Introduction

Why is fast food worth studying?
Fast food is worth studying as it has penetrated American society and transformed "our landscape, economy, workforce, and popular culture" (Page 3). Fast food is a common element of many lives, and few people truly know anything about it except, perhaps, that it is "bad" for you.

What are some of the observations about McDonald's made by the author?
Eric Schlosser illustrates the degree to which McDonald's has affected American society: it is "responsible for 90 percent of the country's new jobs"; "one out of every eight workers in the United States has at one point been employed by McDonald's"; it is "the nation's largest purchase of beef, pork, and potatoes"; "the largest owner of retail property in the world"; and "96 percent [of American schoolchildren] could identify Ronald McDonald" (Page 4).

According to the author, why did he write this book?
The author wrote this book as he believes "people should know what lies behind the shiny, happy surface of every fast food transaction" (Page 10). Purchasing fast food has become a process involving little thought; little is known about the efforts by which fast food companies keep prices to a minimum and minimize regulation.