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Fastfood Nation

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Submitted By ivonicas
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Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, obvious by its title is a book about the fast food industry. The book begins with the start of fast food, which was post World War 2. Much detail is provided in regards to the chemical flavoring of the food, cattle and chicken farms, the working conditions, the dangers of eating the meat and the rapidly growing fast food industry.

As the book opens, it discusses how the veterans of the fast food industry came to be in so-cal. Some of those discussed were the brothers of McDonalds and Carl Karcher. At the time of the rise in the fast food industry is a time when one of Disney’s most prominent figures Ray Kroc was having complicated relationships with the McDonalds brothers as they were all rising to fame. Schlosser goes into detail about the methods of a marketing and advertising to children. The authors’ main focus of study while conducting his observations was Colorado Springs, CO. Eric observes the employees of the fast food industry, turnover rates. He believes through his study that the fast food industry employs the largest rate of minimum wage workers. In the second portion of the book, it begins to go into detail on the chemical substances contained in the food arguing that this is what makes the food taste so good. As he explains the meatpacking industry he speaks of it more derogatively then any other issue. Schlosser makes it clear in his book that meatpacking is one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. The way cattle are raised, slaughtered and processed is an easy way for E coli to spread. Lastly, the author reflects on the fast food industry and how it has progressed in the American culture. Schlosser argues with his observations that because of the collapse of the Soviet Union, has caused the growth of American goods and services especially with the fast food industry. As the result of this, the

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