Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

Excellent takedown of the American fast food industry and its cultural and economic effects around the globe. Schlosser's text is rigorously researched and examines the fast food industry from several angles; he essentially takes for granted that the reader is aware of the health effects of fast food consumption and dedicates more time to explaining other elements of the fast food restaurant's impact in the U.S.A. and in the world.

As the book progresses, Schlosser tackles not just the restaurants themselves but also their suppliers. While the observation is entirely unoriginal, I must concur that Schlosser's muckraking is highly reminiscent of Upton Sinclair. Chapter 8, “The Most Dangerous Job,” describes working conditions in the meatpacking factories that sell to fast food chains. While Fast Food Nation does not have an explicit ideological bent, this chapter serves as one of the most stirring condemnations of American capitalism that I have ever read. The conditions suffered by the laborers whom Schlosser interviews are unfathomably, indescribably horrific, and that he manages to express it so effectively is astounding.

If you are looking for motivation to make more conscious choices about your diet, Fast Food Nation will certainly provide it, but not necessarily for the reasons you might expect. Prepare to confront a reality that is more emotionally challenging than most would imagine.