Summary Of Fast Food Nation

1. Eric Schlosser is an investigative reporter.

2. He initially became interested of the fast food industry, when he began covering an article on the secrets fast food.

3. His discoveries influenced him to write "Fast Food Nation," in order to unveil the horrors of the all-American meal.

B. Summary

1. In this book, Schlosser describes the production, the working conditions and the marketing tactics of the fast food industry.

2. He describes the pioneers of the fast food industry in Southern California and their journey into making our "fast food nation."

3. He also discusses many dangers of beef industry and the typical duties of a rancher.

4. He illustrates the main factors/contributors to reveal the secrets behind fast food production.

Characters

A. Carl N. Karcher

1. Carl N. Karcher was the founder of Carl's Jr. and one of the founding fathers of the fast food inductry. He dropped out of school in eighth grade to help his father maintain the family farm. At age twenty, he moved Anaheim, California to work with his uncle. He later began working as a delivery boy at a bakery and met his wife Margaret Magdalen Heinz. He and his wife started a hotdog stand business and eventually established their own restaurant, Carl's Drive-in Barbeque. His business has paved the way for many fast food restaurants and has expanded incredibly across the world with over 1,369 locations.

B. Ray Kroc

1. In 1954, Ray Croc sold eight milkshake machines to the McDonald brothers. He immediately was interested in doing business with them. He worked along side the McDonald brothers and helped build the first McDonald's in Des Plaines, Illinois. He eventually bought the company for 2.7 million

J.R. Simplot

1. J.R Simplot left school at fourteen and became a potato farmer at the age sixteen. He sold, bought, and marketed potatoes until he eventually became the largest potato shipper in the nation. He also was involved in producing frozen foods. In 1967, J.R. Simplot and Ray Croc agreed to that his company, Simplot, would supply the McDonald's with frozen French fries. By 1972, almost all French fries were frozen in fast food restaurants.

III. Interesting Detail

A. Interesting Detail

1. Many of these fast food restaurants target young consumers in order to gain profit from the parents. These businesses use toys and playgrounds to attract children to their restaurants. They often use these tactics to persuade children into brining their parents.

2. Apart from teenagers, many fast-food workers are immigrants, who know little English; however they are still able get by.

IV. Argument

A. Argument

1. "Fast Food Nation" should be taught in schools because it educates its readers the unknown truth behind the production of their food. With this knowledge, consumers can be aware of what is going into their bodies and be more cautious around purchasing these products. Many may say that Americans thoroughly enjoy these products, however many Americans are just unaware of how much of a hazard the food really