At first glance, this book seems to be directed towards people living in farm country. The majority of pigs described are breeds raised by hog farmers. However, A Field Guides to Pigs also covers a variety of wild pigs. The author intersperses bits of lore about pigs among his descriptions and origins of pig breeds. For example, “In medieval England, peasants used pigs as hunting dogs. The aristocracy banned dogs large enough for hunting because aristocrats wanted to be the only ones to hunt in the forests.”
As a field guide, this book is easy to use. First, John Pukite divides pigs into groups that are easy to understand. For example, pigs are divided by color and then into groups depending on how floppy their ears are. Next, he uses simple diagrams for pig identification–squares with lines denoting ears. He says, “This guide makes pig watching easy. This guide classifies all pigs according to their most identifiable traits. Just by looking at the color and the floppiness of the ear, you can tell most of the purebred breeds apart.”
John Pukite devotes the remainder of the book to pig trivia, such as famous pigs. A Field Guide to Pigs is much more than simply a field guide. In this book, the reader learns what various curls in pigs’ tails mean. This is a delightful book for everyone, especially those who avoid “Nature” books.
Excerpts from chapter on “Vietnamese Potbelly Pig”
“Description: Look for the small pigs with a potbelly, pointed ears, and a straight tail (if the tail is curly the pig was crossbred).”
“Purposes: People keep the Vietnamese Potbelly mostly as a pet. They are docile, intelligent, and well-behaved if trained properly. They also oink.”
“Origin: ‘I’ is a swine breed from North Vietnam that was exported to form the Potbelly. Vietnamese farmers still raise this indigenous breed in what is a pig-happy country.”
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Potbelly Pigs Photo courtesy of FreeFoto.com. 
Va. Carper
August 11, 2005