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The Pig Who Sang to the Moon: The Emotional World of Farm Animals

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Scholar and prolific author Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson burst on the scene as one of the foremost contemporary writers about animals with the publication of "When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals" in 1995. "Elephants" was groundbreaking, showing that non-humans of all shapes and sizes lead complex emotional lives. The book became a New York Times bestseller.

Masson has since published three books about cats or dogs. All were fine works and fun reads, yet, as each focused solely on one species, none captured Masson's affinity to bring the reader onto the printed page as did his first animal book. While his dog and cat books touched your heart, "Elephants" seeped into your soul.

With the publication of "The Pig Who Sang to the Moon: The Emotional Lives of Farm Animals," Masson makes a grand return to his previous lofty accomplishment. Like "Elephants," "Pig" focuses on beings in addition to the chosen one who gets a mention in the title. Sharing with the reader the emotional complexities of many animals is one of Masson's greatest strengths; certainly no writer today is his superior. When he writes, "Farm animals-perhaps because of the fate that invariably awaits them-seem able to feel something I cannot," it makes you wonder if he's being too modest, while questioning whether you, the reader, can feel what he, the author, does.

In "Pig," Masson covers all of the modern-day farmed animals, devoting chapters to pigs, chickens, sheep and goats, cows, and ducks and geese. His research is superb; whether you are a long-time ethical vegan or a committed carnivore you will discover something you did not know about each of these beings. Are you aware that a pig is easier to house train than a dog? Or that chickens always know exactly what time it is? That goats are funny, inventive, and love unconditionally? Masson uncovers these and many more gems, including the elderly New Zealand couple whose two ponds fill up with wild ducks "every year, the night before duck season starts."

Masson also expertly discusses his supposition of farmed animal emotions, foreshadowing the naysayers certain to question his premise. He writes that "not so very long ago, ... people intimately connected to the lives of animals did not care whether animals had feelings or not." He then quotes Frans de Wall, Ph.D., Professor of Primate Behavior from the Yerkes Primate Research Center, who wrote in a 1999 New York Times editorial, "I still remember some surrealistic debates among scientists in the 1970s that dismisses animal suffering as a bleeding-heart issue. Amid stern warnings against anthropomorphism, the then-prevailing view was that animals were robots, devoid of feeling, thoughts, or emotions." Masson concludes: "in the absence of communal signs, such as physical gestures or sounds, humans are simply not equipped to understand animal emotions. This does not mean they are not there."

"Pig" is a book that pulls no punches, yet is "mainstream" enough to reach a wide audience. Masson doesn't shy away from the real issues, stating, in the first chapter, "The position I take in this book is a radical one," and "I think it is wrong to raise animals for food." Later he states "All you need do to make [animal slaughter] unnecessary is to say once and mean it: these deaths are not necessary. I do not have to eat meat."

In his concluding chapter, "On Not Eating Friends," Masson proclaims, "I have to be honest: My research leaves me in no doubt whatsoever, that to prevent animals from suffering unbearable agony, we must become not only vegetarian, but vegan." These are powerful and refreshing words coming from an author whose book is certain to get wide coverage and exposure.

If you wish to give farmed animals the best Holiday season ever, purchase two copies of "The Pig Who Sang to the Moon"-the first for yourself; the other as a gift for one of the future vegetarians on your shopping list.

~ Joseph Connelly (editor@vegnews.com) is founding editor of VegNews (vegnews.com)

Jeffrey Masson has done it again: He's marshaled his fine intellect and compassionate heart to write another fascinating book about animal emotions. This one, about farm animals, could make carnivore readers squirm because they might not want to consider the feelings of the cows or pigs they eat. Nevertheless, I would encourage everyone to read what Masson has to say. As with all his books, The Pig Who Sang to the Moon is filled with interesting facts and observations, and Masson's musings are always extremely entertaining.

I especially enjoyed the chapter on ducks because dozens of them come to my lawn every day. Before reading the book, I'd not known that ducks form close friendships and loyally watch after each other. (One duck that Masson mentioned was a seeing-eye duck for a blind friend.) Sadly, I also learned from the book that gangs of male thug ducks sometimes rape females. Masson does not make farm animals out as paragons of virtue, but no one can question his sympathy toward them. And I certainly share that sympathy.

The book is a must read for anyone who loves animals. But, actually, my hope is that the book gets into the hands of people who do not love animals because Masson has a superb ability to enlighten and persuade. Perhaps the book will sensitize people to some of the unspeakably heartless ways that farm animals are treated. With understanding, change can come, and Masson surely wrote the book with that goal in mind. He has done more to promote animal welfare than any writer I know.

I have been a vegetarian for 11 years, unwilling to eat anything that required "killing" an animal. After reading "The Pig Who Sang to the Moon", I cannot with a good conscience continue to eat the foods produced by animals/birds. The suffering they endure for my benefit cannot be justified. I am now beginning my path toward veganism and the small, but necessary, contribution I can make to alleviate the suffering of animals for the selfishness of man.

Bravo Jeffrey Masson! Masson takes on the courageous task of asking us all to consider how we treat our farm animals. He asks us to think. Something that most of us resist doing, particularly when thinking might make us see ourselves (or animals) in a different light. Masson treads along the well-worn path of our human arrogance and provides us with compelling evidence that we are not the only beings in this world that possess rich emotional lives. He opens our minds and our hearts to the thoughtless exploitation and the tragic suffering of the animals that we farm. Masson's compassionate journey into the emotional lives of farm animals will forever change the way we think, feel and behave towards all the animals that we share our world with.

Masson is a master writer. He weaves a wonderful tapestry of obscure and fascinating facts, compelling tales, little known historical details, expert opinions and personal musings. His writing never fails enlighten us or to touch us to the very depths of our souls. This book is a tremendously important work and should serve to shake up our narrow view of the farm animals we exploit.

When I first saw the title of Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson's new book I thought it was the unique story of a talented little pig. I was mistaken. The book, however, is certainly unique! As I turned the pages the "emotional world of farm animals" indeed opened up to me in a different light. I have always believed that animals share the same emotions as we do. Some say that animals do not feel pain in the same way that we do. If this is true, then why do they scream when being injured or killed?

I became a vegan nearly 3 years ago. I could no longer live with my conscious that I was directly responsible for the suffering and murder of innocent animals. I have never regretted nor looked back. Non-vegetarians argue that they would not eat their dog or cat, nor would they want a pig or a chicken as a pet. This statement in my opinion is guilt (putting out of their minds that they are responsible for the killing and suffering of an animal), and ignorance (simply believing what most humans believe, in that animals were put on earth for us to exploit at all costs.) Masson's book gave me more food for thought still and solidified my belief's that cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, etc are all unique in their own right, as are humans. He proves time and time again that these animals possess higher intelligence then we give them credit for and many even enjoy the company of humans, the very species that they should fear and distrust most. I simply will not look at another "farm" animal the same way again!

Earlier this week as I sat in the doctor's office, I was reading my copy of The Pig Who Sang to the Moon. A woman sitting across from me took out a piece of paper and a pen. I looked up and noticed her looking at my book and writing something on the paper.

She looked up and smiled and said, "oh don't mind me, I am just writing down the name of your book, it looks so interesting."

"Yes, it is a fascinating book, it just came out and I cannot put it down," I replied.

"Well I am interested because I am a farmer and we have a lot of animals on our farm: cows, pigs, chickens, etc, and I think it would be interesting to read. Are you a farmer?" she asked.

"No I am not a farmer, but if you are, then I highly recommend that you read this book." I smiled somewhat triumphantly.

"The Pig Who Sang to the Moon" chronicles the plight of farm animals, particularly those in mass-market farms in the United States and New Zealand, though the author also is careful to discuss farming procedures and techniques from all over the world. The book is written from the pro-vegan point of view and is genuinely disturbing and eye-opening.

I find myself in a conundrum in evaluating this book, and find myself agreeing with the vegan reviewer from Ontario that while the book is well written and heart-rending, it is not academically ground breaking other than in collecting the information in a species-specific chapter format. The author tends to rely on conjecture of animal feelings, preferences, and emotions to a degree that sometimes strain credibility, though the writing is generally excellent. He frequently dismisses anthropomorphism in others, but seems to engage in it frequently himself, and frequently engages in arguments and rhetorical questions that are tenuous at best, as on page 231 where he posits "If we kill animals with so little concern, what is to stop us from hurting one another?" Of course this is never addressed or discussed further, and I believe shows that while the author genuinely attempts to tell a factually accurate, yet moving, story, his biases are so prevalent as to call into question some of his conclusions. I don't believe that all farmers are evil (I am not involved with the agricultural industry, by the way), nor do I believe that all employees of companies like Cargill and ADM are evil.

Some of the chapters are better than others, and I particularly found the chapters of chicken, turkeys, ducks, and geese enlightening. The book makes clear the horrors of foie gras production, for example, and of all the parts of the book, I found this the hardest to bear. I never eat foie gras, and after reading the book am doubly glad that I don't. The book has many good points, and I am quick to stand up for it in areas such as habitability and humane treatment of animals on farms: the torture that some of these animals endure is heart-rending, but nothing short of evil. I agree with the author that stricter regulations are needed on farms, but stop short of his proposal to ban farming (other than crop farming) altogether, especially after reading his dietary proposals (tofu is featured prominently) and plans for transitioning to a vegan world, which are, at any rate, inadequately explained.

I recommend that all the notes at the end of the book be carefully studied. Some special-interest groups which have recently been challenged with ethics issues of their own are taken at their word, and I am not convinced of the validity of their use as a primary source in a scholarly work. On the other hand, I do commend the author for attempting to obtain as much first hand information and primary documentation as possible in a very difficult research area. I believe the author is highly ethical and attempts to prove his arguments with unimpeachable sources; the problem obviously resides in the fact that often the only sources available are highly biased organizations sympathetic to his cause.

There are some issues exposed (especially in the notes) that I do find troubling, however. In the main text, for example, the author regales the reader with tales of the intellect of turkeys, and discusses the myth that turkeys are so stupid that they will turn their heads skyward and drown in a rainstorm. I have to admit that I never knew of any incidents of this occurring first hand (I was around turkeys during a few summers in my younger years), and was happy that this was in fact an urban legend. (Or would that be a rural legend?) In the notes, however, the author explains that young turkeys actually will drown themselves by looking skyward in a rainstorm, and that this may be where the "myth" comes from. Well, I'd say so. The author then goes on (Page 247) to explain that this is man's fault because "without the protection of [the mother's] wings in a storm, [the chick] may well look up, inquiringly, or beseechingly, accidentally fill their small beaks with water and drown....no turkey chick should ever have to grow up without a mother." This illustrates all my objections to the book in one neat paragraph. In this one instance, the author refuses to put information he clearly knew to be contradictory to his central premise in the main body of the text, choosing rather to bury it in the notes at the back of the book. Once into the discussion he attributes intent and emotions to the young turkeys that he can't possibly know, and then goes on to explain that, in essence, the turkey's poor intellect (also in conflict with his central premise) is due to man putting him in an untenable situation. It is this type of conflict that makes me hesitant to recommend the book wholeheartedly and without reservation.

In the end I do recommend the book, but I recommend, as always, that readers use their own brains to look for logical holes in reasoning, and not merely accept the arguments, opinions, and feelings of the author automatically. I personally feel that Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson is a good-hearted, sincere man, with a gift for writing, and I think he has written a powerful book that deserves to be read and considered. On balance, and despite my critiques of the book, I recommend it for a condensed, interesting, and thought-provoking account of the emotional world of animals important to us all.

The premise of Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson's book, The Pig Who Sang to the Moon, is so simple. That the farm animals-- the pigs, chickens, cows and other animals-- which most of us regularly dine on are not merely inanimate, insensible, "meat-on-the hoof" existing in some sort of mindless homeostasis until they are eaten.

Rather, they-- like we-- lead rich emotional lives, lives which are in fact most usually horribly stunted by our farming practices which involve, among other cruelties, intensive confinement systems which thwart even the most basic of emotional and biological expressions.

Simple though the premise may be, if humans had feathers lots of them would undoubtedly be ruffled by this book. It's simply hard for most of us to accept-- emotionally-- that those whom we have so thoroughly removed from the realm of our moral concern could be suffering so from our actions.

Congratulations and thanks to Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson for another insightful and inspiring book. "The Pig Who Sang to the Moon" lives up to the legacy of "When Elephants Weep" and his other books, as it opens our eyes to the reality of the animals' world so that our hearts embrace the depth and complexity of their emotional lives.

The book is filled with surprising, heartwarming and even humorous stories that illustrate the emotionality of the animals typically relegated to the role of "livestock" in our culture. It also reveals hard facts about how these sensitive creatures are handled between the barnyard and the dinner plate. But mercifully, Mr. Masson succeeds at telling the often troubling truth about what animals experience at the hands of humans, without making the book too gruesome for sensitive readers to endure. The more gory details are tucked away in the endnotes at the back of the book for those who need the information and can bear to read it. The rest of us can move safely through the text, reminded of the reasons to make conscious choices about the food we eat and the clothes we wear, but also entertained by the remarkable stories and uplifted by the recognition of how much we share with our four-legged or feathered brethren.

"The Pig Who Sang to the Moon" is an enormously valuable collection of information and anecdotes that will help us all move a little closer to shedding the veil of denial about who animals are. We'll be the richer for it, as we dissolve the boundaries between "us" and "them" and renew our connection with all the creatures who share our planet.

The Pig Who Sang to the Moon reveals the possibility, if not indeed the strong likelihood, that farmed animals such as pigs, cattle, sheep and ducks are highly sentient creatures whose range and depth of emotions and feelings compare to those of human beings. Assuming that this is the case, the author Jeffrey Moussaieff makes it clear that the notion of mistreating such animals in the process of preparing them for slaughter, and the subsequent eating of these animals, is repugnant and immoral.

Moussaieff provides a wealth of personal anecdotal evidence to support his claims, and also cites the findings of numerous other animal behavior experts. The author travels to farms and farm sanctuaries in England, the USA, New Zealand and elsewhere, and thereby geographically diversifies his research locations. Regardless, globally, the farms that feed the millions of us seldom consider the happiness and well being of the animals that we one day eat. Not that Moussaieff would even relent if animals were permitted to live their "natural lives" before being killed for our consumption; he indicates that the eating of all animals, from cows to chickens to fish, be stopped. In other words, he urges humankind to become vegans, not merely vegetarians.

I share the sentiments of the author toward farmed animals. I recall once, as a child, being invited to the cattle farm of a family friend, for the purpose of picking a Black Angus cow, a side of whom would be put in our freezer once she was killed. I remember that neither I nor my parents had the courage to look any of these beautiful, peaceable creatures in the eye. We said to our farmer friend, "we'll get our side of beef from whichever one you want."

Reading this book has prompted me to stop drinking cow's milk. I now drink soy milk. I have also stopped eating dairy products, such as cottage cheese and sour cream. Why have I stopped eating the products of live animals, not just slaughtered ones? Moussaieff describes, in chilling detail, the miserable plight of dairy cattle in most large-scale dairy farms. These cows are milked far more often, and for greater lengths of time, than they would experience if merely providing for their own offspring. Further, the cows are robbed of their calves (for veal sandwiches) and are housed in cramped, inhospitable conditions.

Moussaieff proposes that farmed animals be allowed to live the rest of their lives in a setting that, as much as possible, approximates their natural circumstances. These animals need to be with one another, and have the chance to wander and to play. While I would love to see this outcome occur, it is not realistic; from an economic standpoint, big farms are not going to voluntarily wind down their operations. Governments would be hard pressed to pull the plug on livestock agriculture, given its perceived importance to the food supply, its contribution to GNP, and its role as an employer. The likes of Tyson Foods is an economic powerhouse, and is daily trying to get even bigger and stronger.

My criticism of this book is that it does not offer much in the way of direction to get from our current uncaring, carnivorous state to a vegan population that is benevolent to every living pig and duck. In fairness, Moussaieff provides a list of seventeen things that persons can do to improve the lot of farmed animals. For example, we are to steer clear of products made of wool(!) and goose or duck down. I was saddened to learn of the barbaric ways that these animal products are extracted from their rightful owners. For the most part, the author's list is directed at individuals. Theoretically, if enough of us abided by these animal-free consumption practices, the market for everything from pork chops to down comforters to pate to chocolate candy would shrink, and the number of businesses, and corresponding upstream animal fodder, would also decline, thereby sparing more and more animals pain, sadness and death.

The more I think about the message of this book, the more shameful our treatment of farmed animals is revealed to be. Moussaieff has taught me just how pervasive and unthinking our consumption of animal products has become. Industry feeds our unconscious complicity by calling pig meat "pork", and cow flesh "hamburger"... doing whatever it takes to divorce what we are eating from the living, feeling animal that is sacrificed.

I am glad to have read the book, I recommend it highly, and wish every non-vegan would read it. Many of the anecdotes are heart-rending, and can easily bring the reader to tears (if not, then I feel sorry for the person who lacks the compassion to do so). I am tempted to encourage my family and friends to cut back on, if not eliminate, their consumption of animal-sourced products. I certainly plan to practise what Moussaieff preaches; if I can't get a veggie dog at the ballgame, I'll just go hungry. I encourage everyone to do the same.

Masson is doing important work here. Those that accuse him of sentimentalism or anthropomorphism don't understand the project. All Masson is trying to do is generate a little consistancy between our feeling towards the animals in homes and the one on our plates. Perhaps some people will read this book and decide we should start eating dogs and cats. However, Masson rightly expects that most people would sooner pull all animals off the menu.