Fast Food Nation

Fast Food Nation, a nonfiction text written by Eric Schlosser, insightfully examines the industry of fast food.  Unlike many nonfiction works presently, the book is not one dimensional and refers to the entire industry, not just its negative effects.  It actually focuses widely on the business concept of the fast food industry (the second part of the novel is set aside for actually describing the food making process).  This arrangement allows the reader to gain an understanding and appreciation for an industry that is often blamed for the corruption of America.  In order to do this, one of the chapters compares Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's to Walt Disney.  They both came from similar backgrounds and used similar marketing strategies to improve their business empires.  Using this extended comparison allows the reader to see how the fast food industry was created to maximize profits.  Also, the author decides to set the story in a city dependent on fast food restaurants for an early chapter.  This choice allows the most extreme effects of the business on everyday life.  Designed to show all sides of the fast food industry Fast Food Nation is able to demonstrate the drastic impact that fast food had on American culture, which in a way helps justify it to the reader.  Its assembly line-like processes were appropriate and fitting for the time period in which these empires began.  The choice to not just bash the industry for its lack of health allows the reader to become attached to the book and allows them to be more open to the author's ideas.  It will be interesting to see if this state of mind changes as the second part of the book gets in to the disgusting practices of the industry.