Fast Food Nation - 2114 Words

The story of the fast food industry and its effect on the world is well told in the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. Schlosser makes the claim that, what started out as a special treat for the kids eventually ended up defining a way of life. During a brief period of time, the fast food industry has helped transform not only the American diet, but also our countryside, economy, workforce, and popular culture. The book thoroughly describes how important the two factors of money and power are in todays society. The book clearly establishes the broader thesis that as consumers, we should know what we eat even if it makes us uncomfortable by the knowledge. On any given day in the United States about one quarter of the adult†¦show more content†¦(p.230) Because of this, obesity is now spanning the globe as other countries have adopted the American fast food culture. Fast Food Nation is comprehensively researched and dreadfully convincing. Most of the research comes from ab undant first hand accounts and interviews that Schlosser conducted while traveling throughout the country. Schlossers writing style is very interesting as he mixed personal stories with a landslide of facts and observations. He uses numerous sources including newspapers, journals, books, news reports, articles, and personal accounts. During the two years that he researched the book, he ate a lot of fast food and visited places that affect the fast food industry from the ground up. Schlosser documents all of his claims that he makes in the book. Fast Food Nation was one of the most well researched books that I have ever read. Overall, the book has more strengths than it does weaknesses. Given the popularity of fast food by Americans and people across the world, this was information that needed to be spread to consumers everywhere. Schlosser does an incredible job of presenting the fast food industry from the grass roots up. But all of the problems that Schlosser identifies essentiall y bring up more questions than he can possibly answer in his book. The book proposes solutions to the evils of the industry but he doesnt really elaborate on the issues to make them understandable.Show MoreRelatedFast Food Nation1271 Words   |  6 PagesIntro  to  Political  Science 5/12/2013 Fast  Food  Nation The  investigative  journalist,  Eric  Schlosser,  has  written  a  book  to  illuminate  an  epidemic  that started  in  America  and  is  now  becoming  one  of  the  world’s  largest  problems.  In  Fast  Food  Nation, Schlosser  frames  today’s  Fast  Food  giants  in  history,American  entrepreneurialism,  and  over consumption  in  respect  to  consumer  and  employee  wellbeing.  The  power  of  all  modern  Fast  Food giants  combined  have  eclipsed  the  power  of  any  one  government.  Marketing  has  become  a  keyRead MoreFast Food Nation1487 Words   |  6 PagesThe Changing of the Food Industry â€Å"In many respects, the fast food industry embodies the best and worst of American capitalism at the start of the twenty-first century – its constant stream of new products and innovations, its widening gulf between gulf between rich and poor† (Schlosser 6). In 2001 Eric Schlosser published â€Å"Fast Food Nation.† Eric Schlosser’s early 21st century muckraking text, â€Å"Fast Food Nation,† attempts to shed light on the consequences of the fast food industry on AmericanRead MoreFast Food Nation1133 Words   |  5 PagesFast Food Nation Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser, is a stark and unrelenting look into the fast food industry that has ingrained itself in not only American culture, but in culture around the world. There is almost no place on earth that the golden arches has not entered. Aside from Antarctica, there is a McDonalds on every continent, and the number of countries that have fast food restaurants is growing on a daily basis. Schlosser describes in detail what happens behind the scenes, beforeRead MoreFast Food Nation2536 Words   |  11 PagesDialectical Journal – Fast Food Nation 1. â€Å"Hundreds of millions of people buy fast food every day without giving it much thought, unaware of the subtle and not so subtle ramifications of their purchases. They rarely consider where this food came from, how it was made, what it is doing to the community around them. They just grab their tray off the counter, find a table, take a seat, unwrap the paper, and dig in† (Schlosser 10). In this passage from the introduction, Eric Schlosser directly statesRead MoreFast Food Nation Examines The History Of The Fast Food1847 Words   |  8 PagesFast Food Nation examines the history of the fast food industry as the world began to consume the idea of quick and easy cuisine. This piece of investigative journalism really gives it s readers a look at the fast food industry and its development over time. This book is divided into two sections. The first section delves into the beginnings of the industry and how it developed into the large corporational business it is today. Th e second section examines the business behind the scenes. The bookRead MoreFast Food Nation: The Inconvenient Truth of Fast Food Essay572 Words   |  3 Pages ‘Fast Food Nation’ by Eric Schlosser traces the history of fast food industry from old hot dog stands to the billion dollar franchise companies established as America spread its influence of quick, easy and greasy cuisine around the globe. It is a brilliant piece of investigative journalism that looks deep into the industries that have profited from the American agriculture business, while engaging in labor practices that are often shameful. In Fast Food Nation, Schlosser goes beyond the factsRead MoreEric Schlossers Fast Food Nation And The Jungle1698 Words   |  7 PagesFast food restaurants exude bright colors, distribute meals with toys, and create a sense of happiness, but what truly goes on behind the scenes of this magical industry? In Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation and Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, the authors use similar rhetorical strategies to reveal the motives and unconventional practices of the food industry. Schlosser conveys his purpose through the utilization of pathos, ethos, anecdotes and imagery as compared to Sinclair who uses historical referencesRead MoreFast Food Nation Essay804 Words   |  4 Pagesstudy called â€Å"Fast Food Nation 2008. The panel consisted of 1,000 respondents of ages 16-65 who provided their inputs with an online survey which was conducted between March 13 through 2008. Which was based on results on fast food restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King , and Wendy’s are gaining popularity even through the economic hardship and recession. Marketing strategy has become more of influence on kids and young American’s. As population grows and the demand increases of fast food restaurantsRead MoreFast Food Nation By Eric Schlosser1678 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Congress should ban advertising that preys upon children, it should stop subsidizing dead-end jobs, it should pass tougher food safety laws, it should protect American workers from serious harm, it should fight against dangerous concentrations of economic power (Schlosser). People must wonder how is it that a fast food company has so much customers. Advertising is the answer. The power advertisers have to be able to influence so many people s decisions and affect people’s lives especially the livesRead MoreFast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser Essay1928 Words   |  8 Pagesthe most shocking books of the generation is Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Natio n. The novel includes two sections, The American Way and Meat and Potatoes,† that aid him in describing the history and people who have helped shape up the basics of the â€Å"McWorld.† Fast Food Nation jumps into action at the beginning of the novel with a discussion of Carl N. Karcher and the McDonald’s brothers. He explores their roles as â€Å"Gods† of the fast-food industry. Schlosser then visits Colorado Springs and investigates