Very readable non-fiction. Interesting, fascinating at times. Disgusting facts of reality at others, you'd rather not know, if you are a fast food eater ( as I have been for most of my adult life). Discusses much more than just the core of the fast food industry- the food & it's processing and implications for health. Looks at the impact of the industry on business models, working conditions, suburban sprawl, environment, etc. Lots of food for thought, pardon the pun.

Well, I finished that considerably sooner than I expected to. Mainly because the last 44% of the book (I read it on my Kindle) is taken up entirely by an enormous bibliography, photograph credits section and an incredibly in-depth index.

I wasn't sad; by the 56% mark I'd had enough, to be honest. I'm not saying it's a bad book by any means but it's not the kind of book one enjoys.

The book held few surprises for me, I'm sad to say. I already knew at least 50% of the information contained in it and another 40% I could have guessed, based on my knowledge of how big business works. Perhaps I'm just too cynical to be shocked by this stuff or perhaps I've just accepted the fact that large companies will do absolutely anything they think they can get away with to increase their profit margins as a basic fact of life in the twenty first century.

'What about the other 10%?' I hear the more attentive mathematicians amongst you cry! Well, the only part of this book I did find a bit shocking was the section that dealt with some of the horrific injuries suffered by employees in meat packing factories in the US. Injuries and deaths, I should say. Bone-chilling stuff, particularly the part about the meat packing employee who fell into a vat and was rendered into lard. Bad as that is, it's not the worst part (no sausage jokes, please); the lard was then SOLD AND EATEN!

Ghhaarrrccckkkk!!!

Anyway, I'm not dwelling on that any longer than absolutely necessary... Let's just say that this is an informative book that everybody should read... probably... It might give you nightmares, though; don't say I didn't warn you! This being said, you probably won't get the desired effect from the book unless you're considerably less cynical than I am...

Right! That's that review written! Now... Burger King or KFC for dinner tonight? Decisions, decisions...

In some ways obsolete because its deed is done; Schlosser may have been blowing the lid off the industry 20 years ago, but now even the most unsavory details of his book are common knowledge. Americans are fat, corporations are greedy, fry cooks sometimes spit in the food, “there is shit in the meat,” etc. The book also is, honestly, kind of an inelegant info dump.

Why read it? For those human moments. I will never forget the story of Kenny Dobbins.

Originally, I thought this would be about how the 'fast food' franchises have impacted the way we eat in America and it did go into how the founders of the big franchises work and persuade and convince children to cajole parents into buying what really isn't that nutritious. That Americans are becoming more obese and their health is degrading the more of the deep fried, greasy and salty food that is on most of the big corporations. Yes, that's there but the author goes into the background of the massive agricultural conglomerates that grow and process some of the major items on the menu.

Namely the beef, the potatoes and the chicken. The mega-farms and the natural verses artificial flavorings that tempt our tastebuds. The feedlots and meatpackers and poultry farmers - who often don't own the birds that they are raising, they're owned by the mega corps who provide the birds, feed and determine the price they'll pay for each animal they take.

The pathogens that are found in meat (and other food commodities) that are toxic and can be fatal - the E.coli, the salmonella, and others that are becoming antibiotic-resistant.

The franchises which are selling a dream and squeezing every penny out of the businesses that they authorize. The tax breaks that they get for hiring - which translates into having high employee turnover as they get another credit for hiring another new employee. Of course, the turnover is high since they pay low wages and have questionable violations of OSHA and state labor regulations especially for teens who can be made to work more hours regulated or are off the clock and thus not getting paid for. And don't even consider what owners and managers would do if the rumor of union consideration starts to whisper through a store.

And federal regulatory departments are handicapped by the fast food industries gaining concessions, removing surprise inspections by the USDA along with placing employee safety records and pathogen testing placed under corporate control rather than outside government oversight.

I know that this was published a number of years ago but somehow, I don't think things have changed much for the better. Well, maybe now, with the demand for higher wages. But it is still likely that the immigrants and workers in the meatpacking plants are still forced to process questionable quality meat under hot, humid, dangerous conditions.

Maybe this isn't just about the dark side of the meal itself but the dark side of what it costs - and it's not just the dollars and cents - to provide it to that next car at the drive-in.

2022-114

not just a look at how the food is unhealthy, but also an anti-capitalist analysis of everything wrong with America that allowed such an exploitative to crop up. The mistreatment of minimum-wage workers, disappearing small farms, dangerous slaughterhouse jobs, the lack of power given to organizations like OSHA and the USDA, and private companies lobbying congress are all covered and it made me genuinely mad, both for the general state of things and knowing that this book was published like 20 years ago and nothing is better

This classic about the fast food industry is now 20 years old and a bit dated. But the conditions it describes haven't changed much.

This book was SO much better than I was expecting it to be! I mean, I went into it figuring I would learn something but I was NOT expecting it to be so entertaining and have so many facts and anecdotes that were literally jaw-dropping. There's a good amount of history in the book which I wasn't expecting but found really interesting. Fast Food Nation is hugely informative and eye opening and I truly truly recommend it to everyone.

Something occurred to me while finishing this book. While I was reading Fast Food Nation, I was also finishing the seventh Harry Potter. Everyone who had already read HP told me how good it is, how they cried, etc. And yes, HP was endearing. But FFN was to an even greater extent I feel.

While most readers engage themselves in fiction, nonfiction is highly ignored—and I’m guilty of this maybe more than anyone else. But reading FFN gave me all of the same strong emotions that reading fiction does. I am angered at the villain (in this case large corporations that will do anything for money, including lie to their clients), and I feel emotionally attached to the victims—the rancher, the meatpacker, the fast food franchisee, and the consumer of this meat. But then the realization hits me—this is real.

These huge corporations are really recruiting poor, unskilled laborers, often immigrants to perform very dangerous jobs, refusing them decent wages, insurance, or worse yet, workers compensation when they hurt themselves. While it is true that the evidence is anecdotal, it is perhaps the only evidence that will ever be available, since these companies have a long unpunished history of lying. Lying to their workers, lying to the government, and lying to their customers.

At first I was simply horrified by the human aspect. How terribly these companies treat their workers. It is extremely despicable, but even I cannot capture all of the terrors. You’ll have to read the book to understand.

But after the human aspect, FFN took a twist toward The Jungle. Sinclair would be truly pleased. The fact that these companies are so powerful, they don’t have to test their meats for salmonella or e. coli is awesome: unless you’re one of the millions of unsuspecting meat eaters in the world. It’s truly sickening how much power these companies have. The government has the power to recall all kinds of defective merchandise, but not potentially lethal meat.

Obviously this book has a very liberal bias. But so do I, so I don’t mind much. It took a LONG time to read, but is worth it I feel.

Eye opening

Wow... it has taken me months to get through this book. Up until the last 2 chapters, I couldn’t go more than a couple of sub chapters at a time because I just got so mad and so heartbroken at the eye opening and really horrific details that the author goes into.

Every time I opened my Kindle, I had to take stock of how I was feeling that day, if I could handle more information that would make me want to tear my hair out or break my already fragile heart. And most days, I opted to skip Fast Food Nation because I just couldn’t handle it.

But I soldiered on. I realised we just needed to face the ugly truth and being ignorant is NOT bliss. It does more harm than any good. So about once a week, I steel my nerves and read maybe 5 to 10 pages and quit before I do irreparable damage to my nerves and my heart.

I do have to commend the author for a thorough investigation into this entire segment of business. While I knew it wasn’t healthy to eat, I did not know quite the extent of it. Nor did I realise just how much it hurt those who worked in the industry.

Sure, life is money and money is business. But, I’m increasingly cognisant of the fact that we can still make money while having a conscience and being fair towards others. This whole scarcity mentality is NOT real and we should rise above this self-centredness we’re all guilty of. Nobody has to lose for you to win. We can all win together.

Regardless, sticking to the topic at hand, this book was truly an eye opener and should be read by everyone! Even if you don’t agree with the book. Just read it. Doesn’t hurt to have a different perspective, k.

A very comprehensive book about industrial farming and its consequences. Both for our health, for the farmers, the workers and animals that are served on our table. It's quite shocking in places. Particularly how IBP abuses illegal immigrants and low-skilled labor in dangerous jobs with no benefits. The turn-over in a year is 100%. As in the "Ominvore's dilemma", my main conclusion is that we do not pay anywhere close the real price for the meat on our tables. It's the middle men who run away with most of the profit and the cost of everyone else. The farmers are up to their necks in debt and with few options. Eat what you want, but do consider the real cost of it, and the risk to your health.

Oh my GOD. You will never eat fast food again (or any processed food for tht matter). It is incredulous what food comapanies are getting away with - what they allow to get into the food they rpocess, the unscrupulous way they handle employees, the calaous way they treat consumers. Please read this book. Save yourself, your kids, our small farmers, and our planet. Put your money somehwere else.

This book is making me hungry.

Determined not to let an imposing wall of acronyms block my progress, I forged on, ignoring my growling stomach, (which stopped growling when I read There's shit in the meat) and ended up underlining half the book, adding exclamation marks, question marks, exploding stars, asterisks, and enraged notations in the margins: How can they live with themselves!! and Those satanic conservative Republicans!! and Those Republicans AGAIN!! and every now and then yelling indignant outbursts of OH!!

Read this book to find out the multiple interesting ways fast food causes suffering and death. And one final thought: The Shiga Toxins would make a good name for a band.