Review of Eric Schlosser's 'Fast Food Nation'

The investigative journalist, Eric Schlosser, has written a book to illuminate an epidemic that started in America and is now becoming one of the world’s largest problems. In Fast Food Nation, Schlosser frames today’s Fast Food giants in history,American entrepreneurialism, and over consumption in respect to consumer and employee wellbeing. The power of all modern Fast Food giants combined have eclipsed the power of any one government. Marketing has become a key component to luring consumers to fast food. Schlosser makes the argument that a once All­American ideal, fast food has grown too big to control.

Eric Schlossers book Fast Food Nation is not only an expose of the fast food industry but also shows how the fast food industry has shaped and defined society in America and other nations as the fast food culture spreads globally. He connects the social order of society to the kind of food it eats and the way it eats that food, and relates fast food to other social processes and institutions. His facts are based on years of research and study, and are presented in and easy to follow narrative. Schlosser is so thorough and convincing in his argument, it's impossible to

The All-American meal takes more out of Americans to make then at first glance. Eric Schlosser’s book Fast Food Nation delves deep into the intricate workings of the fast food industry to expose mistreatment and cruelty towards workers in the business, just as Upton Sinclair had done in the early 1900’s regarding the meat packing industry. Schlosser is able to bring light to the darkness behind the All-American meal through extensive research and personal confrontations of which he has high regards for.

In the book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser talks about the working conditions of fast food meat slaughterhouses. In the chapter “The Most Dangerous Job,” one of the workers, who despised his job, gave Schlosser an opportunity to walk through a slaughterhouse. As the author was progressed backwards through the slaughterhouse, he noticed how all the workers were sitting very close to each other with steel protective vests and knives. The workers were mainly young Latina women, who worked swiftly, accurately, while trying not to fall behind. Eric Schlosser explains how working in the slaughterhouses is the most dangerous profession – these poor working conditions and horrible treatment of employees in the plants are beyond

Eric Schlosser used background information and sympathized on Carl Kartcher for specific reasons. Schlosser wanted to show the readers that back in the 40s and 50s that fast food was not nearly what it is today. They were family owned restaurants that spent a lot of time and money on making the best products possible. Carl was able to start his own barbeque restaurant like he wanted and it was a success. The sympathy that Schlosser used was to try and get the reader to agree with him. Sympathy is an effective way to get the reader to agree with you because it deals with emotions and emotions usually sway a reader to one side of the argument or the other.

Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser, is a stark and unrelenting look into the fast food industry that has ingrained itself in not only American culture, but in culture around the world. There is almost no place on earth that the golden arches has not entered. Aside from Antarctica, there is a McDonalds on every continent, and the number of countries that have fast food restaurants is growing on a daily basis. Schlosser describes in detail what happens behind the scenes, before the hamburger and fries come wrapped in environmentally safe paper and are consumed by millions of people daily

“OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES, fast food has infiltrated every nook and cranny of American society”, Schlosser writes. Fast Food Nation, written by Eric Schlosser, includes topics about fast food chains impact on the community, jobs relating to fast food, and health issues. Fast Food Nation uses logic to appeal to the aspects of fast food chains by giving relatable examples from the devastating effects on the communities to the millions of jobs offered for our country. Moreover, fast food chains have contributed positivity to society, but with dire consequences.

1. Eric Schlosser chose the topic of fast food industry because he became quite inspired after reading an article about illegal immigrants in a strawberry field and how they a suffered in the process. The article was based on an investigation that was placed on the fields while they worked. It was also based on the immense impact that this industry had on society. Schlosser wanted to as said in his book “shed light” to the world on how successful hard working industry works. Also the way American industries portray and work in the diligent industry throughout the years . Since the fast food restaurants are known as one of the most active businesses which makes them a perfect example of what he was trying to convey.

The story of the fast food industry and its effect on the world is well told in the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. Schlosser makes the claim that, what started out as a special treat for the kids eventually ended up defining a way of life. During a brief period of time, the fast food industry has helped transform not only the American diet, but also our countryside, economy, workforce, and popular culture. The book thoroughly describes how important the two factors of money and power are in today's society. The book clearly establishes the broader thesis that as consumers, we should know what we eat even if it makes us uncomfortable by the knowledge.

In “Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal” (2002), Eric Schlosser argues that “… Fast food is solely responsible for every social problem now

He wants to show a personal account of the difficulties that everyday people endure trying to accommodate different aspects of a fast food meal possible to the consumer. By stressing this, Schlosser also shows the need for the sanitation of fast food to be dealt seriously. He directs these ideas towards the less informed of American society. Schlosser wants to reach out to those that wish to become more informed of the fast food aspect of America, and to Americans, fast food has become a normal aspect of life. Even Professer Pothukuchi, of Wayne State University agrees that “fast food is destroying us: individuals, communities, work and family life, and indeed, our very connections with the world” (Pothukuchi 1). This book is intending the audience to steer away from what seems harmless, because fast food seems innocuous, when in reality is the opposite.

Eric Schlosser’s novel Fast Food Nation provides a deep insight into the systematic and unified world of the fast food industry. From the title alone, readers develop a clear sense of the author’s intention for writing this book. Schlosser’s purpose for writing the novel is to raise awareness about the impact and consequences of fast food industries on society. The purpose of the novel is achieved by the author’s use of personal stories, and by relating fast food to various aspects of society.

Fast food has came to be very popular in today 's society even with all of the negative affects that it carries with it. In 1970, there were about 30,000 fast-food restaurants in the United States; that number increased to 222,000 by 2001 (Therien,1). With the increase in fast food restaurants the number of people that are obese has also increased and fast food options provide a quick, effortless meal (Sharkly, Johnson, Dean, and Horel,1). Many people like convenience after a long day of work even if they know that fast food is highly processed and contains large amounts of carbohydrates, added sugar, unhealthy fats and salt (Carey,4). Fast food doesn’t just affect a person’s body weight, it also has the possibility to affect academic performance (Woodhouse,1). Fast food often contains too many calories and not enough nutrition (Pietrangelo,1). If fast food is consumed on a daily basis, obesity will come to be a factor in someone’s health history. Many different contributors have lead to the fast growth of the fast food industry. Will people learn how horrible fast food is for themselves? What has caused this fast food revolution to grow at such a speedy rate, and what could be done to amend some of the issues that have surfaced with it? The intriguing, cheap price of McDonald’s and other fast food chains is very tempting. Therefore, it is important for everyone to be more aware of one’s own choices and set a better example for others.

Fast food is a type of mass-produced food filled with fats, carbohydrates, sugar, and high sodium, which is not healthy or efficient for the health of the population. Fast food is popular amongst people in almost all countries around the world, but in the United States, it is more popular than any country in the world. “A generation ago, three-quarters of the money used to buy food in the United States was spent to prepare meals at home. Today about half of the money used to buy food is spent at restaurants-mainly fast food restaurants”. (Schlosser 4). Fast foods popularity heavily relies on the fact that it is served and prepared quickly and is so delicious. Fast food restaurants are extremely convenient and saves time on those lazy and busy days. Although fast food is quick, it is not the healthiest option and is ultimately harming the bodies of its consumers and decreasing the population. Consumers are putting their health at risk, causing long lasting effects for a “fast” meal.

He notes that over the last thirty years there has been an infiltration of fast foods in every part of the American society. The fast food industry took off from modest hot dogs and hamburgers in the Southern Californian part and kept on spreading to all corners of the American soil, in which a broad range of products are sold to customers who can afford to pay for them. Fast foods are sold in restaurants and drive-through, airports, stadiums, learning institutions, railway stations, in