The Complete Guide to Becoming A Butcher and Meat Cutter

I've been going back and forth for months on whether to quit my office job and try something with my hands. This book gave me the numbers I needed - actual hourly rates, not 'potential earning potential' nonsense. The Chapter 1 breakdown of a real shift was eye-opening. I didn't know about the 4 a.m. starts or that you spend half the day cleaning. It didn't scare me off, but it made me take the decision seriously. Glad I read it before I spent money on a class.

Decent overview, but I wanted more depth on the training options. The comparison table was helpful, but I wish it included more detail on community college programs versus going straight into a shop. The self-assessment checklist was practical, not fluffy like most career books. I gave it three stars because I felt the salary section was a bit conservative based on what I've seen in supermarket postings on the West Coast. Still, a solid starting point if you're completely new.

I'm a high school counselor trying to give kids real alternatives to four-year degrees. This is one of the few books I've found that talks about a trade without romanticizing it or making it sound like a miserable fallback. The chapter on what butchers actually do - the cold, the early hours, the physicality - is honest without being discouraging. My only complaint is that some sections felt repetitive. But my students who've read it say it helped them decide, which is the whole point.