To a degree both engrossing and alarming, the story of fast food is the story of postwar America. Though created by a handful of mavericks, the fast food industry has triggered the homogenization of our society. Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled the juggernaut of American cultural imperialism abroad. That's a lengthy list of charges, but Eric Schlosser makes them stick with an artful mix of first-rate reportage, wry wit, and careful reasoning.Schlosser's myth-shattering survey stretches from the California subdivisions where the business was born to the industrial corridor along the New Jersey Turnpike where many of fast food's flavors are concocted. He hangs out with the teenagers who make the restaurants run and communes with those unlucky enough to hold America's most dangerous job - meatpacker. He travels to Las Vegas for a giddily surreal franchisers' convention where Mikhail Gorbachev delivers the keynote address. He even ventures to England and Germany to clock the rate at which those countries are becoming fast food nations. Fast Food Nation is a groundbreaking work of investigation and cultural history that may change the way America thinks about the way it eats.
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A revealing look at the fast food industry..., February 17, 2006
Reviewer: LOLJPB
General Content – Eric Schlosser’s intimate portrayal of the fast food industry is an eye-opener. He paints a detailed (and often depressing) picture of the effects that the popularity of fast food have had on the United States and the entire world. It was very interesting to hear about the some of the practices that the fast food companies employ in the interest of increased sales and higher profits. Particularly repelling is the practice of marketing unhealthy food to very young children. I’m the first person to believe in freedom of choice but also feel that using sophisticated marketing techniques on pre-school and elementary school children crosses a line.
My only gripe with Schlosser’s book is that often he appears to be presenting a political agenda rather than acting as an impartial observer. There are times when this may make the reader/listener call into question many of the facts and figures that he presents. He says some extreme things (e.g., using some bizarre analogy about HIV and E Coli that seemed to imply some relation) that I feel hurt his credibility. For the most part the book seems well-written though. If you’re a big fan of fast food, this book may cause you to re-think your dietary habits.
Audio-Specific Content – I listened to the abridged (9 hours in length) version of this title through Audible.com. The version is read by Rick Adamson whom I found to be highly listenable. The recording “skipped” a couple of times but for the most part the production was first-rate.
- Published:
2001
- Average Customer Ratings:
(4.3, Audible.com)
- LearnOutLoud.com Product ID:
F002370
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0739312502 |
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0553529005 |
9780553529005 |
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