Fast Food Nation

Posted August 25, 2006 to America , Books category.

An eye opening book on what lies behind the shiny facade of most fast food restaurants today. The book pokes deep inside the modern American meat packing industry, which the race for the ever cheaper and larger McMeal has turned into a monstrosity. Micheal Pollan's brilliant interview on modern meat covers the some of the basics talked about in the book very well. A key factoid: By the time a modern American beef cow is six months old, it has seen its last blade of grass for the rest of its life. Industrialized meat farming is more akin to medival europe back in the dark ages than something out of this day and age.

The book will probably not turn you vegetarian, but it'll certainly put you off fast food. The book is very America-centric, but it stands to reason that as the fast food industry spreads, it'll bring along it's associated practices to the rest of the world. Which is a scary thought! Fast food seems cheap and convenient, but it's enormous cost to society goes unrecognized.

book reviews

  • Salon: Unhappy meals :: "Fast Food Nation," a stomach-churning critique of the health and labor practices of the burger business, argues that Americans should change their dietary habits. Good luck.
  • NY Times: No Accounting for Mouthfeel :: Fast food is an inescapable part of the modern world, and the author thinks that's a very bad thing.

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