Fast Food Nation Review

You may think that the Big Mac you ate for lunch today is only going to affect your hips, but think again. Eric Schlosser shows that the fast food industry not only tips the scale for customers, but has in fact changed the world. From the way land is settled to the competition of agriculture, Scholser gives a detailed account of every aspect of the world that the fast food industry has stuck their greasy fingers in. If you think this will be another one of those books that ultimately persuades the reader to not step foot in another McDonalds again because they have learned how much saturated fat is in some fries, this isn't the book for you. Scholsser doesn't even delve into the topic of obesity until the very end. Rather, he mainly talks about what you don't immediately think about when you walk order your food. How did those fries got on your plate? why do they taste the way they do? Who made them?

Don't expect your assumptions to be met about how bad fast food is, as because Schlosser never comes out and actually says its bad. You will learn about the hard-working risen-from-nothing farmers who work tirelessly to create wholesome, delicious foods for the consumer. You will feel the connection they have with their food, and realize that fast food isn't made in a factory (sort of). You may even gain an appreciation and awe at how smart fast food companies like McDonalds are.

Having said that, don't expect an epiphany of how fast food is actually healthy for you, because its not. You will learn about the horrors of labor unions, the frightening scenes of meatpacking, the terrible robberies in resturaunts, and the pain that is inflicted upon farmers do to the empowerment of these large fast food companies.

McDonalds isn't the only restaurant you will learn about. You will learn how that store actually pioneered the boom of the fast food industry and learn about other restaurants clever tactics to market and get people to eat.

You will realize that fast food has been playing with the world for the past 70 years. It has globalized the world for its own personal benefit of sales. Now you can eat the same food in Japan that you can in Germany, and unfortunately it is pushing aside the traits that made every country unique.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that has ever eaten at a fast food restaurant. Before opening the bood I thought I would never want to sink my teeth into a Mcanything ever again. But despite my distaste for some of the companies practices, I ultimately got a better appreciation of how smart these companies are and how dedicated the farmers are to produce the best food for you and me.