Fast Food Nation
Schlosser, Eric
ISBN 0395977894
Date finished: 2001-10-02
[Buy this book] (why?)
A startling and shocking discussion of fast food restaurants, about their history, their effect on the American food supply, and the resulting changes to American eating habits. The domination of McDonalds -- it's the largest purchaser of beef and the second-largest purchaser of chicken -- has led to the consolidation of beef producers into less than 5 large companies, and in turn they've lobbied Congress to weaken the USDA, which enforces food safety laws. Two chapters on meat-packing plants are horrifying and have frightened me into full vegetarianism (at least for the next week or so). In a hopeful epilogue, Schlosser argues that we can still change the hamburger mega-corporations simply by not buying from them unless they change. Undoubtedly true, but the number of consumers required to make a dent is huge. as every week half the US population goes to a fast-food chain at least once, and it's unlikely enough people will become aware of the problem.