Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig

Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig

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The dog and pig domesticated themselves. In the distant past, wild pigs came into early human settlements and stayed. Pre-Christian European societies loved the pig. Move into the desert areas and the pig was shunned. In England there were penalties for destroying oak trees as acorns made the best pig food.

What I found most interesting was the early European explorers would drop a boar and sow on an uninhabited island to make it into a future food supply stop. The Spanish conquistadores introduc The dog and pig domesticated themselves. The Spanish conquistadores introduced pigs to South American. Essig claims it was the pig that allowed China to feed its massive population. Essig not only covers the history of the pig but the anatomy, physiology, factory farming and the culinary arts of the pig.

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The book is well written and research. It provides all you would ever want to know about the pig in an entertaining and educational manner. Essig also reviews the religious views of the pig throughout history. I know that Winston Churchill is the most quoted person in the world, but I never expected to find a quote from him in a book like this. Joe Barrett does a good job narrating the book.

Barrett is an actor and award winning audiobook narrator. Aug 05, Lisa Kelsey rated it really liked it. I enjoy reading these "micro-histories" and since this one involved an animal--one that you can eat, it combines two of my greatest interests. I was fascinated with the story of how pigs were domesticated and co-evolved with humans in some ways similarly to dogs. Because of their nature however, pigs are unique among domesticated farm animals. Essig does a great job of describing just why that is, much of it having to do with the fact that they are omnivorous--and pretty smart.

I learned a lot o I enjoy reading these "micro-histories" and since this one involved an animal--one that you can eat, it combines two of my greatest interests. I learned a lot of interesting--often disturbing--things about these animals, including the changing historical attitudes towards them often based in religion but also in social ways , their role in driving Native Americans off their lands, and how taking away access to raising them was used to control freed slaves and poor whites in the South after the civil war. Essig very skillfully leads the reader right up to the present, in the later chapters turning to the problematic ways pigs are being bred and raised in this country.

There is hope for a change to more humane methods here, but unfortunately in China where pork consumption is soaring, the practices are moving in the opposite direction. This book is interesting and fun to read, but as someone who eats pork, it also gives me pause. It certainly makes me want to cut down on or buy only humanely raised pork. View 1 comment. Apr 14, Daniel rated it it was amazing Shelves: history , food , nonfiction.

This has to be one of the best and most engaging books I've read this year. It was well-written, and flowed in a logical and easy to read way. The information was well researched and drawn from a variety of sources. The author managed do this while putting his unique spin on the book and without making the book dry, which so often happens with cultural histories. I have already recommended this book to family and friends and will continue to do so. Apr 07, Chrisl rated it really liked it Shelves: s , des , animals , deweys , history.

Learned from and enjoyed reading Essig When Mother worked grocery, she also raised a couple pigs, Maxi and Minnie Meat was horrible tasting. Think they were relieved to be 'penned. I listened to this book on Audible.

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Perfect for those who like to listen to non-fiction. The book is what it purports to be: a history of the pig from earliest times to the present. The book discusses the pig's earliest role in keeping early settlements free from garbage, its as a food source for the poor, the Roman's love of pork, and the role of pigs in settling and feeding America. The author primarily limits his discussion to the role of the pig in the west, although he provides some anecdot I listened to this book on Audible. The author primarily limits his discussion to the role of the pig in the west, although he provides some anecdotes about pork production in the far east.

I don't think there was any question I ever had about pigs that was not answered in this book.

Other Titles by Mark Essig

The book ultimately ends with the age of modern industrial pork production, which is depressing. But the author correctly points out the dilemma -- "humane" pork or inexpensive pork?

Your take on this probably depends on whether you like bacon. Jun 03, Jessika rated it really liked it Shelves: , history , nonfiction. Look, I picked this book up for the most superficial of reasons: I liked the cover. But since I am trying to broaden my reading, this was seemed a good fit.

And wow. I was so pleasantly surprised by how accessible and honest-to-god enjoyable this was to read. Essig has a wonderful, conversational style that made reading this a true joy. Essig does highlight the religious angle, but he teases out the more interesting relationships between pork and social class and personal freedom. When lower cla Look, I picked this book up for the most superficial of reasons: I liked the cover. When lower class have more access to pork, the elite shun it. When pork is scarce, the elite are all about it.

When the poor can provide their own food, the rich get concerned and pass laws to control that shit. It's really fascinating. I also didn't know that pigs had a track record of breaking into houses and biting children, so. Learning something new everyday. View all 5 comments. Mar 21, Rolando Beramendi rated it it was amazing. I am a "Porketarian", and Mark's book makes me love the Pig even more. His research is so thorough and his narrative is so personal, I felt I was sitting with him or listening to him speak to us as he did at Zingerman's Camp Bacon two years ago. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in history, anthropology and animal husbandry.

He made me quite aware that rich farmers and big corporations are feeding the poor people, while small farmers sell theirs at farmers markets for four time I am a "Porketarian", and Mark's book makes me love the Pig even more. He made me quite aware that rich farmers and big corporations are feeding the poor people, while small farmers sell theirs at farmers markets for four times the price of Walmart, and they are struggling Let's hope many people will read it, so that we can have more "Virtuous Carnivores" as he calls us and continue to preserve the pork's ability to "divide"!

Bravissimo Mark! These single-topic books like Salt: A World History are hit or miss. This one's a hit. It stays interesting from beginning to end by not getting bogged down anywhere too long. It ends up with a middle of the road conclusion that I think would be very reasonable movement forward from where we are now with industrial pig farming. Jan 30, Cree rated it it was amazing. I always thought pigs were interesting creatures.

Now I know they are.

Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig by Mark Essig – review

They been holding humans down for centuries. Jun 23, Aaron rated it it was amazing. This book is legitimately good and its kind of weird that I read it. Pigs are these really cool animals and we probably shouldn't eat them anymore. Jan 21, Zach rated it really liked it Shelves: environmental-history , animals.

Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig - Mark Essig - Google книги

A good look at the political economy and environmental history of pigs. I learned so much about pigs! And about how closely their fates and ours have entwined. The book is really strong when it's doing class-aware analysis of pig-eating throughout time. I'm sad to say that I knew so little about the important role that pigs played in traditional farm and, over time, urban life as the receptacles for all manner of waste.

The book reminded me of the significant differences between pigs and nearl A good look at the political economy and environmental history of pigs. The book reminded me of the significant differences between pigs and nearly all other domestic farm animals, and reaffirmed my belief that they are far more clever than most give them credit for.

And that they likely have emotional lives of their own, a current in animal history that I wish Essig went into a little more. While other books have walked through the ethical minefield of meat eating, Essig takes a political economy approach, and focuses his attention and some needed alarm at how market capitalism has remade the cultural practice of pig-eating from something that was once an ethical compromise in a harsh world into a regime bordering on nihilism. My only critique is that the author should have used the opportunity to inveigh more forcefully against the current abhorrent way in which millions of pigs suffer and die.

Though all the tales of how human societies related to pigs in the past are really amazing and can and should shed light on and inspire current modes of husbandry, the fact is: ethical carnism does not exist in late capitalism. Any demand for meat feeds directly into a market almost entirely controlled by vertically integrated confinement operations. The author's final thoughts in the book are elegantly stated -- we must learn to accept higher prices for animal welfare -- but after learning all I did in this book about pigs and their lives, I can't help but feeling that calling for a higher price on their meat as your parting thought somehow, well, misses the whole point.

Jul 06, Dead John Williams rated it really liked it Shelves: reviewed. Dear Pig are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring?

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