Summary and Analysis of "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser

In Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser is segmented into two main sections taking the reader on a wonderful journey into the world of fast food, while focusing on empowering the individual to change their ways on how to eat healthier food than just fast food. The author describes how the industry has made the overall food quality worldwide smaller and how the food industry created poor working conditions for millions of people which ruined public health.

In the first aspect of the book, the author opens up with a discussion on Carl N. Karcher who was one of the fast food pioneers that opened up a Drive – in barbeque restaurant in California which the population was increasing. There was a nearby restaurant called McDonald’s Famous Hamburgers where the McDonalds brothers had the customers eat inside the restaurant. Katcher was inspired by the McDonald’s brother which he opened up his own self-service restaurant. Taco Bell, Dunkin Donuts, Wendy’s, Dominos and Kentucky Fried Chicken is the many fast food places that still remains today. Basically, this chapter gives us a historical background that tells us how the fast food nation started. The author shows us different aspects of the fast food pioneer. He compared McDonalds with the Walt Disney Company which he was able to show Ray Kroc as a clever businessman who had expanded his empire. Eric also demonstrates how the fast food nation doesn’t provide nutrition which tricks the young people into buying their products. This chapter shows us the important roles of marketing, advertising, and corporate sponsorship in fast food. He discusses the recruitment treatment and the work experience of the fast food employees in Colorado spring and nationwide. He talks about how he thinks that the workforce is what keeps the fast food industry running. Then the author makes comparisons between the old franchises and the new franchises He started to notice that the franchises can get rick very quick. Then he concluded the first part of the book by still remaining critical evaluation of Kroc which we previously read. In Scholosser’s statement, he provides the evidence that an economist argues that franchises are not safer than the independent business but does not criticizes on what the economist research method or where another economist might also feel a different way about it too.

In the second part of the book, the author is very worried about the food that we eat. He focuses on the French fries and how the potatoes is being manufactured and what it is contributed to it flavors. He categorizes fast food French fries as processed food. He talks about J.R Simplot who dropped out of high school to make his dream come true by becoming a potato farmer. Then the section that discusses about meat and potatoes shows us the behind the scenes work of how what we eat get produced. Eric visited a Colorado rancher name Hank with the purpose to show the difference between what he does and raping the land. He then gives us a brief history of the early 20th century on the efforts to break up the Beef Trust which five of the meatpacking companies had a monopoly in the meatpacking industry. Eric goes in depth of discussing about the chicken and beef industries to expose what happens behind the scenes in the fast food industry. The rancher shows us how an expansive industry can devastate a single life. The people that were working in the meatpacking industry were mostly immigrants who don’t speak English who were getting paid low wages. Their working conditions were very poor, and it wasn’t easy. The author then talks about how we should consider how many human actors that has been injured in this industry and how there were many hazards in their workplace.

Eric Schlosser doesn’t understand why people would want to work in the meat packing industry. He brought to the readers attentions of the role of fast food and how does it affect us. Fast food has been spreading globally and it is creating a worldwide epidemic.