Rating: 
Summary: I am a Citizen of a Fast Food Nation
Review: Eric Schlosser's damning indictment of the fast food industry is a calmly reasoned, well documented polemic against the entire armada of interests that fall under the rubric of the corporate food industry, including fast food restaurants, suppliers, complicit politicians and their hamstrung government agencies, in addition to a culture of sprawl that has provided fertile hunting grounds for these predators.The author carefully takes the reader through three years of his own research, clearly articulating what must have been quite a journey for him: from the roots of the fast food culture in Southern California, to its current standard bearer in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to the people who transformed french fries from hand cut, hand cooked potatoes to the robot-controlled frozen monstrosities now consumed by the ton at fast food outlets around the world. He even includes a graphic description of a tour he took of a real live meat packing plant. This purports to be a book about food. It is also a book about the changing nature of our society, and Schlosser introduces a number of the new faces of that change. We meet some of this country's young, bright high school students too exhausted from 40 hour a week jobs to do their homework properly, we meet some old fashioned ranchers trying to return to a sustainable ranch culture, we even meet the pioneers of the fast food industry itself. These pioneers are, ironically, some of the most interesting characters of this tale; they are iconoclasts with high school educations (or less) who persevered with classic American hard work and gusto. Indeed, they probably have more in common with their lowest paid employees than they do with their own senior executives, who are largely guys with MBAs from privileged backgrounds. "Fast Food Nation" has deservedly become a manifesto for those who blame corporate America for creating a food industry seemingly devoid of ethics and common decency, an industry which has aggressively thwarted even mild attempts at government regulation, even while accepting huge government subsidies for services not rendered to the American economy. The most significant criticism of the book is its anecdotal style. There are a lot of anecdotes, but they are backed up with cold realities. There is one man, for example, who was asked to sign a liability waiver giving up the right to sue his meat packing plant employer after an accident. He had to sign the waiver with the pen in his mouth; the accident had destroyed his hands, and if he did not sign, his hospital bills could not be paid. This is a graphic anecdote to be sure, but it illustrates the concrete point that the industry has callously lobbied to gut workers' rights to fair compensation, a point Schlosser amply substantiates independently of this story. I am a dieter, so I picked up this book for my health. What I discovered was an irrefutable link between the dangerous, addictive products that I have (stupidly) crammed down my throat for years, and a corporate culture of greed and cynicism. If you are overweight as I am, you can no longer separate your condition from the toxic food environment which this industry has deliberately foisted upon you. Our fast food nation did not arise organically; it did not arise by chance: it arose by design, and this book contains the proof.
Rating: 
Summary: Would You Like to Supersize That?
Review: Eric Schlosser is a brave man. He has written a tremendous book that has made him Fast Food Public Enemy #1. Why? Pick up a copy of "Fast Food Nation" and you'll discover exactly what you eat when you go to a fast food restaurant, where the food comes from, and under what conditions it is prepared. This information alone is worth the price of the book, but Schlosser gives us much more. I was saddened and horrified to read of the horrible working conditions that workers in the meat-packing industry must undergo. I was angry at some of the ways in which fast food restaurants treat their workers. But most of all, I was struck by how we as a society have literally swallowed the fast food concept, changing the lives of too many Americans for the worse in so many ways. My only complaint: I wish Schlosser had broadened his study to include more types of restaurants. (The main focus of his study is McDonalds.) Any American (and especially parents) concerned about the general health of the people of this country should read this book. A real eye-opener.
Rating:
Summary: Appalling. Read it and weep.
Review: Since many other reviewers cover the more repulsive details of Schlosser's book, I will stick to pointing out something I think deserves even more attention: one of the themes of the book is that the fast food industry has its tentacles in EVERY aspect of Americans' lives. Changing this goes far, far beyond bypassing a Big Mac...boycotting fast food is not the same thing as boycotting the fast food industry, when industry practices have made the USDA powerless against meatpackers, advertisers target children as consumers, and schools are taking money for corporate sponsorship. This a fantastic book and it touches on a lot of areas that I don't normally think of relating to fast food, such as the plight of abused migrant workers in the slaughterhouses and the economics of teen labor. Everybody should read it, even if you never eat fast food, because you're affected too.
Rating:
Summary: Gave me Nightmares!
Review: Schlosser opened the door for a series of well-researched indictments of the corporate takeover of ALL the means of sustaining our society.
"Fast Food Nation" kicks corporate America squarely in the nuts with his merciless look at how we have allowed food production and consumption to be reduced to a sound bite and a margin call.
If it was Schlosser's intent to get people to re-think their dietary habits and how and where they buy their food. Count me as one of the converted.
Rating:
Summary: Oh my god, I'm speechless......:O
Review: I can't even begin to explain the cold feeling the overtook my entire body when I read this entire book by Eric Schlosser entitled "Fast Food Nation". Althuogh I sensed some kind of suspicious feeling when going to fast food joints like McDonalds and Burger King when I was younger, I never expected that these fast food chains operate in a manner that puts so many people at such utter danger in order to satisfy the appetites of the overfed American populace.
Rating:
Summary: Cow Feces in your beef is now just a "blemish"
Review: That's right. It's not a question of "if" there is cow poop in your ground beef but HOW MUCH cow poop is in your ground beef.
This is an extremely interesting book. What could have been hard to read (which this is at times though not from the writing) and boring is written in a way that makes it easy to understand and entertaining at the same time.
The different sections of this book cover all topics of the fast food industries from their conception, the farms and slaughter houses, effects on the community, treatment of their employees and ties to the nations top dogs in Government.
I read this book every morning while riding my stationary bike. The time flew by and when I was done I was emailing my immediate family with new facts that I had just read.
What has surprised me the most about this book is not what I found out about meat but about flavors, both natural and artificial. This is the first time in my life that I look at junk food and see it for what it is... nothing. Cheeto's are flavored puffs of nothing. Im able to look at food in a whole new light, seeing it for what it is and for me that is a truly awesome gift.
My mom has been a vegetarian for 10+ years, and I myself have been one more than not for 10+ years. We were both very aware what goes on in farms and how animals are treated. But some things are just a lot more tasty with chicken and not tofu. But I am commited to supporting farmers who respect their animals and the people who eat them.
This is a great book, one that will reaffirm what you may have guessed, teach you what you didnt know and keep you interested to read even when your disgusted.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly Important Reading
Review: Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the content of this book, whether you support or absolutely detest what Schlosser tries to convey, this book is first and foremost riveting, page-turning, fascinating reading. You will NOT be bored. I read this book in days flat, and left wanting more.
In terms of the content, it has been years, if not decades, since a non-fiction book of such import, relevance, and timeliness has been published. "Fast Food Nation" takes on the fast food industry (and culture) and calls on them to answer not just for their obvious nutritional deficiencies, but for their more subtle (and therefore insiduous) marketing & advertising manipulations, their labor atrocities, their environmental transgressions, and their societal influence as well.
For a reason (or reasons) not altogether known by myself, I inadvertently and gradually weened myself off fast food as I got older, and now into my 30's, rarely, if ever, do I indulge (or even care to). But after books like "Fast Food Nation" and films like "Super Size Me", I realize why it is so important to resist this product patronage. What started out as an innocent American dream has become an evil American corruptor.
Fast food is not inherently evil, but the industry that drives it just might be. Regardless of your point of view, whether you agree or disagree, be vigilant in your education and know why you make the choices you do. "Fast Food Nation" is a good place to start.
Rating:
Summary: Worse Than Cigarettes
Review: After reading this book you very well may never again eat in another McDonald's or Burger King or the like. You may not even want to kiss someone who regularly eats in one of these junk joints, either. Suffice it to say they should change the name of their products to McS**t burgers, Salmonella Nuggets and E Coli Fillets.
Not to mention the fact that the way they treat their employees is the closest to standards of the sweat shop allowable by law!
Ever wonder why the famous old advertising jingle of Burger King "Have it Your Way" left everything optional except how the burger was cooked? To order a medium rare Whopper there would be to court death.
So do yourself a favor: if you'd like to grow old together with your loved ones, have the good sense and decency to feed them home-cooked meals and non-toxic foods.
Rating:
Summary: The unappetizing details make a fascinating book!
Review: I haven't eaten fast food in over a month after reading this book, but doubt the effect will linger much longer-the industry is simply to pervasive and that's part of the point. Fast Food Nation is an eye-opening read, more bias than traditional non-fiction, and full of interesting, and unappetizing information. The internal memos on essentially brainwashing their youngest customers in order to manipulate parents and grandparents, the shrewd business arrangements with suppliers and schools, the gory details of the meat industry are all too hard to forget. Even the history of the major franchises is told in an interesting and engaging manner.
It's not exactly science but would be an interesting book for high school classes to study.
Rating:
Summary: Brought tears to my eyes, and vomit out of my mouth.
Review: I would like like to say "thank you" to Eric Schlosser for writing this book. I think it's appauling how the meat packing corporations and fast food industries treat their employees, and their customers. I have never felt so betrayed in all my life. I was a fool to beleive that we live in a nation that is for the people by the people. Anyone who passes laws against testing the safety of plants and the meat coming out of them should be punished for treason for I believe it is an internal act of terrorism on all the lives of the people working there and those who consume its product.
My life has changed for the better, no longer will and fast food, or meat packing corporations get a cent of my hard earned money.
Hmm.... wonder who else is wronging us...
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