First published in 1980, The Transition to Reality is a look into Canada's industrial health, or lack thereof.

Author John Shepherd criticizes the contemporary lack of a conscious industrial strategy in Canada, asserting that the need for a coherent policy was masked by essentially ephemeral manufacturing growth in the 1960s. He suggests policymakers focus on the mechanics of producing wealth, rather than merely distributing it.

The Transition to Reality is a bracing and often contrary entry into the vibrant political economy debates of the early 1980s.