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

Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson’s first book, When Elephants Weep, explored emotions in the animal kingdom, particularly from animals in the wild. Now, he focuses exclusively on the contained world of the farm animal, revealing evidence that barnyard creatures have feelings too, even consciousness. Weaving history, literature, anecdotes, scientific studies, and Masson’s own vivid experiences observing pigs, cows, sheep, goats, and chickens over the course of five years, this book gives voice, meaning, and dignity to these animals that are bred to be milked, shorn, butchered, and eaten. Can humans ever know what makes another animal happy? Many animal behaviorists say no. But Jeffrey Masson has a different view: An animal is happy if it can live according to its own nature. From field and barn, to pen and coop, Masson bears witness to the emotions and intelligence of these remarkable farm animals, each unique with distinct qualities.