Just used this book in May to figure out how to butcher my chickens by myself, without cones. Very helpful information, butchering went smoothly following their advice. ( )

Few of us slaughter our own animals but for those of us who do, hunters for instance, this book is an encyclopedia. Beginning with humane slaughter, Danforth takes us traveling though knife sharpening, knot tying, the physiology of animals and meat, the microbiology of aging and spoilage and on through 400 pages of info on every imaginable topic related to butchering. The only fault I would mention is aesthetic. I find some of the photos that accompany us every step of the way to be harsh and unattractive, something to do with the lighting, I think. But if you do any sort of large-scale meat preparation you should be able to put aesthetics aside and concentrate on the educational value of the photos.

I received "Butchering Poultry, Rabbit, Lamb, Goat, and Pork: The Comprehensive Photographic Guide to Humane Slaughtering and Butchering" by Adam Danforth (Storey Publishing) through NetGalley.com. ( )