Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Eric Schlosser, in his book "Fast Food Nation", states that what America enthusiastically and habitually eats explains much of the national psychology of the U.S.; thus, fast foods represent a national "craving" for sameness, predictability and conformity. The author points out that, in Chapter I, Schlosser reports that the "founding fathers" of the American (now very heavily-exported) fast food industry actually used their own originality, creativity, ingenuity, risk-taking capacities and entrepreneurial ways to create, ironically, the bland yet predictable sameness and conformity that has existed from the start within the fast food industry. The paper states that, because the book was easy to read and entertaining, the extensive list of well-written end-notes, thorough bibliography and index was surprising and indicated the far-reaching research upon which the book is based.

Table of Contents
Summary of Chapter I: "The Founding Fathers"
Schlosser: Fast Food is a Metaphor for the Nation
Chapter 10: "Global Realization"
Critique of "Meat and Potatoes" Section

From the Paper:

"Also within Chapter 10 "Global Realization" of Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation (2001), the author discusses the targeting of children by fast food advertisers, and even of international conferences and marketing organizations like the Gepetto Group that study children's consumption tastes and habits, and marketing trends and techniques that appeal to children in particular. As a result of such efforts, though, childhood obesity, as Schlosser points out, has become an epidemic in America, and in other nations that have embraced the American-created fast food habit."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Kakutani, Michiko. "Books of the Times; Hold the Pickles, Hold the Lettuce." The New York Times. January 30, 2001. Retrieved May 7, 2006, from: <http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage. html?res= 9D07E2DD113FF9 33A05752C0A9679C8B63&sec=&pagewanted=2.html>.
• Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation. New York: Houghton Miflin, 2001.

More papers on Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation":

• Analytical Essay # 70166 : "Fast Food Nation"
• Book Review # 56012 : "Fast Food Nation"
• Essay # 70555 : "Fast Food Nation"

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