Lesser Beasts

A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig

By: Mark Essig

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Unlike other barnyard animals, which pull plows, give eggs or milk, or grow wool, a pig produces only one thing: meat. Incredibly efficient at converting almost any organic matter into nourishing, delectable protein, swine are nothing short of a gastronomic godsend - yet their flesh is banned in many cultures, and the animals themselves are maligned as filthy, lazy brutes.

As historian Mark Essig reveals in Lesser Beasts, swine have such a bad reputation for precisely the same reasons they are so valuable as a source of food: they are intelligent, self-sufficient, and omnivorous. What's more, he argues, we ignore our historic partnership with these astonishing animals at our peril. Tracing the interplay of pig biology and human culture from Neolithic villages 10,000 years ago to modern industrial farms, Essig blends culinary and natural history to demonstrate the vast importance of the pig and the tragedy of its modern treatment at the hands of humans. Pork, Essig explains, has long been a staple of the human diet, prized in societies from Ancient Rome to dynastic China to the contemporary American South. Yet pigs' ability to track down and eat a wide range of substances (some of them distinctly unpalatable to humans) and convert them into edible meat has also led people throughout history to demonize the entire species as craven and unclean. Today's unconscionable system of factory farming, Essig explains, is only the latest instance of humans taking pigs for granted, and the most recent evidence of how both pigs and people suffer when our symbiotic relationship falls out of balance.

An expansive, illuminating history of one of our most vital yet unsung food animals, Lesser Beasts turns a spotlight on the humble creature that, perhaps more than any other, has been a mainstay of civilization since its very beginnings - whether we like it or not.

©2015 Mark Essig (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

My first microhistory book - and loved it!

A really great listen. I bought the book on a whim and loved every chapter of it. Also loved the folksy accent of the narrator! Definitely would recommend to my friends!

Totally Great

I love single subject histories. I would recommend this book just as much as the book salt. I’ve listen to it three times because there’s so much information and I enjoyed how it’s narrated.

Entertaining

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 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. 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. The quote is “A dog looks up to you, a cat looks down at you, but the pig looks you in the eye and treats you like an equal.” This book was a delight to read.

Joe Barrett does a good job narrating the book. Barrett is an actor and award winning audiobook narrator.

Facts and more Facts

I never thought a pig, aka, swine could be so interesting. Besides the horrible way pics and all animals of slaughter are brought to market the history of pigdom was extremely informative.

Well done, but...

Great writing, and excellent narration, but I may have over estimated how interesting knowing EVERYTHING about the pig would be.

Book is great, reader is not.

If you could sum up Lesser Beasts in three words, what would they be?

Emphysema Reads a Cookbook.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Humble Pig! I loved the descriptions of ways of cooking, and the history. Quotes of real medieval and ancient texts are excellent.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Joe Barrett?

Someone who could breathe without difficulty. Anyone who could breathe without difficulty. I don't like hearing the constant desperate gasps for breath. It's unsettling.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Very clever, although I would have appreciated more stories about worldwide pigs, and less stories about Jews, Christians and Muslims, who I don't have much experience with, and don't interest me. Pigs are popular in more than just Europe and the North American continent.

Any additional comments?

If you can get over the awful constant pants for breath, it's a great story.

Fascinating look at the pig

What about Joe Barrett’s performance did you like?

It took some getting used to, but his unique and wry voice did the book justice and his accents and occasional characters (when quoting primary sources or literature discussing pigs) were wonderful.

Any additional comments?

Perfect blend of history and culture, evolution and culinary delight, class and society. I'll never look at bacon quite the same way. The author brings plenty of seriousness and rigor when explaining grave topics (from the current inhumane industrial pig productions to the role of pork consumption in religious persecution), but the general tone of the book is light and amusing. A great popular science/popular history book about the ubiquitous pig, and enough information to make any empathetic reader think twice before just buying the cheapest pork possible.

Yes, it is a book about pigs

yes I can't believe I just listen to a book about pigs. but I will tell you I learned more than I thought I would and it was interesting enough to keep me listening for many hours. it is surprising at how influential the pig has been on history.

Great information! Will recommend!

Great information! Will recommend to anyone interested in food production or pigs in general. Enjoyed highly!

Good micro history

If you like micro histories like Steven Rinella's American bison then you'll love this one.