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The Whole Hog: Exploring the Extraordinary Potential of Pigs
Not all animals are created equal. For a start, pigs have it, sheep don’t; that is, that special quality of intelligence, a sense of play, and a gregariousness that make these tragically misunderstood—yet no less endearing—creatures more like us than any other animal. Best-selling author Lyall Watson takes a delightful look at the occasionally amusing, often instructive, and completely admirable qualities of pigs in this indispensable book, not only for everyone interested in natural history but also for fans of Babe , lovers of Piglet, readers of Charlotte’s Web and Animal Farm , gourmands and truffle hunters, folklorists, and, of course, believers in meaningful interspecies communication.
The book is filled with both realistic and wonderfully fanciful illustrations of pigs that illuminate everything you could possibly want to know about the extraordinary family of Suids, from their origins and evolution, rich social lives, and combat strategies, to their special relationship with truffles, popularity in art and literature, and increasing use today in cutting-edge medical transplant technology.
The book is filled with both realistic and wonderfully fanciful illustrations of pigs that illuminate everything you could possibly want to know about the extraordinary family of Suids, from their origins and evolution, rich social lives, and combat strategies, to their special relationship with truffles, popularity in art and literature, and increasing use today in cutting-edge medical transplant technology.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 16, 2004
12 people are currently reading
415 people want to read
About the author
Lyall Watson
92 books103 followersLyall Watson was a South African botanist, zoologist, biologist, anthropologist, ethologist, and author of many new age books, among the most popular of which is the best seller Supernature. Lyall Watson tried to make sense of natural and supernatural phenomena in biological terms. He is credited with the first published use of the term "hundredth monkey" in his 1979 book, Lifetide. It is a hypothesis that aroused both interest and ire in the scientific community and continues to be a topic of discussion over a quarter century later.
He was born in Johannesburg as Malcolm Lyall-Watson. He had an early fascination for nature in the surrounding bush, learning from Zulu and !Kung bushmen. Watson attended boarding school at Rondebosch Boys' High School in Cape Town, completing his studies in 1955. He enrolled at Witwatersrand University in 1956, where he earned degrees in botany and zoology, before securing an apprenticeship in palaentology under Raymond Dart, leading on to anthropological studies in Germany and the Netherlands. Later he earned degrees in geology, chemistry, marine biology, ecology and anthropology. He completed a doctorate of ethology at the University of London, under Desmond Morris. He also worked at the BBC writing and producing nature documentaries.
Around this time he shortened his name to Lyall Watson. He served as director of the Johannesburg Zoo, an expedition leader to various locales, and Seychelles commissioner for the International Whaling Commission.
In the late 1980s he presented Channel 4's coverage of sumo tournaments.
Lyall Watson began writing his first book, Omnivore during the early 1960s while under the supervision of Desmond Morris, and wrote more than 20 others.
He was born in Johannesburg as Malcolm Lyall-Watson. He had an early fascination for nature in the surrounding bush, learning from Zulu and !Kung bushmen. Watson attended boarding school at Rondebosch Boys' High School in Cape Town, completing his studies in 1955. He enrolled at Witwatersrand University in 1956, where he earned degrees in botany and zoology, before securing an apprenticeship in palaentology under Raymond Dart, leading on to anthropological studies in Germany and the Netherlands. Later he earned degrees in geology, chemistry, marine biology, ecology and anthropology. He completed a doctorate of ethology at the University of London, under Desmond Morris. He also worked at the BBC writing and producing nature documentaries.
Around this time he shortened his name to Lyall Watson. He served as director of the Johannesburg Zoo, an expedition leader to various locales, and Seychelles commissioner for the International Whaling Commission.
In the late 1980s he presented Channel 4's coverage of sumo tournaments.
Lyall Watson began writing his first book, Omnivore during the early 1960s while under the supervision of Desmond Morris, and wrote more than 20 others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
March 1, 2012
'Pigs, wild and domestic, like it or not, are a force in our lives. They are everything, everywhere and ever ambiguous - massive or dainty, finicky or fat, stolid or effervescent, but never anything less than compelling. They are animals for all seasons, found everywhere except the continent of Antarctica. And wherever pigs may be found, the one thing that everyone agrees on is that pigs are far smarter than any cloven-hoofed ungulate has a right to be.'
- Lyall Watson,
The Whole Hog: Exploring the Extraordinary Potential of Pigs
Pigs are ubiquitous in modern culture. To gauge the extent to which they have infiltrated human consciousness, one must only look at language and phrases. There, porcine references are legion, showing that these magnificent beasts have been influencing humans in profound ways for a long, long time. Some pig-derived terms are commonplace: 'make a pig of oneself'; 'male chauvinist pig'; 'pig-headed'; 'high on the hog'; 'Hog Heaven'; 'as happy as a pig in mud'; 'when pigs fly'. Some pig-related idioms are less universally known. The term 'in good nick' was first used to describe a pig crossbred from two different suiform species into a healthy example of a new breed, but it is now more commonly used with reference to a person who is physically fit and aesthetic. 'A pig in a poke' is a bad deal entered into blindly; this idiom highlights the importance of thoroughly examining the contents of a deal before committing ourselves to it. 'Hog wild' (a term beautifully exemplified by Charlie Sheen in 2011) derives from the wild boars of the forest, which were much feared and respected (in some places, boars were even revered as demi-gods: my Celtic ancestors formed boar cults, while in Egypt boar-headed gods existed before any other animal worked its way into the pantheon). To 'hog' something is to keep it all to oneself (much like 'having the lion's share'). Pigs' obvious enjoyment of being centre of attention led to the phrases 'ham actor' and 'hogging the limelight'. The list goes on and on. From the dawn of man, pigs in all their forms have fascinated us, and with good reason. We have much to learn from our suiform brothers and sisters. Lyall Watson approaches pigs from a perspective that is uniquely multi-faceted: he is a naturalist and world-renowned authority on all things porcine, yet he doesn't have the detached objectivity that makes the writing of most naturalists lacklustre; having grown up in Africa, and been lucky enough to make emotional connections with wild pigs, Watson writes prose that sparkles with admiration for - and awe of - the animals he has spent over half a century living with and observing. 'The Whole Hog: Exploring the Extraordinary Potential of Pigs' is not a stuffy academic study of suiformes; rather, it is a preposterously readable labour of love. Because it comes from a place of affection, Watson's book contains more insights and deeper profundity than any purely academic study. Watson combines his academic rigour, subjective experience, keen observation, emotional connection, compassion, admiration, love and humour with his ability to write truly touching prose. When it comes to knowledge of all things pig, Lyall Watson is very much hogging the limelight.
I’ve always loved pigs (although not in the biblical sense, I should stress). In early childhood, during my first Spanish holiday with my parents, I rapidly became bored by sitting poolside among oiled-up sedentary people, so I went walkabout. Upon noticing that I had disappeared, my mother and father panicked, fearing that I had been abducted. They informed the hotel manager, who phoned the local police. After searching all the hotel rooms and finding no trace of me, the police created a search party (consisting of my parents, hotel staff, some hotel guests who had volunteered, and available police officers). The group headed out into the nearby countryside and carried out their search. In a nearby pig pen, I sat entranced, surrounded by enormous snorting beasts who jostled for position. To my amazement, these pigs were as excited by my presence as I was by theirs. This felt like finding hidden treasure, but better, as this treasure was alive, inquisitive and infinitely adorable. After climbing into the pig pen, eager to play with my new friends, I had discovered that they enjoyed having their necks and backs scratched even more than dogs do. As I groomed the pigs, they made noises that I intuitively understood to be expressions of joy, while their faces contorted into what can only be described as primal smiles. Sniffing wildly, my noisy friends nuzzled their snouts into my neck and face, provoking blissful giggles from me. This was my state when the search party discovered me: sitting in muck, surrounded by giant snorting pigs while I laughed uncontrollably in a state of bliss, literally in Hog Heaven. My father plucked me out of the pen and gave me a stern talk on pigs' ability to bite through bone, muscle and sinew, and to digest all these things with ease. My behaviour, he said, had been reckless. Despite my father's warnings, I returned to see my porcine friends every day of that holiday, usually while my parents were observing the local tradition of afternoon siesta. Since then, my affection for pigs has been boundless. So for me, Watson's book was literary manna from Heaven.
As a result of my obsession with pigs, I know more about these amazing animals than most people do, yet this book was hugely educational. Watson explains suiform ancestry and history (all three types of suiform - pigs, peccaries and hippos - can be traced to a common ancestor 40 million years ago) in a way that brings the subject to life. Each species of modern-day pig (most of which are wild varieties) gets a chapter of its own. Their abilities, many of which have to be read to be believed, are outlined. Watson breathes vital life into every subject he writes. Even the most academic sections of the book are wildly entertaining due to the author's expert blending of profound insights, observations, anecdotes and natural history.
My favourite story in the book describes an experience Watson had as a child in Africa. A local tracker named Jabula woke the young Watson just before dawn, having heard hyenas near the house. The tracker let the child accompany him as he followed hyena tracks to a forest clearing dyed red with fresh blood. Observing flattened grass, tracks of various sizes, blood-pool configurations and specific smells, Jabula determined that a battle had occurred between two adult hyenas and a warthog sow with three piglets. Other than the blood that coated the ground, the only thing left was a warthog tail, complete with tuft. Jabula picked up the tail, returned to the waiting Watson, and explained that the hyenas had devoured the adult warthog and her three babies, leaving only the mother's tail. He went on to explain that hyenas can eat and digest any bodily tissue, even bones and teeth. Traumatised by the sight of the bloodbath before him, the young Watson stared in sorrow, wishing he could have saved the pigs. Then he heard a sound, half snort and half sneeze, coming from a hole beneath a termite mound. He investigated and discovered a pair of fierce dark eyes staring up at him. Wedged inside the hole was the sole survivor of the massacre: a baby warthog who had reversed into this hideaway while hyenas slaughtered his mother and siblings. Jabula pulled the struggling little piglet out of the hole, placed him into a bag, then returned to the Watson home with young Lyall and the baby warthog. The young Watson raised the piglet, which ate anything and everything placed in front of him. This phenomenal appetite earned the wee warthog the name Hoover. He didn't stay a piglet for long, eating voraciously and growing rapidly. Soon, little Lyall's best friend and teacher was a fully grown tusked warthog. Hoover was free to roam the wilds, which he did daily, sharpening his tusks on tree stumps and leaving his scent at strategic points. Hoover, Lyall and Jabula went on long treks, with the warthog taking over from the tracker as leader, as his pig senses - especially smell and hearing - were far superior to those of any human. After Watson had enjoyed three years of undiluted happiness living with Hoover, a sounder (the collective term for pigs) of warthogs passed through the region. One of these pigs was a female who fell instantly in love with the gigantic, majestically tusked Hoover. He felt the same way about her. So - after nuzzling Watson one last time - Hoover joined the sounder and wandered off with his comely young sow towards 'greener pastures along the Limpopo River'. This is the summarised version of events. Lyall Watson dedicates several pages to the story of finding Hoover, raising him, learning warthog language and behaviour from him, and - most of all - making an unbreakable emotional bond with him. I'm not ashamed to say that I was in floods of tears as I read Hoover's story. Its combination of sadness, hope, friendship, love and happiness is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Lyall Watson is a natural storyteller whose expertise at expressing emotions and memories through prose is breathtaking. Add to that his wealth of experience as a naturalist, biologist, palaeontologist, anthropologist and archaeologist, and you have one seriously mind-blowing writer.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's not just educational and entertaining. It's a life-changing experience.
- Lyall Watson,
The Whole Hog: Exploring the Extraordinary Potential of Pigs
Pigs are ubiquitous in modern culture. To gauge the extent to which they have infiltrated human consciousness, one must only look at language and phrases. There, porcine references are legion, showing that these magnificent beasts have been influencing humans in profound ways for a long, long time. Some pig-derived terms are commonplace: 'make a pig of oneself'; 'male chauvinist pig'; 'pig-headed'; 'high on the hog'; 'Hog Heaven'; 'as happy as a pig in mud'; 'when pigs fly'. Some pig-related idioms are less universally known. The term 'in good nick' was first used to describe a pig crossbred from two different suiform species into a healthy example of a new breed, but it is now more commonly used with reference to a person who is physically fit and aesthetic. 'A pig in a poke' is a bad deal entered into blindly; this idiom highlights the importance of thoroughly examining the contents of a deal before committing ourselves to it. 'Hog wild' (a term beautifully exemplified by Charlie Sheen in 2011) derives from the wild boars of the forest, which were much feared and respected (in some places, boars were even revered as demi-gods: my Celtic ancestors formed boar cults, while in Egypt boar-headed gods existed before any other animal worked its way into the pantheon). To 'hog' something is to keep it all to oneself (much like 'having the lion's share'). Pigs' obvious enjoyment of being centre of attention led to the phrases 'ham actor' and 'hogging the limelight'. The list goes on and on. From the dawn of man, pigs in all their forms have fascinated us, and with good reason. We have much to learn from our suiform brothers and sisters. Lyall Watson approaches pigs from a perspective that is uniquely multi-faceted: he is a naturalist and world-renowned authority on all things porcine, yet he doesn't have the detached objectivity that makes the writing of most naturalists lacklustre; having grown up in Africa, and been lucky enough to make emotional connections with wild pigs, Watson writes prose that sparkles with admiration for - and awe of - the animals he has spent over half a century living with and observing. 'The Whole Hog: Exploring the Extraordinary Potential of Pigs' is not a stuffy academic study of suiformes; rather, it is a preposterously readable labour of love. Because it comes from a place of affection, Watson's book contains more insights and deeper profundity than any purely academic study. Watson combines his academic rigour, subjective experience, keen observation, emotional connection, compassion, admiration, love and humour with his ability to write truly touching prose. When it comes to knowledge of all things pig, Lyall Watson is very much hogging the limelight.
I’ve always loved pigs (although not in the biblical sense, I should stress). In early childhood, during my first Spanish holiday with my parents, I rapidly became bored by sitting poolside among oiled-up sedentary people, so I went walkabout. Upon noticing that I had disappeared, my mother and father panicked, fearing that I had been abducted. They informed the hotel manager, who phoned the local police. After searching all the hotel rooms and finding no trace of me, the police created a search party (consisting of my parents, hotel staff, some hotel guests who had volunteered, and available police officers). The group headed out into the nearby countryside and carried out their search. In a nearby pig pen, I sat entranced, surrounded by enormous snorting beasts who jostled for position. To my amazement, these pigs were as excited by my presence as I was by theirs. This felt like finding hidden treasure, but better, as this treasure was alive, inquisitive and infinitely adorable. After climbing into the pig pen, eager to play with my new friends, I had discovered that they enjoyed having their necks and backs scratched even more than dogs do. As I groomed the pigs, they made noises that I intuitively understood to be expressions of joy, while their faces contorted into what can only be described as primal smiles. Sniffing wildly, my noisy friends nuzzled their snouts into my neck and face, provoking blissful giggles from me. This was my state when the search party discovered me: sitting in muck, surrounded by giant snorting pigs while I laughed uncontrollably in a state of bliss, literally in Hog Heaven. My father plucked me out of the pen and gave me a stern talk on pigs' ability to bite through bone, muscle and sinew, and to digest all these things with ease. My behaviour, he said, had been reckless. Despite my father's warnings, I returned to see my porcine friends every day of that holiday, usually while my parents were observing the local tradition of afternoon siesta. Since then, my affection for pigs has been boundless. So for me, Watson's book was literary manna from Heaven.
As a result of my obsession with pigs, I know more about these amazing animals than most people do, yet this book was hugely educational. Watson explains suiform ancestry and history (all three types of suiform - pigs, peccaries and hippos - can be traced to a common ancestor 40 million years ago) in a way that brings the subject to life. Each species of modern-day pig (most of which are wild varieties) gets a chapter of its own. Their abilities, many of which have to be read to be believed, are outlined. Watson breathes vital life into every subject he writes. Even the most academic sections of the book are wildly entertaining due to the author's expert blending of profound insights, observations, anecdotes and natural history.
My favourite story in the book describes an experience Watson had as a child in Africa. A local tracker named Jabula woke the young Watson just before dawn, having heard hyenas near the house. The tracker let the child accompany him as he followed hyena tracks to a forest clearing dyed red with fresh blood. Observing flattened grass, tracks of various sizes, blood-pool configurations and specific smells, Jabula determined that a battle had occurred between two adult hyenas and a warthog sow with three piglets. Other than the blood that coated the ground, the only thing left was a warthog tail, complete with tuft. Jabula picked up the tail, returned to the waiting Watson, and explained that the hyenas had devoured the adult warthog and her three babies, leaving only the mother's tail. He went on to explain that hyenas can eat and digest any bodily tissue, even bones and teeth. Traumatised by the sight of the bloodbath before him, the young Watson stared in sorrow, wishing he could have saved the pigs. Then he heard a sound, half snort and half sneeze, coming from a hole beneath a termite mound. He investigated and discovered a pair of fierce dark eyes staring up at him. Wedged inside the hole was the sole survivor of the massacre: a baby warthog who had reversed into this hideaway while hyenas slaughtered his mother and siblings. Jabula pulled the struggling little piglet out of the hole, placed him into a bag, then returned to the Watson home with young Lyall and the baby warthog. The young Watson raised the piglet, which ate anything and everything placed in front of him. This phenomenal appetite earned the wee warthog the name Hoover. He didn't stay a piglet for long, eating voraciously and growing rapidly. Soon, little Lyall's best friend and teacher was a fully grown tusked warthog. Hoover was free to roam the wilds, which he did daily, sharpening his tusks on tree stumps and leaving his scent at strategic points. Hoover, Lyall and Jabula went on long treks, with the warthog taking over from the tracker as leader, as his pig senses - especially smell and hearing - were far superior to those of any human. After Watson had enjoyed three years of undiluted happiness living with Hoover, a sounder (the collective term for pigs) of warthogs passed through the region. One of these pigs was a female who fell instantly in love with the gigantic, majestically tusked Hoover. He felt the same way about her. So - after nuzzling Watson one last time - Hoover joined the sounder and wandered off with his comely young sow towards 'greener pastures along the Limpopo River'. This is the summarised version of events. Lyall Watson dedicates several pages to the story of finding Hoover, raising him, learning warthog language and behaviour from him, and - most of all - making an unbreakable emotional bond with him. I'm not ashamed to say that I was in floods of tears as I read Hoover's story. Its combination of sadness, hope, friendship, love and happiness is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Lyall Watson is a natural storyteller whose expertise at expressing emotions and memories through prose is breathtaking. Add to that his wealth of experience as a naturalist, biologist, palaeontologist, anthropologist and archaeologist, and you have one seriously mind-blowing writer.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's not just educational and entertaining. It's a life-changing experience.
February 4, 2025
En ode til grisen. Grundig, lærerik, finurlig og full av kjærlighet (til grisen). Sistnevnte kjærlighet smitter gjennom hele lesningen, og har satt spor for evigheten. På den andre siden: Leksikonpreg i flere av kapitlene og faktum at boken er skrevet for enda mer spesielt interesserte enn meg trekker ned helhetsinntrykket til 3,5 stjerner.
October 2, 2015
"In the fifteenth century King Louis XI of France, whenever he felt gloomy, chose to be cheered up by a troupe of pigs festooned with pants and ribbons, who danced for him to the accompaniement of bagpipe music."
A work of great erudition, that does its damndest to overturn the use of the word pig as an insult. Intelligent, social, highly successful and adaptive, the pig is a lord of creation, or so Lyall Watson persusaively argues.
A work of great erudition, that does its damndest to overturn the use of the word pig as an insult. Intelligent, social, highly successful and adaptive, the pig is a lord of creation, or so Lyall Watson persusaively argues.
February 16, 2021
Don't read if you ever want to eat pork again.
November 2, 2019
A most detailed exploration of the porcine species for the interested, serious general reader. Fully illustrated with high quality photographs and pictures; arranged somewhat like a coffee-table book, but such an appearance belies the scientific and historical research that went into creating the text. Approachable, yet informative. Excellent reference book for any pig-lover.
Read
July 24, 2024I’d like to tackle this book more thoroughly when I have time, I just kind of briefly skimmed it. Contains an e pensive amount of information on pigs, including everything from how smart they are to how to butcher them 😵💫. Not all parts will interest everyone
October 20, 2017
I love pigs and I have always wanted one as a pet. This book makes me want one even more!
February 15, 2018
I’ll be eating less bacon having read this book. Mostly very interesting but it jumps around a bit and the section on pigs in culture was dull and list like.
April 29, 2019
Enjoyed it just fine but on page 56 they used a picture of a tapir, not a picture of a peccary (or any other suid)
April 18, 2022
Another magical book by Watson, on pigs! His upbringing is enviable - his classroom the African savannahs, his teachers local Zulu trackers. What I would give...
July 9, 2024
An amazing deep-dive in the sociology and cultural significance of pigs. A must read for anyone interested in this topic.
March 21, 2017
Do you know how difference between pig and peccary, babirusa?
They are clever and charming rather than you think. too cute!
They are clever and charming rather than you think. too cute!
February 22, 2008
I. In the Begining: Two theories of the ancient evolving humans stand out..
1. That beer was the root of all civilization. The early humans soaked and sprouted grains to soften them for consumption. Beer was discover as soon as humans started soaking there grains in water. IE right way. That Hogs were the first domesticated farm animals.
2. Swine herders played their trumpets, Horns, until the hogs came in from the wilderness, the hogs new the horns of their swine herders. Then they would feed them grains to keep there favor. When the time was right they would ritualistically pick on out for slaughter. The others could feed on the blood. A true sacrificial ceremony for herder and swine the Whole Hog
But the two are actually one super theory. And this book plus some experience hog handleing would give you a wrap on number two.
But I know there are two more story's, of the mushroom and of the wolf fit in here somewhere.
1. That beer was the root of all civilization. The early humans soaked and sprouted grains to soften them for consumption. Beer was discover as soon as humans started soaking there grains in water. IE right way. That Hogs were the first domesticated farm animals.
2. Swine herders played their trumpets, Horns, until the hogs came in from the wilderness, the hogs new the horns of their swine herders. Then they would feed them grains to keep there favor. When the time was right they would ritualistically pick on out for slaughter. The others could feed on the blood. A true sacrificial ceremony for herder and swine the Whole Hog
But the two are actually one super theory. And this book plus some experience hog handleing would give you a wrap on number two.
But I know there are two more story's, of the mushroom and of the wolf fit in here somewhere.
February 7, 2011
I got this book through ILL for an AP Human Geography class and wound up reading it cover to cover. Watson, an aficionado of wild pigs, imparts a surprising amount of information about their personalities and capabilities. It is interesting to know that many consider the pig to be anatomically closest to humans in certain areas: cardiovascular, teeth, liver, and immune systems to mention a few. Both species are omnivorous and like alcoholic beverages. Pigs are intelligent, gregarious, and, of course, tasty with eggs. There are also numerous literary connections. Vive the pig!
June 7, 2011
I picked this book up in Dublin a few years back and had not gotten the chance to read it until last week. I could not put it down! This book was such a charming, marvelous read. I adored it! A fascinating combination of natural history, zoology and personal anecdotes. I fell in love with pigs all over again after reading this book.
August 12, 2011
Makes you feel guilty of fratricide everytime you order bacon and eggs. Opened my eyes to the fact that pigs are as intelligent as dogs - maybe this is why G-d proscribed their eating in the Torah ;-) - and consider having one as a pet (if I move out of stupid QLD which shoots them on sight). I might even teach it to retrieve and do agility :-)
February 22, 2015
It turns out that pigs are actually quite fantastic: they are smart, playful, and versatile creatures. Their development has supported man's development and they may hold further use in the realms of medical science.
The book is well written and strikes an approachable balance between informative and didactic.
The book is well written and strikes an approachable balance between informative and didactic.
June 21, 2015
I enjoyed this study, which looks at the evolutionary history, biology and behaviour of the pig family as a whole, but also looks at how the pig has been represented in various cultures, including some which revile it, some which considered it primarily and perhaps even only as a food stuff, and some which venerate and adore it as a figure of worship.
September 22, 2016
Was a little put off by this book as it looks like a text book, but really, the reading was great! Interesting and entertaining at all times. I also have new respect for pigs. They are smart, intelligent, gregarious, and really, their most enduring quality is that, well, they just love being, Pigs!
I highly recommend this book
May 28, 2013
A fun celebration of pigs by a biologist who loves them. Informative and interesting and amusing. Lots of pictures. I even read some of it to my kids, who also found it interesting. Great pictures.
November 24, 2013
It was an interesting book BUT takes a number of positions without good factual support or makes statements that are not factually based. He also makes persistent claims about the humanity of pigs... but is very clearly in favor of pig farming. He does not resolve this difference at all in the big.
October 10, 2007
if your ever interested in learning EVERYTHING there is to know about the best creatures on earth... this book is very informative and fun!
January 23, 2008
I love books about animals! So good! I want a pig now!! This really was a neat book. I've seen javalinas before here in New Mexico, and they're pretty cool. Go pigs!!
April 11, 2008
Everything you ever wanted to know abut pigs. This non-fiction was a great read and made me want to make friends with warthogs in far reaches of the planet.
June 13, 2012
Loved it. All you ever wanted to know about Pigs, Peccaries and Hogs...and more. A must for the committed pig appreciator!
September 11, 2013
Not what I expected - more of a history of pigs, than the psychology of pigs. Bit disappointing ....
October 23, 2013
The whole hoggish truth, and nothing but the hoggish truth, about the wonderful world of swine.
March 7, 2015
Entertaining, well written and informative
July 21, 2016
A strangely enjoyable romp through the world of wild and domestic pigs, that turns out to be rather fascinating. A natural history mixed with the author's musings that is both quirky and heartfelt.
July 16, 2024
A huge wealth of information about our porcine pals, however, it slightly drags towards the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews