the BS printed in bee mags intermixed with the good 
stuff led me astray for years and cost me untold effort and money until I 
wised up and realized that my success was not a goal or even a remote 
consideration for many of the writers.

Their motives were many, but only a few wrote to make sure people like me 
did not take risks and to be sure that I understood good beekeeping.   Of 
that few, some actually had the experience to back up their points.

That is why I so much respect those on this list who spend their precious 
time to learn the "true" facts and make sure they are known.  I say, "true" 
facts because it seems a lot of t5he "facts" we are given are simply made 
up.

I've thought that if I ever write another bee mag article (it doesn't pay 
well), that article will be entitled, "It Ain't Necessarily So" and catalog 
some of the hair-brained ideas which are in circulation these days and ways 
to avoid getting taken in by entertaining writers.

As for magazine content, I don't blame the publishers.  They reflect 
whatever is going around, and they necessarily print what sells copies. 
They often don't know what is true and what isn't any more than you or I.

They even print my stuff if I send something in, and sometimes if I don't. 

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