Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser is a 384 page non-fiction book published by Houghton Mifflin on January 17, 2001. The origins and developments of fast food restaurants are examined, along with the impact they have had on employees of these companies and their consumers. It is important to note that none of the many corporations discussed would have been this successful if it were not for the events following World War Two, where suburban areas of the United States expanded, leading to an increased need for cars and highways. Chains like McDonald’s began to open alongside these new roads, making meals simple and inexpensive for American families traveling around the country. As fast food grew popular, production changed as franchise owners …show more content…
Including information about both the past and the present of the industry, Schlosser provides insight as to what happens behind the counter at restaurants such as McDonald’s, and how employees are treated terribly, making minimum wage and being forced to sign away their right to sue in the case of injury. It is through this information that Schlosser conveys one of his main points, corporate greed. Schlosser writes “After working at Burger King restaurants for about a year, the sociologist Ester Reiter concluded that the trait most valued in fast food workers is "obedience" (Schlosser 75). Most corporations rely on their employees to sell their goods in order to make the most profit. The same is true for McDonald’s, Burger King and other fast food chains. These franchises search for adolescents to hire that will follow the rules outlined for them and generate money, although they work for minimum wage. This proves the everlasting greed of corporations and the fast food industry, as they expect employees to follow their commands with zero questions asked. Due to the transitional nature of working for a fast food company, employees who do not follow the regulations can easily be fired and replaced, for the benefit of none other than the company