Arguably the best beginner's book in print today is The Beekeeper's Handbook <http://books.google.com/books?id=ZLLB2fh55aQC&dq=The+Beekeepers+Handbook&pg=PP1&ots=URuDg9CDs5&sig=owkVqYQt5j5Sx8VqesPjAydyLtk&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fsourceid%3Dnavclient%26ie%3DUTF-8%26rls%3DGGIC,GGIC:2006-50,GGIC:en%26q%3DThe%2BBeekeepers%2BHandbook&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=1> - by Alphonse Avitabile and Diana Sammataro. http://tinyurl.com/y53ygq <http://tinyurl.com/y53ygq> Others may opine differently, but if you want one and only one book for a beginner, this is it. This beginner's book is the most current and covers new problems in the beekeeper's world that Taylor and other older texts do not address. Aaron Morris - I think, therefore I bee! -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---