books:

	Fast Food Nation tie-in: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal (P.S.) Eric Schlosser Harper Perennial, 2006 - 416 pages average customer review:based on 7 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Each day, one-quarter of the adults in the United States visit fast food restaurants, spending more than $110 billion dollars in the year 2000. Schlosser examines the franchise arrangement, with its curious blend of protection, paternalism and profit as adeptly as he delves into the specifics of what?s in the beef. Also on Schlosser?s hit list: the susceptibility of meat to dangerous pathogens such as e. coli; the slaughter of nearly 600 cows per hour (this American packinghouse standard, he reveals, is nearly 6 times the rate of European slaughterhouses); an in-depth look into serious nutritional, environmental, and cultural questions. Fast Food Nation is a groundbreaking work of investigation and cultural history that has changed the way America thinks about the way it eats.

Fast Food Nation the movie is slated to be released by Fox Searchlight on November 17, 2006. Starring Ethan Hawke, Avril Lavigne, Patricia Arquette, and Greg Kinnear.

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Very well written - informative without being alarmist

This book describes the growth of the fast food / burger industry in America, and the consequences from fast food's popularity. The author covers labor practices (and malpractices) in the cattle growing and food processing industries, food regulation, dietary effects, and health hazards like E.Coli and mad cow.

The book is very well written, in my opinion. I found the opening stories about Cheyenne Mountain and the rise of the burger industry in California fascinating. Some of the personal stories of illegal immigrants in the food processing industry were also interesting, although I feel the author emphasized them too much. I personally was more interested in the larger history and practices of the industry and when the personal effects for me as a consumer could be. That was also covered - I just wish some other parts had been shorter.

The book is not indiscriminate leftist McDonalds bashing -- in fact, at the end the author acknowledges some industry-changing positive steps McD has taken to insure better beef quality, and even goes on to praise In-N-Out Burger, my favorite burger chain in California :)

Very good reading, you will not regret buying or borrowing it.

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No zealot like a convert

A modern-day "The Jungle", this book is powerful enough to change the eating habits of even the most indifferent consumer. The expose on the USDA and FDA is particularly chilling.


Everyone should read this book

Fascinating book that delves deeply into how that hamburger, potato chip or cookie made its way into your home and stomach. These are things most of us have wondered about, but never really knew or cared why. A section of the book is dedicated to how that cookie or barbeque sauce got its flavor in a labratory and helps explain those long list of weird ingredients we never really understood or wanted to know about. That is all there really is to say about this book. If you want to know where all those items on your supermarket shelf and fast food restaraunts came from, read it. If you have any sort of conscience and would rather not know and enjoy the foods you eat, run away. If you are one of the many overweight Americans, this might give you some insight as to why your diet is a problem. This was made into a movie, that summarized the book, but left out tons of things as most movies do. Watching the movie would give you a very basic idea of what to expect.

While this paragraph does not cover the book review a real lot, I want to pass on how it has changed my life; I was overweight due to fast foods, crappy snacks, soda and inactivity. I thought drinking Vitamin Water was healthy. I dont know if could eat fast food anymore knowing the suffering that went into a 1 dollar hamburger. Ok, I might on a rare occasion, but the book even mentions that these fast food restaurants are really designed for a 1-2 times a week visit from the executives of these companies. For 2 weeks now I went to mostly organic foods, fruit and vegetables, water and less bread. I have had filet mignon and meatloaf 1 time each. Its not hard with a little effort. I exercised with a treadmill and video. I lost 10 pounds from 203 to 193 at 5' 10" and 43 years old.

I would like to thank the author for changing my life, which was no easy feat to accomplish.

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First half blah, second half must read

After years of hearing about it from my mother I'm finally read this books. I'm glad I did but it wasn't perfect. The second half about the common practices of meat produces both in and out of the slaughterhouses was good and something everyone should read. The first half however I had a hard time getting through. I didn't find the part on the beginning/growth interesting, nor did I enjoy the discussion of the sociological and economic effects of the fast food industry. He just spend way too long whining about how big companies are killing off the "American farmer" relying almost entirely on the 'this is how it used to be so it's best' argument. The book breaks down into two parts; skip the first half but the second is a must read for everyone.

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What! It's about policies, not food?

I took a long time to finish reading this book. As a nutrition major in college, I really wanted to know what was wrong with fast food from an objective point of view. As expected, the book takes you through many turns that will surprise you. Many facets of the fast food industry started off in a humble, quiet sort of way. But when growth started coming, at exponential levels, fast food wasn't really about food any longer. It was just about public policy and business. McDonald's started the entire idea about marketing products to kids. Why? McDonald's and Disney were good friends. And did you know that Subway's main goal is to open as many chains across the globe as they possibly can?

I truly learned a lot of things about the fast food industry, the most poignant probably being the hidden events in the meat processing plants, with many illegal workers getting injured and even killed, and not being accounted for simply because they were never on the radar.

My hangup with the book though, is that it is a little too heavy on the statistical figures. It just made the book a little choppy and difficult to read much of in one sitting; besides, statistical figures are constantly changing, so by now even those figures reported are probably out of date.

But I have to say how glad I am for reading this book. It surely gives one a better reason to avoid fast food than simply avoiding carbs and fat.

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reviews: page 1, 2

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