Oh this was such a lovely read. I'd love to have seen Butch and Roxie absolutely taking control of the garden. The illustrations were well received. I think this would be great starting place for people who love pigs but don't often read nonfiction. It's certainly made me want to learn more.

Absolutely not for eating………..

I am always drawn to books about interspecies relationships. And particularly those of our species and another, as I understand what a human is from personal experience!

Whilst this lacks the intensity of some books I’ve read, this is remarkably sweet. Whyman was sold a pup – metaphorically speaking – buying a cute pair of miniatures who grew and grew and grew and were absolutely not going to be the porcine equivalent of a chihuahua!

There’s a lot of informative stuff about pigs which (hopefully) might make the reader think about their similarity, biologically to humans, their intelligence, heart and sociability, and might make eating them less appealing

There’s also charm and humour, and plenty of appealing personality – especially of the four footed variety

A lovely informative book, this gives you a lot of information about pigs, their behaviour, and their relationships with each other and humans. I adored this.

Pigs are wonderful creatures and should be rightfully celebrated for their intelligence and lovely natures. Great insight into and unfortunately mistreated creature.

Matt Whyman's own experiences with pigs combined with the views of a few experts. A little repetitive in places.

This is just a really, really sweet book. Whether you like pigs or not, this will give you a fascinating insight into what they're really like and the chances are high everything you believe about pigs is wrong.

Whyman's experience with keeping two pigs nicely intersperses with information from pig experts to give you a book that is light, light hearted and enlightening.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

I really didn’t know what to think of this one before I started it, and I was glad I went into it without knowing much about it, it really did open my eyes. Previously I hadn't thought about pigs in this way and this funny and honest book was very informative. It gives you some understanding of pig’s behaviour and social structures. I will re-read this again.

This was a sweet little book about pigs - not quite sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Entertaining enough but rather disjointed.

Whilst Matt Whyman was misled in his purchase of "miniature" pigs he, turned his disappointment into this amusing book which is filled with anecdotes about just what intriguing animals pigs are. Whilst the book shall never win the Booker prize it shall undoubtedly entertain anyone who owns, or comes into contact with pigs

I really enjoyed reading this book. I found it very interesting, I’ve found pigs to be fascinating creatures and it was great to read an insight of pig keeping from the author. Brilliant.

This was truly lovely, a beautiful memoir of the unexpected impact of two pigs on the life of a family. Interspersed with scientific and agricultural thoughts about keeping pigs, the book builds an image of the tender gentleness of the animal, its social structures and realities and its pervasive curiosity and stubbornness. There's a lot to love here- the read was pleasant and flowing, the story was downright sweet and I came out of it absolutely delighted that I long ago quit pork.

Some quite interesting facts about pigs but I felt it didn’t flow too well. It seemed to jump between the experts too much. However I did enjoy it on the whole and had a few “titters” to myself. I was glad it was no longer as I was starting to get bored with repeated facts.

surprising and great fun to read - such books remind us how close animals are to humans and also what a lonely place our planet would be without them: in fact it would be an impoverished place - mini pigs are not part of my experience, and I did not even know such creatures existed. Fears of squashing them would be high on my list of worries haha - they are rambunctious and we are invited to empathise with their antics. really great fun - light enough to read slowly and curled up in my favorite reading position. yes, an unlikely top contender for this year's terrific entertainments - it's a book length magazine article in its way. very successful - the ease of reading is also to do with its conventional style - it has no airs and graces ...

Matt Whyman has given me a fascinating insight into the world of pigs. I initially chose to read and review this book as my son has a six month old ‘micro’ pig who lives inside the house, his name is Nigel. The story of Butch and Roxi is both funny and worrying. Should pigs be kept as pets???? Do micro/mini pigs exist??? Thank you to Matt I think I have the answer to these questions!!! This book provides interesting factual reading and gives a complete insight into the origins, lives and needs of pigs.
Thank you to Matt Whyman and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this amazing book.

Huzzah! This is a book of indulgent pleasure that made me smile countless times. It has various titbits of porcine data, many that you've probably heard and forgotten before, but it doesn't become dry from them. This is more a book about the character of pigs than their science.

Whyman repeatedly reminds the reader that we tend to anthropomorphise these, and other, animals in our attempts to understand them and bond with them. It's almost protesting too much in fact - in the various anecdotes he shares from both his life and that of one of his interview subjects, Wendy, it's clear that, like virtually every person who interacts with animals, they are just as guilty of humanising their pigs. I like that about the book. I like that it's a fairly narrow view of the subject in that regard, and I enjoy that sense of tenderness they both clearly feel for the pigs in their care. It made me chuckle each time they felt the urge to point out they weren't crazy pig people. Their bonds demonstrated that pigs have a lot to offer and brought the whole affair to life.

I can't help but feel this book arrives with such perfect timing too. As I say, it's a treat. On this chilly autumn day I curled up in an armchair and just enjoyed. It's the kind of book I'd happily open on Christmas day and dip in and out of while lots going on - it's a book you can read out, share, and smile to. It's the kind of book you don't know how much you need in your life until you've read it. So do!

Matt Whyman talks of his experience of raising 2 larger than expected "mini pigs", whilst also taking a walk around the farm of pig-keeper Wendy Scudamore. It is a "charming" book in some ways the pitfalls he encountered and the ways in which the pigs became part of the family. I wonder though how large an audience there is for this type of book. Part of my rating always reflects how engaged i felt with the book and how memorable it will be among the rest of the books I have read. I feel as though I will have forgotten this by the time I am partway through my next book

A lighthearted look at the life of pigs. The author, in a moment of madness, agreed to give a home to two mini pigs. As he didn’t buy them from a reputable breeder, he wasn’t too surprised when they turned into Godzilla pigs! In an effort to understand their behaviour, he visits two experts, Dr. Michael Mendl (it doesn’t say if he’s any relation to THE Mendl) and Wendy Scudamore, a pig farmer.

The book ping pongs between conversations with these two pig connoisseurs and Whyman’s recollections of his own pigs, Butch and Roxi. It’s not scientific but it is interesting and good fun. The next time you pass a pig, speak to it. S/he will listen and will ‘speak’ back. Pigs are intelligent, sociable animals and reading this (nearly) made me feel guilty about eating bacon.

To sum up, here is Wendy speaking about her pigs,

“...there is a companionship that is really important to them. It’s about feeling safe.....being able to curl up together and having someone to talk to.” Wendy falls quiet, still contemplating her pigs, and then nods to herself. “Aren’t those the three things all of us want in life?”

With thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for a free review copy.

The Genius of Pigs by Matt Whyman a four-star read you will want some apple sauce with. I really didn’t know what to think of this one before I started it, and I was glad I went into it without knowing much about it, it really did open my eyes. I had a friend who had a similar experience with mini pigs and had much the same journey as Butch and Roxi, sadly Mable and Connie didn’t fair as well. This was funny, honest and sweet at times and also informative. It gives you some understanding of pig’s behaviour and social structures. I suspect this book may exert a similar pattern of behaviour with meat as a film about a talking pig did some years ago, apple sauce may not be needed for some time in my house if ever. This was such an entertaining and informative read, Im sure it will go on my re-read pile.

This book tells some stories of the author's experiences while keeping 2 pigs. Intermeshed with this is his discussion with a scientist researching the behaviour of pigs and details of his visit to a smallholder who is keeping a large number of free-range pigs and her experiences with them. He relates some of the scientific research findings to his own experiences. The book is a quick and easy read and quite funny in places. It appears to be a follow-on of sorts to his previous book(s) about pig-keeping.

Part biography, part natural history title, wholly charming and informative. Like so many others, Matt Whyman and his family fell for the micro-pig craze when it was at its height a few years ago. Unlike so many others, and fortunately for the two acquired piglets, the Whyman family were able to continue to care for them long after they’d grown into near unmanageable maxi-pigs.

Whyman relating to his own experiences, and with the help of a few experts, looks at the history of pig domestication, their clever and cunning natures, as well as how they live day to day within groups. The book is peppered with humorous and oddly touching anecdotes, dispelling many myths about the often-misunderstood species along the way.

Overall, I really enjoyed the conversational style of the book and found it unexpectedly thought-provoking in many places. While it did feel a tiny bit repetitive in some places, there was more than enough in the book to keep my attention.

Recommended.

This was an ARC in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins.