134 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 19:2 

 

Fast Food Nation 

Eric Schlosser 
New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2001. 356 pages. 

Combining in-depth historical and socio-political analyses of the American 

food industry with an easy-flowing language style, Fast Food Nation is 
nearly impossible to put down. Mind-boggling in scope, yet as intimate as 

one's own kitchen, this book allows the reader to grasp the true horror of 

the global food situation. Schlosser provokes both laughter and tears, ulti­

mately inspiring the reader to engage in the "higher jihad" of controlling 
one's appetite with the understanding of how personal consumer choices 

have political consequences. 

Section One, "The American Way," takes us through four chapters. The 
first, entitled "The Founding Fathers," talks about how the mass production 

of the automobile transformed post-WWII American society and its land-