“Nobody is forced to buy fast food. The first step toward real change is by far the easiest. Stop buying it. If you don’t like the way fast food companies behave, don’t give them any of your money. Every dollar that you spend on food is like a vote.” p. 254
Reader's Annotation
Artery-clogging, union-busting, and empire-building on the backs of the underpaid…all this and much more is on the menus of the fast food industry giants which dominate the U.S., and increasingly the world. If you want to know the true societal cost of your next burger, read Chew on This.
About the Authors
Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal (2001), decided to write Chew on This to help young people realize the true effects of the fast food industry. Schlosser’s a correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly, and has written for Rolling Stone and The New Yorker. Charles Wilson, who in his youth helped herd cattle at his uncle's ranch, has written articles for the New York Times, Washington Post, and The New Yorker. This is his first book. For further information about the authors, please see the Houghton Mifflin Web site.
Genre
Nonfiction (fast food industry)
Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 11-14
Content Summary
Schlosser and Wilson detail the various aspects of the fast food industry’s death grip on the public’s pocketbook and health. They begin with a history of the industry, focusing on the rise of Richard and Maurice McDonald, and their introduction of assembly-line food preparation, along with Ray Kroc’s relentless quest to spread McDonald’s restaurants across the country. The ways in which the fast food industry courts children in order to guarantee themselves customers for life – including Happy Meal and similar toy lures, infiltration of school cafeterias, and even payments to hip-hop artists for mentioning fast food brands in their songs – is a major focus of the book. The poor treatment of industry workers, from the restaurants to the slaughterhouses, is investigated. Other topics include the enormous ways in which fast food has changed the physical urban/suburban landscape, and how the industry’s pursuit of homogeneity in taste and appearance has led to the widespread use of food additives whose health effects have not been completely studied. The inhumane treatment of cattle and chicken is also detailed. The industry’s recent efforts at change are noted, but the authors believe that real change will occur only when all of us stop supporting companies which value profits over the well-being of employees and customers.
Critical Evaluation
Schlosser and Wilson have written a very clear and high-impact work which has great potential to positively influence the choices that young people make. The fact that the authors have interspersed their thorough description of all aspects of the fast food industry's reach with vignettes of actual young people personalizes the text. In particular, stories such as Kristina Clark’s efforts to remove a soda machine from her school, and Pascal McDuff’s efforts to start a union at the McDonald’s restaurant where he was employed, are incredibly inspiring for all ages. The text definitely does not “talk down” to the reader, but on the contrary, is an informative yet accessible narrative whose chapters are broken into clearly labeled sub-sections. The 30-page notes section with its extensive and well-organized bibliography is an excellent feature, nicely placed at the end of the book where it does not detract from the text's flow. I would suggest, however, that future editions include color photographs, as the current black and white images do make the book appear dated (which it clearly isn't), and detract a bit from the truly dramatic information in the text.
Booktalking Ideas
• Talk about the amazingly high sugar and fat content of many fast foods, and their long-term health effects.
• Talk about fifth-grader Kristina Clark’s efforts to get a soda machine removed from her elementary school.
• Talk about a typical day for high school students like Danielle Brent, who work in the fast food industry.
Curriculum Ideas:
• Social Science: Students discuss local issues which concern them, brainstorm ways to take action on one of these, and mount a campaign as a group.
• Chemistry: Students research the flavor and scent additives industries, and try to find food producers who do not use such additives.
• Language Arts: Students compare Chew on This to classics on similar topics such as Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle.
Potential Challenge Issue & Defense
Fast food industry criticizes book:
• Become familiar with the book’s content, and be able to confirm the accuracy of its information.
• Refer to library’s collection development policy.
• Refer to book reviews from authoritative sources such as ALA, School Library Journal, etc.
• Obtain book reviews from tweens who have read it.
Why I Chose This Book
I read about this book on Richie Partington’s blog , and a couple friends have recommended Schlosser’s work.
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