Reviewed by Alan Choate

Readers who snack while cruising through a good book will want to reconsider that practice if they pick up Fast Food Nation. To say Eric Schlosser offers an unsparing look at the fast food industry is an understatement. His conclusions could make even the most dedicated burger-and-fry freak go vegan.

Schlosser’s journey through the food industry ranges all over the contemporary American landscape, drawing connections between the McDonald’s and Taco Bells of the world and such ills as the evils of advertising to children, urban sprawl, the rise of agribusiness conglomerates, the decline of workers’ rights, American obesity, and the vulnerability of the U.S. food supply. Through corporate histories and profiles of those working at all levels of the fast food hierarchy, the book convincingly challenges ingrained ideas about "success" that favor the McDonaldization of society. It’s hard to come away from the book without a changed point of view.

Except for the introduction and a brutal account of the meatpacking industry, Schlosser’s writing doesn’t move beyond the bare-bones journalism needed to tell this story. With material like this, it doesn’t have to. The author offers more than stinging criticism, though. He concludes by stating concrete, achievable goals that would address many of the existing problems.

If this sounds like ponderously heavy subject matter, don’t be afraid. Yes, it’s a serious book — but it’s also fascinating. Once you start reading, you’ll forget you’re engrossed in the literary equivalent of eating your vegetables.