Fast Food Nation
If you have a liking for fast food, especially from one of the big American or Multinational Corporations, this book will surely change your eating habits forever. The first book from an award winning American journalist, Fast Food Nation does much more than expose the unhealthy, fattening side of the ubiquitous hamburger, fried chicken and French fries. He explores the devastating effect the rise of the fast food giants has had on the towns and cities, farmers and land, factory and restaurant workers of the USA, in the relentless drive for rising profits and cheap food.
The facts of what is in the food and the spread of food poisoning on a massive scale through the industrialisation of the production chain is worrying enough, but more shocking is the employment of teenage staff in the restaurants and illegal immigrants in the meat packing plants, making it easy to ignore laws protecting workers' rights and almost impossible for unions to be formed. The political strength of the fast food lobby in blocking curtailment of their powers at the highest level should wake us up yet again to the power of the multinational corporations in getting what they want in the pursuit of profit on their terms at any cost.
If you have any interest in world affairs, the environment, workers' rights or the poor, read this book. Then use your power as a consumer and refuse to buy the product!