Among the first creatures to help humans attain the goal of having enough to eat was the pig, which provided not simply enough, but general abundance. Domesticated early and easily, herds grew at astonishing rates (only rabbits are more prolific). Then, as people spread around the globe, pigs and traditions went with them, with pigs making themselves at home wherever explorers or settlers carried them. Today, pork is the most commonly consumed meat in the world—and no one else in the world produces more pork than the American Midwest. Pigs and pork feature prominently in many cuisines and are restricted by others. In the U.S. during the early1900s, pork began to lose its preeminence to beef, but today, we are witnessing a resurgence of interest in pork, with talented chefs creating delicacies out of every part of the pig. Still, while people enjoy “pigging out,” few know much about hog history, and fewer still know of the creatures’ impact on the world, and specifically the Midwest. From brats in Wisconsin to tenderloin in Iowa, barbecue in Kansas City to porketta in the Iron Range to goetta in Cincinnati, the Midwest is almost defined by pork. Here, tracking the history of pig as pork, Cynthia Clampitt offers a fun, interesting, and tasty look at pigs as culture, calling, and cuisine.

Whilst it can mean enhanced biosecurity, more intensive and globalised pig production (based on a narrowing genetic base) also potentially increases the risk of disease and its spread. It has been estimated that production diseases can lower pig production efficiency by 10-15%, though financial losses can be much greater. The sector must allocate more resources to the creation and development of preventative measures that can be used to tackle the threat of disease. Optimising pig herd health and production provides a comprehensive review of the wealth of research on optimising pig health to prevent the development and consequent spread of diseases that can devastate the industry, such as African Swine Fever (ASF) and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS). Chapters in this volume consider the methods used to prevent disease outbreaks, ranging from on-farm strategies, such as managing feed, housing and stocking density to optimise health, to the development and use of vaccines.

Porter (Cattle; a Handbook to the Breeds of the World) has put together a fine overview of these valuable animals, covering wild pigs, their domestication, and the myriad variants that have been bred for diverse climates. Major breeds are described and 200 are illustrated in 24 color plates painted by Jake Tebbit. A fine Brit book (original publisher carefully concealed by Cornell UP--under whose Comstock Publishing Associates it is published in the US). Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Given the current worsening of the African swine fever situation worldwide, this field manual will be aimed to assist veterinarians in the prompt recognition and detection of the disease and the immediate control steps at farm level.

The purpose of this text as stated in the preface to our book "Swine Production in Temperate and Tropical Environments," 1974, is to provide a technical basis for successful production of pork in both temperate and tropical environments. The competitive position of pork as a food source both in the developed and developing countries has continued to be strengthened during the past 1 0 years. In this book, we update the current knowledge and technology upon which pork production is based-covering extensively the new knowledge of feeds and their nutrient values. The current growth of the world swine population is faster than that of the human population, reflecting the high demand for pork among consumers in all parts of the world. Advances in genetics, physiology, nutrition, and bio technology have permitted continued improvements in efficiency of pork produc tion, and prospects are bright for continued advances. The principles of modem production technology addressed in this book provide the basis for application by the swine industry in a broad range of environmental and economic settings. We have attempted to present a balanced coverage of the biological, economic, and husbandry aspects of swine production for use by college and university students, personnel in the feed and food industries, livestock extension specialists, and commercial swine producers.

Pork continues to occupy an important position as a food source in affluent societies as well as in developing countries with slower economic growth. The growth of the world swine population continues at a faster rate than that of the human population, a reflection of the sustained demand for pork in all parts of the world. The technical basis for commercial production of swine was presented in our two earlier textbooks-Swine Production in Temperate and Tropical Environ ments, by Pond and Maner, 1974, and Swine Production and Nutrition, by Pond and Maner, 1984. In view of rapidly advancing technology and an appreciation for the systems approach in industry and agriculture, this third book has been restructured to provide the student and practitioner with an integrated concept of pork production. We have attempted to blend the fundamental principles from genetics, physiology, nutrition, and biotechnology into the modern concepts of systems analysis and simulation modeling. The objective is to create a teaching approach which empha sizes the integrated synthesis of biological with physical and environmental sci ences and economics. This approach is expected to provide an overall pork pro duction systems view that individual producers can adapt to their specific resources, needs, and goals. Our new co-author, Dr. Dewey Harris, has used his expertise and perspective on interacting systems to change the complexion of the book to fulfill this objective. In addition, Dr.