Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American MealFast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
Score Modern
What it's about
Eric Schlosser shows how the fast food industry transformed America: its landscape, its economy, its workers and its waistlines, from the meatpacking plants to the marketing aimed at children, and how it changed food production around the world.
Why it's worth reading
It's on TIME's list of the 100 best nonfiction books. It changed how millions of people think about what they eat.
You'll love it if you liked
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Command and Control
Silent SpringGood to know
Its descriptions of meatpacking are hard to forget. Some figures are dated.
By the numbers
- Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller22 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #167 of the 198 history books we rank
- #867 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1606 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by Eric Schlosser
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Between the World and Me
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Educated: A Memoir
All the Light We Cannot See
The Book Thief
AmericanahExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal worth reading?
Yes. It's on TIME's list of the 100 best nonfiction books. It ranks #1,606 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal about?
Eric Schlosser shows how the fast food industry transformed America: its landscape, its economy, its workers and its waistlines, from the meatpacking plants to the marketing aimed at children, and how it changed food production around the world.
How long does it take to read Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal?
About 10 hours (399 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal?
If you liked it, try The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan, Command and Control by Eric Schlosser or Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.