If that headline sounds weird to you: welcome to the club. The club of ‘I-know-nothing-and-live-under-a-rock’. No worries though, I founded that club long before you were born.

This morning, while holding on to my first cup of coffee and ever so slowly regaining consciousness, I learn about this book by Dutch designer Christien Meindertsma — PIG 05049 — that was first published in 2007 (yes, three years ago; see ‘rock’ above).

PIG 05049, is a research volume, a product catalog, and a work of art, rolled into one, 416-pages strong volume. Sorted in neat chapters like: ‘Skin’, ‘Bone’, ‘Flesh’, ‘Intestines’, it shows all the products that contain traces of pork.

Read on for more pictures and a thorough ‘video-flip-through’ (?) of this brilliant book.

Also, this book does not make any obvious political statements – its beautiful, minimalistic layout merely takes on the task of presenting the information to the reader viewer in a visually appealing manner, while leaving any kind of political, moral and/or philosophical deductions up to its audience. No spin, just facts — a book for grown-ups, indeed.

Here, take a peek for yourself:

Fast-forwarded to 1’ 26” … pork liquorice, I told you so.

There is even an exhibition, displaying the multitude of products that contain pork in one form or another.

Pork marshmallows, pork coffee creamers and pork lollipops. Delicious.

Exhibiting all the ‘pork’ products shown in the book.

Granted, $60 isn’t necessarily on the cheap side for a coffee table book that at least some of your house guests will look upon with suspicion. On the flip side though, spending $60 on a beautifully produced, informative piece of art, where’s the problem with that?

You know you want it, and as of this morning Amazon only has five copies left — go ahead and order it already!

Via Der Spiegel (?) whose editors appear to reside under the same rock as me ‘ole self.