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

The book tells the tale of the purchase of two cute mini pigs with the intention they would live in harmony with Matt’s chickens at home in West Sussex.

However, it was soon obvious, that Roxi (which amused me no end as that’s my daughters name) and Butch were just regular large piggies....

The story is about the adventures of Roxi and Butch, their escapes, drunkenness and sheer mayhem they caused.

There is also a serious side and covers porcine evolution, behaviours and social structure and is quite fascinating.

This is also a cautionary tale of buyer beware !....and the ending is quite emotional as Roxi and Butch move to a new home as they quite literally out grew their home. There are some lovely drawings through the book too and ts a fun and entertaining read.


I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

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.

My sister has had an obsession with pigs since we were children but frankly they never really appealed to me. All the same, I was willing to learn a bit more about pig psychology and why I should stop having bacon rolls for breakfast.
Matt Whyman was a victim of the teacup pig scam and has documented his “life with pigs” as he and his family discovered that pigs grow quite a lot bigger than a teacup.
Let me be clear: this is not a highly scientific book about pig psychology. It is full of speculation. There are a range of delightful anecdotes about Butch and Roxi’s shenanigans, accompanied by interviews with an expert in pig welfare and with a pig-breeder, but a dearth of scientific evidence.
It’s a sweet, short read about living with pets for which the family were totally unprepared. A nice light read, good for the holidays. I’m still eating bacon rolls though.

Verdict: sweet anecdotes about pigs, lacking a little in scientific evidence
Read if you like: the destruction of gardens, speculation,drunken pigs
The Unexpected Genius Of Pigs by Matt Whyman ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received a free copy of The Unexpected Genius Of Pigs from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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!

It is hard for me to explain how much I enjoyed this book. I was attracted by the cover and the title and curious enough to take a chance and download it. I read the synopsis and had the book ended after the first section I would have been happy, but finding section after section of interesting, factual and a thoroughly entertaining read I was disappointed when it ended, and yet the ending was very predictable. So predictable as a reader I began to wonder how much upset and disruption it would take for me to find a new hoe for my pigs.

Even though this was a non fiction book, it read like a story and Whyman has definitely got the gift of a novelist, as he combines his tale of wonder and woe, with the facts, trials and tribulations of experts. The book made me laugh, smile and snigger at Roxi and Butch's antics and I would very often relay passages to my husband to enjoy as well.


I cannot recommend this book enough. Thank you Matt Whyman for allowing me the privilege of sharing your journey.

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.