The Hog Book [Paperback]

William. Hedgepeth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1978

Complete with illustrations, photographs, charts, and a cast of thousands, this book offers an eccentric and entertaining appreciation of "sus domesticus" and its relationship with humankind.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This title on "all you ever wanted to know about hogs but were afraid to ask" was dubbed "entertaining" by LJ's reviewer (LJ 2/1/78). It includes fact and folklore about porkers told with both scientific seriousness and humor.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Wacky yet serious . . . Hedgepeth has emerged as champion of an animal for which few people have a kind word."--Us Magazine

"Will delight those who have an acquaintance with [hogs] as well as the vast majority whose only contact with them is in the form of pork chops."--New York Times

"One of the zaniest productions since Mad magazine."--Business Week

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Doubleday; First Edition edition (February 1978)
• ISBN-10: 0385116667
• ISBN-13: 978-0385116664
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,906,527 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful, fun, and unique book., January 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Hog Book (Brown Thrasher Books) (Paperback)

William Hedgepeth has written one of the most unique books imaginable on the life of hogs. This dry and witty look at porcines is no quick compendium on the subject. It is a thorough and informative account of everything you could want to know about these creatures. And it's funny.

An early Ally McBeal Show featured a case where Michael, a pig, gave up his life in order to donate his liver (or some organ) to the crass & orca fat Mrs. Goldstein. Instead of thanking the Doctor for life, she sued because she felt it beneath her to share an organ with a pig. Had Goldstein read The Hog Book, she might have requested Michael's heart as well. This animal's existential ability to accept itself and experience joy in living is a tall order that most humans cannot fill.

I see a sequel to this book - The Tao of Being a Hog, Living in the Now. In any case, I wish this author would turn his journalist's eye and writer's wit onto another subject quick. He's a pleasure to read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whitty, informative and hilarious., October 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Hog Book (Brown Thrasher Books) (Paperback)

Who would have thought that a book about hogs could be both as funny and informative as "The Hog Book" by William Hedgepeth. I laughed, I cried, I had swine visions.

Mr. Hedgepeth has managed to relate to the reader what, I believe every farm boy has secretly know for years, that hogs are magical, mystical beings worthy of our deepest respect and admiration. If you don't believe me just read the section on hog poetry or gather around the old piano and launch into a chorus of the Hog Song.

Mr. Hedgepeth has a gift for weaving fact and fantasy into a fabric that is as hilarious as it is enlightening. The book is beautifully illustrated by John Findley (is this the same John Findley who wrote and illustrated "Tex-Arcana" for Heavy Metal Magazine?) with photos by world famous photographer Al Clayton. I highly recommend it and it would make a good gift for all the farm boys or girls for that matter on you Christmas list.

I just couldn't put it down except when I was laughing to hard.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is subversive, hilarious and life altering, August 18, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Battle Creek, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hog Book (Brown Thrasher Books) (Paperback)

In college days, a friend gave me a copy of this book for my birthday. In it was a picture of a hog, its face painted like a clown, a ruffled clown collar and a conical clown hat. I stared at that picture off and on for quite awhile vowing, I want to train "circus pigs" for a career. Eventually I went on to train hogs for movies, television and live performances. Keep this book away from your children and young impressionable college students unless you want to condemn them to a life of loving hogs ... and people too, because after reading this holy scripture, you will realize, we too are hog.