Hello American Apitherapy Society Friends,
Below is our recommended 2020 reading list from our AAS board members, Tina McDonald and Mike Szakacs.
Enjoy!

Dr. Beck Félix Bódog élete; by Körmendy-Rácz János

Kormendy-Racz- János is the President of the Hungarian Apitherapy Society and I had the pleasure of meeting him in Montreal Canada at Apimondia 2019. I was also gifted a copy of his book. He taught me how to use Google Translate where page by page we are able to take a photo of a page and instantly translate the entire page into English. I am very interested in learning more about this Hungarian bee venom therapist and apitherapy pioneer who practiced in New York in the early 20th century, writing a book in 1935 that many of us are familiar with: Bee Venom Therapy. Today reprinted editions of this book are titled “The Bible of Bee Venom Therapy”- the translating will be a bit time consuming, but I know it will be worth the effort. I wish I had asked Janos to sign my copy of his book though!

Bee Venom: I bought the book Bee Venom; The Natural Curative for Arthritis and Rheumatism at the silent auction at CMACC 2018. I promptly loaned it to a young woman with rheumatoid arthritis who had been getting great results with Bee Venom Therapy and joint pain. The book was recently returned to me and I am looking forward to checking it out! Although it was written in 1962, I am sure much of the information remains pertinent. In my experience, arthritis, bursitis and joint pain are almost always improved with bee venom.

Bee Propolis – James Fearnley from the UK was one of my favorite speakers at Apimondia 2019, where he presented an introduction to the ARC (Apiceutical Research Centre) and a new generation of medicines from the beehive. He has studied Apitherapy for decades, and discussed many different interesting projects that he has been working on and is involved with. He wrote this book Bee Propolis in 2001, and when I looked it up to purchase it, I discovered it was quite pricey. I finally found a used copy online and it was delivered to my house before I even returned home from Quebec. I have flipped through this little treasure, skipping around as it is a great reference with lots of research and experience put into it. I hope to try a few of the recipes and to learn more about ensuring the quality of the propolis that I use.

Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor’s guide to good health is a book that was recommended by AAS Vice President Patrick Fratellone at my first CMACC Apitherapy conference. He was such a wonderful speaker, full of so much great advice and useful tips and tricks so I wrote down this book recommendation.  Later while reviewing my notes, I found the title and ordered a used copy. It is an older book originally published in 1958 with lots of interesting stories and anecdotes pertaining to folk medicine, including: honey, herbs, and apple cider vinegar. Jarvis, a physician, talks about learning from nature and animals with a scientific spin. I like it! As the New England cold starts to well and get colder, I am looking forward to more time to catch up on some of my reading and this book is on my list.

Following the Wild Bees: I have this wonderful signed copy of Tom Seeley’s Following the Wild Bees. I have read parts of this book and although engaging, I am looking forward to actually trying to practice what is in this book. So, this is more of a spring planning activity, kind of like thumbing through seed catalogs in the winter dreaming of next year’s garden. This spring I hope to find wild honeybees, track them, follow them, and learn from them. Possibly even lure them into a swarm trap and bring them home. A girl can dream…

The Bible of Bee Venom Therapy, by Bodog  F. Beck M.D.: It’s amazing that a book written in 1935 is still relevant today.  Charles Mraz was quoted as saying “still the best book on the subject.”  Dr. Beck, besides being a highly-renowned physician, was also a scholar in his chosen field, apiculture.  This book provides a combination of theory and scientific data collected from the thousands of patients he treated.  A friend gave me this book more than 20 years ago and said apitherapy didn’t work for his psoriatic arthritis.  This same book was my inspiration to successfully treat my own psoriatic arthritis.
The Life of Dr. Bodog F. Beck, by Janos Kormendi-Racz, M.D.:This book was researched in great detail and helps us understand how Dr. Beck’s scientific influence transitioned the field of apitherapy from the legacy of the past to the 20th century.  He lived an active social life, gave lectures to beekeepers’ associations, gave interviews to reporters and responded to readers’ questions.   I met the author at Apimondia 2019 in Montreal and he was kind enough to dedicate a copy of his book to me.  Good thing I can read Hungarian, but for those who can’t, there is also a summary in six additional languages.
How to Live the Millenium – The Bee Pollen Bible, by Royden Brown
This book is a scientifically-documented guide, history and study of bee pollen, as well as the other edible products of the hive. Royden Brown was the founder of the CC Pollen Company a member of the Knights of Malta and creator of the Apiarian Lifestyle.  The book is a formidable source of information on bee pollen and has many compelling testimonials.  I found this book at a charity shop many years ago and little did I know that I would meet Royden’s son Bruce at Apimondia 2019 in Montreal.  Bruce seemed surprised and pleased to meet someone who had read his father’s book.  Bruce is the current president of the CC Pollen Company and appeared to be in robust good health; maybe from eating so much of his own bee pollen?
Body Reflexology, by Midred Carter
This book is one of my “go-to” reference guides for treating my own health issues before deciding to go see a doctor, or not.  It has detailed diagrams and instructions about releasing the healing power of the lymphatic system.  I’m amazed at how many of the points used in reflexology work well with bee venom therapy.
Apiterapia 101 Para Todos, by Moises Asis
(or Apitherapy 101 For All)  As you have probably guessed, this book is in Spanish.  I live near Miami and it’s great to be able to show this book to native Spanish speakers to help them understand apitherapy.  One of the things I love best about it is that it has “mini protocols” for a variety of health problems.  I won this book in the silent auction at a CMACC in Los Angeles and I continue to refer to it on a regular basis.
Health and the Honeybee, by Charles Mraz
This was my first apitherapy book and still probably my favorite.  Written by the legendary Charles Mraz, it is a story of his life and of the life of apitherapy in America.  His observations on beekeeping, apitherapy and human nature are thought provoking and “right on the money.”  This book is a “must-read” for all apitherapists and apitherapy patients.
If you’re interested in purchasing any of the above titles, please consider supporting The American Apitherapy Society via Smile Amazon.  When you make a purchase on Amazon – Amazon will donate part of the proceeds to our non-profit organization.

Happy Reading!