Tasty reading
Written: Apr 14 '01 (Updated May 22 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great research and documentation.
Cons: Went off on a couple of slight tangents
The Bottom Line: This should give you a reason to pause before your next fast-food meal.
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| BBailey182's Full Review: Eric Schlosser - Fast Food Nation Tie-in: The Dark... |
The "fast-food" industry always has struck me as one of the most interesting parts of the business culture -- not necessarily good all the time, but interesting. Consider it is a business that started only in the 1950's, and has grown to be a leading exporter of American culture and standards across the world ... for better or for worse. It went from nowhere to everywhere, riding along with important changes in our culture along the way.
Eric Schlosser thinks it is for worse, and tries to prove his case in "Fast Food Nation," a thoroughly-researched look at the industry. He does a pretty good job.
This is a book that is pretty well filled with facts that are great for casual conversations. A huge percentage of the population visits a fast-food place once a week? Kids recognize corporate symbols before their own names? Children believe Ronald McDonald knows what's good for them? Employees who serve food that had been on the floor ... or make unspeakable additions to the product? Ridiculously unsanitary conditions on "collective farms?" You get the idea. It's all here.
The most convincing part of the book deals with advertising for children. Anyone with a child knows how difficult it is to keep kids away from McDonald's when they are out and about. Alliances with Disney for toy giveaways (I believe McDonald's is the country's largest toy distributor) help make that connection.
The toughest part of the book to read - and the one that I had problems with - dealt with meat-packing. I certainly believe that conditions at such places can be horrible. Yes, the workforce is undereducated, injuries take place at an alarming rate, and the pay is low. Yes, reform is needed, if only to make us feel better and safer about what we eat. But while no one denies that fast-food outlets go through a lot of meat, the connection felt like it could have been better. In other words, it read like it belongs in a different book.
I had some fears about "Fast Food Nation" after reading the introduction, which is a pretty strong indictment of the industry. And I wish Schlosser had made a few more suggestions on improvements. But all in all, Schlosser makes a darn good case for his statement of problems in the industry. This definitely is worth reading.
Thank you for reading this review.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
BBailey182
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Member: Budd Bailey
Location: Buffalo, NY
Reviews written: 515
Trusted by: 97 members
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