FAST FOOD NATION

Fast Food Nation



Fast Food Nation

In his book "Fast Food Nation", Eric Schlosser shows how the fast food industry has infiltrated every corner of American Society. He tells of the disturbing reality that is American life today; almost every aspect of American life has been franchised or chained. Beginning in California and spreading throughout the entire country, Schlosser gives the history of the fast food industry and the evils and changes that developed with it.

In Chapter three, Schlosser begins by describing the view of Colorado Springs: its peaceful, serene, spectacular outlook from Gold Camp road. It appears to be an all-American town with its independently owned businesses and layers of houses from many different historical eras. But then it's apparent what has happened in Colorado over the last twenty years as you come to the new spread out. The houses are the "architectural equivalent of fast food;" thousands of houses that are near identical line each street of each subdivision. Academy Boulevard lies at the heart of this and resembles Harbor boulevard in Anaheim, except newer, with its clusters of fast food joints repeating themselves every few miles. According to Schlosser, "the resemblance is hardly coincidental."

"Throughput" is the speed and volume of the mass production flow. The fast food industry labor practices originated in the assembly line systems from the early twentieth century. Throughput is about doing things faster so more can be made. Schlosser maintains "The fast food industry's obsession with throughput has altered the way millions of Americans work, turned commercial kitchens into small factories, and changed familiar foods into commodities that are manufactured." Many restaurants use conveyor belts when cooking their food.

McDonald's has an operations and training manual specifying how everything should look, be used, be done, even how the employees should greet customers. ...