Red Meat Republic - (Histories of Economic Life) by Joshua Specht

Red Meat Republic is a groundbreaking book that reveals the complex history of exploitation and innovation behind the food we consume today.

Through the lens of beef production in the United States, Specht uncovers the violent conflict over who would reap the benefits of this new industry and who would bear its heavy costs.

By putting people at the heart of his story, Specht brings to life a turbulent era marked by Indian wars, Chicago labor unrest, and food riots in the streets of New York.

The enduring success of the cattle-beef complex - centralized, low cost, and meatpacker dominated - was a consequence of the meatpackers' ability to make their interests overlap with those of a hungry public, while the interests of struggling ranchers, desperate workers, and bankrupt butchers took a backseat.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex history of food production and its impact on American society.