A compelling and frequent theme of the book is the idea of America's values. The recurrence of this theme should come as no surprise. Schlosser informs the reader in the Introduction of his intent: "This is a book about fast food, the values it embodies, and the world it has made...I am interested in it both as a commodity and as a metaphor" (Schlosser, p. 3). In each chapter, these ideas are explored. The reader is given the opportunity to process the information

One bright note, however, is the way in which In-N-Out has made working conditions fair and comfortable to its employees. Schlosser does a bit of preaching in the Epilogue as he lectures on the importance of politics' role in the teenage workforce:

The positive aspect of American values dwindles by Chapter 6. As the reader meets Hank and starts to develop a picture of the independent rancher, the dismal reality of how urban sprawl has affected Colorado sets in. What should have been an easy route toward the American dream has been lost due to the need for more homes and the use of growth hormones in cattle. Hank's suicide is an effect of the new values of sprawl and the advent of the as-much-as-possible mentality in business has created a sad state for the rancher.

Just when the atmosphere of the book seems to on a strictly negative note, Schlosser gives us Chapter 4. Here, he reveals some of the American values that are still in place. The idea that hard work pays off is evidenced along with the cliche of "you win some, you lose some" in the Dave Feamster saga. The importance of familiarity and American's unwillingness to lose that comfort is offered with the example of the "Golden Arches" of McDonald's as "mother McDonald's breasts" (Ibid, p.98). The reader immediately understands what is meant by this and is reminded again of how our American idealism has helped to further the spread of the fast food industry. Since we, Americans, are content to be traditional, it is no wonder that prayer and inspirational speakers are an effective tool in motivating those who are employers in the industry.

Chapters 7 and 8 focus on the economics and injuries of those working to speed along the fast food trade. So many immigrants come to America in search of a better life and what they find are working conditions that are more than dangerous. The tribulations of these workers is relentlessly put forth to the reader in these chapters. What American values are the plants that misuse these workers representing? Since these are low-skilled and speak little or no English, it appears from Schlosser's research that their worth is diminished. As if that doesn't disturb the reader enough, he then offers the ways in which OSHA facilitates this kind of abuse. The concept of fair-play and equality is a key component of the American value system, but OSHA, whose very name signifies i

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Approximate Word count = 1618
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)