Blog 13: Final Thoughts on Fast Food Nation

What is the most shocking or convincing argument that Schlosser makes in his book? Has this book changed the way you think about the food you eat? If you will continue to indulge in fast food, why are you making this decision? Has fast food gotten better or worse over the years since the publication of Schlosser's book?

Blog 12: Afterword: The Meaning of Mad Cow

What is Mad Cow Disease, how does it proliferate, and how can it be controlled? What dangers does it pose and what causes cattle to be infected with it? Is it a serious threat to humans?

Blog 11: Epilogue: Have it Your Way

Discuss the 'free market' concept. Eric Schlosser says this concept "has cloaked changes in the nation's economy that bear little relation to real competition or freedom of choice." To what is he referring? (260)Eric Schlosser says on page 261, "Over the past twenty years the United States has swung too far in one direction, weakening the regulations that safeguard workers, consumers, and the environment. An economic system promising freedom has too often become a means of denying it, as the narrow dictates of the market gain precedence over more important democratic values." Do you agree? Discuss. (261)As discussed in the Epilogue, what suggestions does the author make to remedy some of his criticisms of fast food culture?

Blog 10: Research Questions for PopCorn Essay

Write a unique research question for the Pop Corn Essay based on your reading of Chapter 10: Global Realization. No repeat questions! Be sure to read the responses that are already posted before you post your question.

Blog 9: What's in the Meat

How has the meat-processing/meatpacking industry been a spreader of disease and what elements in meatpacking are the cause of most meat contamination? After reading about foodborne pathogens that can be in hamburger meat, are you concerned about food poisoning when you eat at a fast food restaurant? How common is E. coli in restaurant foods? What outbreaks of E.Coli have you heard about in recent news?

Blog 8: The Most Dangerous Job

According the Eric Schlosser, "Meatpacking is now the most dangerous job in the United States." What makes the job so dangerous, and how are injured workers typically treated, administratively and medically? Why? (172-174)

Blog 6 & Blog 7: “On the Range” & “Cogs in the Great Machine”

Why did Schlosser frame Chapter 6 with Hank's story? How does Hank's story relate to Chapter 7?

Blog 5: Behind the Counter & Success

Compare and contrast the conditions of workers in fast food restaurants (Chapter 3) with the franchisees that "own" these restaurants(Chapter 4)? How are their struggles similar and different?

Blog 4: Questions for Eric Schlosser

Look back over Chapters 1-5. Post one question based on your reading of Fast Food Nation thus far. What would you want to ask Schlosser ? Create a thought-provoking question that goes beyond what is written into other related topics that his book, perhaps, points toward but does not directly address.

Blog 3: Your Trusted Friends

Discuss the fast food industry's marketing to children and explore the ethics of targeting children.

Ambre Reed

In chapter one the essence of the American dream was embodied in the success stories of the restaurateurs. The American dream is the idea that regardless of where you come from one can accomplish and be whatever you want through hard work. The men who started the popular food chains of today were just regular men trying to make a living and changed the scope of the American lifestyle.

“The word ‘can’t’ should not exist… Have a great attitude… Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves…” is the statement made by Carl Karcher which is probably the motto most of the fast food pioneers lived by. The men that started these companies were not the major corporate executives with college educations that we usually think of. They were “door-to-door salesmen” who had big dreams and made them come true. The start up cost of fast food restaurants were not expensive only necessary was ambition and good food to make it. The owners that took advantage of the opportunities presented to them.

Besides becoming up on large sums of money, these men that came from nothing changed the pace of the American lifestyle. What before was lead by “door-to-door salesmen” caught the eye of Wall Street professionals who invested into these fast food chains and became a major part of the American economy. Fast food companies are not only apart of the United States, but also lots of other countries. The irony is that men who came from almost nothing were able to shape American society through what they eat. I’m sure these men did not imagine there little carts and restaurants would turn into something that shapes the everyday lives of American society and maybe even that of other countries. The stories of these restaurateurs truly represents the American dream.

Blog 2: The Founding Fathers

How is the essence of the American dream embodied in the stories of the restaurateurs Schlosser profiles in Chapter 1? What are the hidden ironies that Schlosser subtly points to throughout this chapter?

Blog 1: Why the Fries Taste So Good ?!

In chapter 5, "Why the Fries Taste Good," Schlosser discusses the various components and processes of "food product design." What are those components and processes and how to they contribute to the success and failure of specific food products? What food products with which you are familiar have easily identifiable "design" components? Why do you think those components are particularly important?