GENRE: Nonfiction: Documentary, investigative reporting. 
 SUBJECT/THEMES: Fast food, food industry, food related illnesses, meat processing plants. 
 SUMMARY: In Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser takes a hard and close look at the ins and outs of the fast food industry. He provides a vast amount of history on every subject he broaches, from how the McDonald's chain got its start, to the Iowa Beef Packers, to marketing to children. Schlosser examines how fast food companies treat their employees, as well as the dangers (both to the workers and to the product) of meat processing plants. He demystifies why the french fries at McDonald's taste so good--they used to fry them in part oil and part beef tallow. Now the fries are cooked in vegetable oil, but have beef flavoring added to them. Schlosser takes the reader on a journey through how fast food companies are taking over places other than North America. He examines the dirty, the nasty, and the surprising facets of the hugely successful fast food industry, along with the horrendous affect it has on the cattle and poultry industries, and more. 
 EVALUATION: This book fascinated me the same way it can be difficult not to look out the window at an accident. I learned things that disgusted and shocked me, and helped ensure that I will be even less likely than I already was to venture into a fast food restaurant. I have seen the movie Super Size Me, and while this book is similar in subject, it focused more on why these restaurants function the way they do, how they do it, and how this affects their workers, customers, and suppliers. I feel less ignorant now than I did before picking up this book, though I am not sure I won't miss the bliss that ignorance can sometimes provide. 
 WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: Teenagers are the major source of employees for fast food restaurants. In addition, they are some of the biggest purveyors of the food. This book could be a huge eye-opener to teens that do not give much thought about where the food they put into their bodies comes from, what is consists of, how it got to be from a cow to their hamburger, or perhaps how many of the industry's workers are treated to make all of this happen. The book offers plenty of educational benefits, though it is sensationalistic enough to provide some entertainment value as well. This version has been updated a bit since its original release. It now provides information on mad cow disease. After that chapter, the author includes a long notes section, then some acknowledgements, an index, and some information about the author. 
 This title could fit easily into a special focus on teen health and diet choices. I have not seen the movie that was released based on this book, though it may be a candidate for such a display as well. I would add the titles listed below to such a display too. 
 ITEMS WITH SIMILAR APPEAL: 
 *	Food Fight: The Inside Story of the Food Industry, America's Obesity Crisis, and What We Can Do About It, by Kelly Brownell and Katherine Battle Horgen. 
 *	Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health, by Marion Nestle. 
 *	In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, by Michael Pollan. 
 *	The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, by Michael Pollan. 
 *	Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America, by Morgan Spurlock.