I Dare You to "Chew on This"!!

This year, I am teaching a whole new bunch of books to my students, so I'm spending what little free time I have catching up on reading these books. I just finished one. Therefore, I ask you: are you someone who frequents McDonalds, Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts, Taco Bell, and other such fast food industries? If so, have I got a book for you to read!  If not, have I got a book for you to read! Run to your nearest bookstore or library and pick up Eric Schlosser's non-fiction book, Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food.  Having seen Morgan Spurlock's riveting documentary, Super Size Me, I didn't think I could be surprised by anything about the fast food industry, but I was wrong. This book is a page turner.

Synopsis:  "In the New York Times bestseller Chew on This, Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson unwrap the fast-food industry to bring you a behind-the-scenes look at a business that both feeds and feeds off the young. Find out what really goes on at your favorite restaurants—and what lurks between those sesame seed buns.

Praised for being accessible, honest, humorous, fascinating, and alarming, Chew On This was also repeatedly referred to as a must-read for kids who regularly eat fast food. Having all the facts about fast food helps young people make healthy decisions about what they eat. Chew On This shows them that they can change the world by changing what they eat." (Amazon)

Review: It's clear from the start that this book is geared toward younger readers. Let me say a little though about what Schlosser does NOT do in this book: he does not tell kids what to eat or not eat. He does not tell them they must stay away from fast-food restaurants at all times (he's not some freaky, crazed vegetarian and even mentions some responsible restaurants that he likes, like In-n-Out Burger). Instead, he tries to inform kids about what's in fast food and how fast-food restaurants are run, and encourages kids to make their OWN well-informed decisions.

Schlosser is an investigative journalist, and the book is intended as an exposé of the fast-food industry, there's no question about it. A lot of what he says will make parents and kids feel pretty bad about their eating behavior - the terrible pollution problems caused by factory farms, the health problems caused by obesity, terrible dental problems caused by soda pop, etc. So, his opinion on the subject is clear but well-supported. Chew On This is designed to make people (especially kids) aware of what they are buying and eating and awareness is key to the choices you make.

I loved this book. It's eye opening and interesting and does in fact make you 'chew on' the research. It will be interesting to see if this book resonates with my students; as impoverished inner city kids are much more likely to eat at fast food restaurants over their suburban counterparts.

This book is an adaptation of Fast Food Nation by the same author. So if you've read Fast Food Nation, you don't need to read this book. (I haven't read Fast Food Nation.)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars