Ian MacLachlan has written an excellent overview and introduction to the beef-commodity supply chain in Canada, as it has existed from the late nineteenth century to the present. From the “kill” of slaughtering, to the “chill” of the refrigerated train car or truck, to the roast or hamburger in the supermarket, MacLachlan concisely describes all aspects of this important, but understudied, Canadian agricultural and consumer product. As there are no comparable studies that cover this time period or this number of aspects of beef production and sale, his book fills a research niche in the examination of Canada's past and “almost present” agricultural history.
