Chew on This

by Eric Schlosser, Charles Wilson

In this "New York Times" bestseller, Schlosser ("Fast Food Nation") and Wilson unwrap the fast-food industry, offering a behind-the-scenes look at a business that both feeds and feeds off the young. This paperback edition includes a discussion guide, a new Afterword, and supplemental information with healthy eating resources for kids.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Health, School, Science, Nutrition, Middle Grade

318 pages, Library Binding

Published April 23, 2007

About the author

Eric Matthew Schlosser is an American journalist and author known for his investigative journalism, such as in his books Fast Food Nation (2001), Reefer Madness (2003), and Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety (2013).

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

so this book is turning out to be much like fast food nation.. but i thought i would post some facts about this book that really get the point across

- 4 meatpacking companies control 84% of the market (tyson, swift and co., excel, and national beef)
BUT ranchers only get 47 cents to the dollar spend on beef

- 1991 - one billion fish killed in north carolina by disease linked to runoff form slaughter house

-2004 - a 4 million pound pile of cow poop burned uncontrollably for 4 months

- 4 chicken companies control half of the american chicken market

-90% of chicken sold is no longer whole chickens but chicken that has already been cut into pieces (i.e. for mcnuggets)

- a typical chicken farmer only makes $12,000 a year

- chicken are fed (in the feed farms) anything from old pretzels and cookies covered in fat to leftover chicken parts.. making them cannibals

-in feed lots chicken gain weight so fast that if a child grew at a proportional rate they would weigh 286lbs by the time they are 6.. this usually makes chickens unhealthy and many are dying of heartattacks before they can be killed

- some chicken have trouble walking upright because they have been genetically altered to grow bigger breasts

- in 2006 9 billion chickens went through the feedlots to be killed and eaten (a chicken only lives 6 weeks before they are killed.. and all that time they never even get to see the outside)

- in slaughterhouses, 900 cattle are killed in an hour (on average).. that is 6 cows a minute

- OSHA's maximum fine it may impose on slaughterhouses for violating working conditions which resulted in a worker's death is $70,000, compared to the 27 billion that a meat company (Tyson in this example) earns a year..think about the impications

[Leslie Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how I have read this book twice and rated it without ever giving it a review. So here goes:

Let me start by saying that I have not eaten fast food in the last thirty years. Not McDonald's, not Burger King, not Wendy's, etc. The reasons are many, but none of them because of this book. I made a conscious effort not to partake in the fast food industry before ever reading Chew On This. The main reason I made this choice was because of waste, the yearly usage and dumping of tons of Styrofoam, whether in a trash site or on the side of American highways. The second reason I stopped was this: Way back in 1981, during a trip following my high school graduation, my friends and I stopped at a McDonald's drive-thru to eat in the car on our way to the beach. I ate my burger and fries, but left my ice cream Sundae sitting in its cup on the wide flat dashboard. A few hours later, we arrived at our beach motel. We cleaned out the car, and when I went to throw away the sundae, it was still cold and in-tact. It had sat on that dashboard under the sun for hours. At the time, I thought it was funny. But years later, when I found out that the ice cream was made of polypropylene glycol (think antifreeze), I made a vow never to eat fast food again. (Many food companies use this to prevent ice crystals from forming, but I do my best to stay away from those products, even outside of fast-food chains.)

Chew On This is all about the fast-food industry. While it was written back in 2006, and some of the industry has changed (some for better, some for worse) this book is one I've used as a private tutor with middle and high school students, mainly so they understand where the fast food they love comes from. It also discusses how young people are at the crux of their marketing, as well as their hiring.

All of my students have loved this book. It is written in a way that is understandable and entertaining, but beware: It can get graphic at times, including a photo or two. From the history of the hamburger, to the way a chicken nugget is made, to how McDonald's has revolutionized our eating habits, this book is one that has stayed with me long after reading. The LA Times called the book "eye-opening" and I have to agree one hundred percent.

If you are looking to enlighten one area of your life or your child's life regarding diet, this book may be the one that helps you reach some healthier goals. If anything, it will offer some insight into one of the largest and wealthiest industries in the world.

I believe there are two versions of Chew On This, one for adults and one for younger readers. I used the latter.

[Ian Weitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that everyone should read this book. It is not a book that you are supposed to like and enjoy to read. It is meant to upset you to take action against the "fast food nation". This book describes how the major fast food companies got started, how they made there fortunes, and what processes they use to make their food. When, you read it you will realize a lot more about fast food than you thought anyone would even know about. It will probably be a quick read, if the book doesn't disgust you enough to stop reading, primarilly becuase this book is intented for pre-teens, not necessarilly for adults. Everyone should read this book, regardless if you are interested in this topic are not, becuase it affects everyone. Whether it is someone who chooses not to eat fast food to those whose culture was changed by fast food. Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson almost explains everything he talks about, in detail, and connects there discussions to real life experiences that people have encountered. In certain parts of the book, the authors make huge lists that usually took up about 75% of the page to emphasize major points. One story after another, and how each experience related to the other, allows the reader to not lose interest in the large amounts of information that is given. I tend to get lost in the middle of text when I have to deal with a lot of information at once. This book allowed me to connect this information to the stories. overall, it isn't an eloquent or a book that has philisphoical epiphany's, but is a great book becuase it greatly illistrates a need to force fast food companies to better there food content.

[Saleh MoonWalker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Onvan : Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food - Nevisande : Eric Schlosser - ISBN : 618710310 - ISBN13 : 9780618710317 - Dar 259 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2006

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is interesting so far, because not only does it have the facts about food, but it also discusses it in a way that engages the reader and makes you actually want to Learn more.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

DO YOU LIKE FAST FOOD? DO YOU? WELL THINK AGAIN BECAUSE IT’S HORRIBLE FOR YOU AND IS TAKING OVER THE WORLD, ALL EXPLAINED IN CHEW ON THIS. in this epic non fiction novel (all true to life!) the author explains what fast food really is through photos, data and stories. Chew on this is an informational book about what happens behind the fast food counter. The author covers topics such as soda coloring, what makes fries taste so good, information about the invention of the hamburger, the life of a fast food chicken, and much more!!!!!!!!!!! This book is structured very well, with each chapter flowing well together and has great diagrams and photos. This book is meant to be read cover to cover.

I think that anyone could love this novel, however I think it especially appeals to those who loathe non fiction because it is exciting and has many interesting short stories. The book is organized into small segments that are easy to read and kept me engaged. Short stories were used to make the information interesting, real and understandable. The author seems like a credible expert on the subject because all of his facts were backed up by examples and reasoning which confirmed their truth. Most of the stories the author shared were negative although I believe there are very few positive stories to be told. After reading Chew On This, you will know about the horrors of fast food like never before. I enjoyed all aspects of this book, and my only qualm is that it ended too soon. I would have liked to learn more about the mechanics of the fry cannon, a super powered gun that is used to shoot fries out of for uniform cuts. I think people who are forced to read non fiction and dislike reading non fiction will find it interesting. I also think teenagers who eat too much fast food should read this book because it will most likely destroy their addiction immediately. I would rate this book 3 Chipotle tacos and an Inn and out shake.

[Karim Halim · Rating 5 out of 5]

كتاب عظيم

عكس أول 50 صفحة اللي حسيتهم دعاية لشركات الأكلات السريعة إلا أن ال150 صفحة الباقية كانت بلا شك تعرية للنظام الرأسمالي والجشع الذي لا مفر منه.

الكتاب مفيد جدا ويوجه بالعديد من النصائح تجاه التمتع بحياة سليمة وغذاء صحي ومفيد

تحياتي لإيريك شلوسر وفريقه ليس فقط لتأليف كتاب توعوي كهذا
ولكن الخطوات الإيجابية التي تبعت ذلك من زيارات للمدارس وتقديم عروض للطلاب للحث على الأكل الصحي

طبعا كل ده مقتصر على أمريكا
أما احنا واللي جنبينا واللي جنب جنبينا فاحنا دول عالم تاسع آخر حاجة ممكن تحصل عندنا هي إننا نفكر في البني آدم

أرجو أن ينصلح حالنا يوما ما أو حتى ساعة في يومٍ ما

[Melanie Stanislav · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was brutally honest. It's very informational and eye-opening; I feel like I learned a lot from reading it. I don't really eat fast food just because I like grocery shopping and making my own food at home with my roommates. Growing up, my mom never let my siblings and I eat fast food, so my first time at McDonald's was when I came to college at the age of 18. However, I still to this day have never eaten anything from McDonald's except for an Oreo McFlurry which isn't even that satisfying unless your drunk. And now after reading this book, I will probably NEVER go to McDonalds. I also got a different point of view on my college town, Greeley, Colorado. They mention Greeley first on the bottom of page 163. Everyone here knows that Greeley stinks, and yes we know why it stinks, but this book opened my eyes a lot to the meat production in Greeley. "But no society in human history has ever had feedlots and slaughterhouses as big as the ones near Greeley" (Schlosser 168). It's crazy that I live in a town where fast food hamburgers come from. Greeley, Colorado (Weld County) earns more money annually from livestock than any other county in the U.S.! Very informational book, which some black and white pictures included!
Chew on This kind of reminded me of a less 'diet-form' version of the book Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. This book turned me vegan for one year when I was in high school. To be honest, Chew on This has the same influence on me. It's defiantly a book I would recommend to anyone! It will change your point of view on how you look at the food you eat everyday!

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chew on this is a strange case it's a nonfiction book explaining the horrors of the fast pod industry a whole 3 years after many Americans were already shocked at the horrors shown in 2004’s documentary “Supersize Me” but being from 2007 it obviously has a few updates from then. The book follows an unnamed narrator most likely the author of the book Eric Schlosser taking us through the history of one of if not the most popular fast food restaurant chain “Mcdonald's” and the history of the hamburger in general and after that happy little romp through the past we travel across America where we get into the horrifying aspects of fast food I mentioned earlier such as: the underpaid and badly treated workers in the restaurants themselves, the terrible conditions of the factories where the food is processed for not just the workers for the animals too the massive slaughterhouses stinking up the joint (literally), the horribly underpaid farmers who barely get anything from the monopolized meat industry, and probably the worst thing of them all: the adverse health effects eating fast food can lead you to but anyways the bottom line is: you should read this book… with caution, if you want to go on a diet, want to cut out fast food from your diet for a long time, already hate fast food, or just want to learn something about what 1 in every 14 people choose to eat every day read this book but pray you have a stomach strong enough to endure some of the more disgusting facts in the book thank you for your time and what are you waiting for read this book!

[Cassie Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I decided to read Chew on This because as I have said previously in different reviews that I have always struggled with my weight. Luckily enough, I am not a huge fan of fast food because it makes me sick, although, I have always wondered why a salad from McDonalds costs $7.00 and a hamburger costs $1.00... That is the reason that America has one of the highest obesity rates in the world. As I read this book, I found it very interesting to know that although fast food places claim to have all natural ingredients, always fresh/never frozen ingredients, it is almost always a lie to get you to buy their product. In the back of my mind, I knew that it wasn't true, however, I wanted to believe that huge corporations such as McDonalds, Burger King, etc. wouldn't lie to the public, but they're really just in it for the money.

Not to mention the cruelty to the animals. I've seen my fair share of documentaries about the inhumane way major Fast Food chains slaughter their animals and it makes me sick to my stomach. It brought me to tears just reading about the torture these animals have had to endure just to feed us... I was ready to quit reading as soon as I read it. Also, if I were thinking about eating fast food now, after reading about the addition of dead bug carcasses makes the food a lot less appealing...

This book has really opened my eyes to some of the MANY horrors of the production of how this food is made. It shouldn't even be called food because of its lack of nutritional value; it should be called crap, because that is exactly what you are putting in your body when you eat it. Surprisingly, I feel a lot less inclined to eat at any fast food restaurant due to this book. I feel I should be thanking the author for hammering into my head how dangerous this stuff can be.

I think it is really important for people, especially parents of younger children who have already been exposed to fast food, to read this book because if they can prevent even the slightest craving for fast food in their child, it will be better for them in the long run. Whenever I decide to have kids, I will not allow them to eat fast food.

This is a must read!

[Kylin Swearingen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Distinctly remember reading this in 6th grade and couldn’t finish it because I was so disturbed but the stuff it tells you about. Now I desperately want to get it back and finish it because it was incredibly interesting. Unfortunately I have no clue where it’s gone after the last 3 years.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was full of interesting information and I learned a lot, both about the origins of modern fast food and how the industry has had such an influence on how modern food is mainly produced. It was interesting, enlightening and at times, straight up disgusting.

The version of the book that I read was written for a middle-grade, young adult audience. That being said, my review is based with that audience in mind. The writing for that level was pretty uneven. Most of the book was written on a level appropriate for middle schoolers with references that they would understand and interview with their peers. However, there were also several times where the writing got overly scientific and overwhelming for that age group. There were certain sections where I could see that as being a purposeful decision by the authors to convey the artificial nature of many food additives and ingredients. But it was a bit overkill in some instances and there were ways those same ideas could have been conveyed more clearly to that age group.

My other main issue was the preachy tone this book took on. I felt that for a non-fiction book with a young audience, the authors should have tried to adopt a more neutral tone and let the facts speak for themselves. Instead, they came off as very outspoken and preachy about the 'evils' of fast food and the entire industry. Admittedly, there are many problems in the industry and with those who are uninformed about what they are really signing up for when they choose to eat from such establishments. But as any parent of an adolescent will tell you, just about the quickest way to talk a teen into doing the opposite of what you want is to tell them how bad it is for them. And to some extent, I felt that's what this book ended up doing instead of giving students a balanced view of the problems with indulging in a fast food lifestyle. Keeping that in mind, this book ignored some of the biggest issues that lead to people eating unhealthy amounts of fast food, such as the existence of food deserts and the attractiveness of dollar menus in poverty-stricken areas. This book took on such a preachy tone that it may have been counter-effective in its purpose. By trying so hard to talk kids out of eating fast food, it may have provoked that adolescent rebellious streak and unintentionally pushed them into eating it more.

A final minor problem with this book was the scope of issues it tried to address in a relatively short book. Instead of focusing on some main issues in the industry and exploring their larger impacts, the book tried to hit on a little bit of everything and did a poor job of going deep enough to explain some of those main issues. Their coverage of the origin and early history of McDonalds was solid, but they really cross into unrelated territory that is too much of a stretch when they try to tap into the humane treatment of animals and the mass production of animals for slaughter. Not that these aren't valid issues that deserve exploration, but to fit an entire coverage of those issues into 20-30 pages does not do them justice. The same with the issue of gastric bypass surgery or the broader economic impacts of teens working minimum wage jobs in fast food.

Overall, while this book was quite informative, it did a poor job of appropriately gauging its audience and adjusting the delivery of the subject matter for said group. In some ways, the book overestimates its readers, and in others, it greatly underestimates their abilities. I also think this book would have benefited greatly from more thoughtful use of visuals throughout. There were many sections where pictures were included that added little or nothing to the overall story, while there were numerous other sections where the main idea of the words could have been reinforced to great effect by a diagram, chart, picture, etc.

It seems that the author has written a similar book for a more adult audience called Fast Food Nation, so that is on my list of things to check out and maybe try to balance the approaches of the two works.

Looking at the material from a teaching perspective, it was great to work with this book in that it brought up a lot of very relevant and crucial conversations. However, having those conversations in many instances still required substantial outside research in order to really have an informed discussion.

[Lainie Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chew on This is a nonfiction book that is a big eye opener to the fast food world. The hamburger started at a county fair in Wisconsin. A 15 year old named Charlie squished a meatball between 2 pieces of bread. It got modified over the years, but that was a start to the revolutionary hamburger today. Did you know that some fast food places were started by the weirdest people? A soldier from World War II created Taco Bell, Dunkin’ Donuts was founded by a high school dropout, and the founder of Domino’s pizza was an orphan. Oddly all of this places started by the people eating McDonald's. Of course there have been some major rebellions against McDonald's, Burger King, and KFC. When a vegetarian found out that McDonald's fries their fries in beef imitation flavor, he told a Hindu newspaper, which launched a big rebellion against McDonald's. People even threw cow poop on Ronald McDonald statues! It ended up with McDonald's donating 10 million dollars to Hindus and vegetarians. When you eat at McDonald's, you probably don’t think about how much the cow or chicken you’re eating suffered. This books explains how chickens are processed, and believe me it is disgusting! It explains the risks of working in meat slaughterhouses, like falling in a pit and turning into lard, or getting your arm caught in a meat grinder. Sometimes if you get obese, you get gastric bypass surgery, like a boy named Sam Fabrikant. Gastric bypass surgery is when they staple your stomach in half. It’s a big risk to do this surgery, there is a slight risk of dying. Some kids are becoming obese because of school lunches. A lady named Alice Waters noticed the horrible lunch in schools and created the Edible Schoolyard in Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School. They put an enormous garden, a chicken coop and a wood burning oven outside so the kids could experience firsthand how to garden and cook. They kids even prepared the lunch! In conclusion I loved this book and I would recommend it to anyone who would want to learn the truth behind fast food.

[Jessica M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Name: Jessica McClelland

APA citation: Schlosser, E. & Wilson, C.(2006). Chew on this: Everything you don’t want to know about fast food. Houghton Mifflin: Boston.

Genre: Informational

Award (if applicable):

Format: Book

Selection process: The book was favored in School Library Journal. Burner, J. (2006). Chew on this: Everything you don't want to know about fast food. School Library Journal, 52(5), 155.

Review: The McDonald's arch is something most people can recognize instantly, but the history of how fast food restaurants began and how they have changed our world may not be known by most. Schlosser and Wilson tell of the humble beginnings of some of the biggest chains, such as McDonald's, White Castle, Taco Bell and more to the mega conglomerates they have become today. The book also chronicles how fast food has changed the way we advertise and how the companies are highly invested into researching children's minds. Readers will be amazed at how fast food chains like McDonald's have shaped the very land also how they have changed the way we process food, pushing smaller farms into oblivion as cramped, unsafe slaughterhouses have emerged. Schlosser and Wilson created an interesting, thought-provoking and oftentimes terrifying tale of something that's become integrated into American life. The novel never becomes too preachy and encourages discussion and thought for a generation that has not known a world without fast food in it. Professionals will see parallels to Fast Food Nations, yet this version is more minor friendly. The use of citations and an index of sources should be a welcoming sight to professionals as well.

Highly Recommended.

[Vinuoc C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book at the end of September 2014 when I found it while browsing through my large bookshelf at home. After reading the first few chapters, the book proved to be interesting and showed even more than what I had heard about large chain restaurants.
One thing that impressed me in the book was how the author was able to so vividly describe the "disgusting jungles of factories (pg.82)" (where the meat inside of fast food comes from). He described how the meat was sliced from the animals, how the organs got into your hamburger meat, and how workers have died in the filth and slime of the factory, often needing to urinate on the meat when their 18 hour shifts don't allow bathroom breaks. You can imagine that they don't get paid very much at all. When I read these parts of the book describing the factories and work conditions, I felt furious at how poorly hard-working, innocent people get exploited so fast-food restaurants can sell a cheap product worth absolutely nothing.
Overall, this book proved that all the bashing on fast-food turns out to be more than true. I never thought that these kinds of things could get away with selling ti consumers who are just looking for a convenient and tasty meal. If everybody read this book, the fast-food industry would be shut down by our nation and this world would immediately be a healthier place.

[Katie Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chew on This is a history book about all of the restraints that we all love. McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, Wendys, Subway, you name it Chew on This has it. The start of the book is talking about the history of the ham burger and the changes one little sandwich can make on the world. When the first few restraints were made that’s when America started getting bigger. And no I don’t men in population or in size, but the amount of people that have become very over weight.
McDonalds was the first big food chain in America. McDonalds was started by two twin brothers then stolen by a man named Ray Croc. As more and more fast food chains developed America was getting larger and larger. After McDonalds many other people that had no experience started fast food places. 1 year after McDonalds was made Wendys and Taco Bell had become chains as well and so forth with the other fast food places around the world.
Lunchrooms in schools were becoming some of the most sold items in America. Once McDonalds thought that they should put one of their places in a high school café many other fast food chains joined into the “school sale”. After the first year no doubt that many high schools in America had over weight teens and children in their school.
I would recommend this book to anybody who has a taste for history and of course, fast food.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Fast Food Nation a few years ago and was shocked by what I read. This book is a more condensed version of the former, written especially for the student population, as it focuses on the way the fast food industry has changed American society, and in many ways, puts children at risk. Schlosser gives kids a look at how soda companies and fast food businesses hook children from an early age, and the impact it can have on individual health. He also presents the history of the fast food business, which serves to show how far these businesses have moved from their original business practices.

This book would be a quick read for many students. Reluctant readers and avid readers who have an interest in expository writing about real issues would take to this book, because it is not a book that needs to be read in one sitting, or even sequentially. It’s a fine book to read if you have other things on your mind, because missing a few paragraphs does not diminish from the book’s overall message. I would probably recommend this book to middle school and younger-aged high school kids, because personally, I think the full version of Fast Food Nation is more powerful for older individuals in their late high school years.

[Courtney Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did not like this book. The authors came across to me as anti-progress and anti-technology and simply used fast food as their platform to argue this.

While the authors did have a lot of data, they would also make statements as fact that had no scientific or numerical basis (i.e. Ronald McDonald is more recognizable than Mickey Mouse). I want data to support these "facts".

If you really put some thought into some of their arguments, the logic made no sense at all. For example, they argued that a food additive was considered safe, but it caused allergic reactions in some people therefore it wasn't actually safe. Ummmm... I have multiple food allergies, my worst being peanuts. Should peanuts thus be considered unsafe for consumption because they cause allergic reactions in some people???

It was also argued that fast food restaurants, in a round about way, are responsible for many of the Alaskan people losing their teeth. To me, the real problem was that they didn't have a good water source and lacked dental care.

I'm not trying to say that fast food is good for you, but it takes the blame for much (too much!) in this book.

[Seyoon choi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never knew that people started a mini-war because of hamburgers. Were hamburgers that unhealthy? unhealthy enough to urge people to blow up fast food places? By reading this book, I now know how 'toxic' a hamburger is, thanks to this wonderful book about radioactive fast food.

I thought Mcdonalds were a clean place innocently serving hamburgers to hungry civilians when I was something like 8 years old. NOT. I am now absolutely disappointed about fast food places, because people triggered war with hamburgers, and people put poison in hamburgers discreetly in the olden times. Were hamburgers their enemy? I would rather consider it as dealing with unhealthy food using inevitable violence.

This book showed a somewhat hamburger violence.

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts talking about how McDonald’s got started by Ray Kroc. Eventually, advertisers marketed to kids and then the toys came out so that it would entice the kids to buying more food in order to get the toy. It’s the branding of children, which almost seems like brainwashing, into mini-consumers.

Along the way, however, the jobs at fast food places aren’t that great. One particular chapter I’ll go into detail about how they treat their workers.

These little towns thrived on their own. But through industry, McDonald’s, Burger King, and KFC came roaring in. With this, the suburbs came in. What’s so significant about those? They’re all the same. There’s no uniqueness, or special about these towns anymore. Fast Food thrives on new suburban sprawl, and they encourage more sprawl. Interestingly enough, McDonald’s became the world’s largest purchasers of satellite photos in order to see neighborhoods and see where a good location for the next McDonald’s should be.

A teenager wakes up at 5:30 just to go to work. Now, fast food restaurants usually put pretty girls up on the front. Why? To deal with the customers.
The teens usually don’t feel really awake until about 11:00. Indeed, the fast-food workforce thrives on teens. Why? They aren’t that skilled. So

“instead of relying on a small, stable, well-paid, and well-trained workforce, the fast-food industry seeks out part-time, unskilled workers who are willing to accept low pay.”

Think about it. Teens usually don’t have families to support, and their inexperience makes them easier to control. The fast-food companies don’t need skilled workers. It just needs people to do what they’re told. They can be hired cheaply. And you are substitutable. You don’t want to work here? Fine. We can easily replace you. Indeed, fast-food companies are the first to fight Congress that the minimum wage doesn’t need to be raised. Between 1968 and 1990, the years in which the fast-food chains grew the fastest, the real value of the minimum wage fell almost by half.

“The real value of the US minimum wage is lower today than it was 50 years ago. The fast-food chains earn large profits as wages fall, because it costs them less money to hire workers.”

Think about all these layoffs. Why are there so many layoffs, yet the CEO’s get a huge disproportion of the profits? Being on part of the “crew,” you are employed “at will.” If business is slow, you’re sent home. If it’s busy, you’re asked to stay longer. The managers’ job is to basically encourage “team spirit” and to work hard. Indeed, the word “McJob” has meant “a job that’s low-paying and offers little opportunity to get ahead.” There’s not much of a future.

Jobs always seem fun at first. Why not quit? You need the money! You work so hard at a job that pays so little. These type of jobs become so monotonous and they don’t teach any real skills, that eventually it makes people hate jobs, and there’s skepticism that honest work will get them anywhere. Schlosser writes:

“Studies have found that kids who work twenty hours or less a week during the school year usually benefit from the experience and gain self-confidence from their jobs. But kids who work more than twenty hours a week are much more likely to cut classes and drop out of high school.”

On some occasions, teens have to stay until 2AM, even on school nights. With these jobs, when your shift is over, the managers ask you to stay and work for a few more hours. It’s because of the failure of other people not showing up. A particular teen worked a 19 hour shift. The manager gave her a thank-you gift: a bag of candy.

A teen gets a job in a McDonald’s in Canada. A teen, Pascal, got the job and worked hard. Indeed, Pascal would even show up when other workers failed to show up. He was even employee of the month. Later on, he got a worker evaluation. Pascal only got a 2 out of a 4. Why? It turns out that the hardest workers get low grades. That’s because a worker’s pay is increased based on the grade. If the grades are kept low, then the company doesn’t have to pay that much. Workers had to stay late, and the workers were being treated with disrespect. Suddenly, Pascal and a friend decided to start a labor union. Eventually 75% of the workers signed the cards (you must get at least 50% to have an effect). However, one of the workers snitched. The snitcher got a promotion. All the sudden, McDonald’s hired 24 new crew members. Thus, Pascal didn’t have 50% of the workers. McDonald’s was blocking the union to form. McDonald’s spread rumors about Pascal (it sounds so high school, doesn’t it?) and McDonald’s promised workers free meals if they left the union.
About a month before a court decision, the owner of the restaurant announced that it was going to be shut down. He claimed that the rent for the building had grown too expensive. The odds of a McDonald’s going out of business in Canada is 300 to 1. Amazing coincidence?

The food is mainly derived of chemicals. The flavor of the fries is actually a chemical to smell (and taste) good. Some of these chemicals were really surprising. Methyl anthranilate is the grape flavor in Kool-Aid, for example. A lot of these chemicals are added to Pop Tarts, Hamburger Helper, Tang, Filet-O-Fish Sandwiches and thousands of other products. The strawberry flavor is a strawberry shake has about 64 chemicals (no strawberries).

There are Bugs in the Candy. Adding color to foods isn’t just dye anymore. Cochineal extract (or carmine or carminic acid) is made of dead bugs from Peru. These bugs are collected, dried, and then ground into a coloring additive. Dannon Strawberry yogurt gets its color from carmine, so do many candies, frozen fruit bars, fruit fillings, and Ocean Spary grapefruit juice.

Why add color? Adding color influences how you’ll taste or drink the product. Would you eat strawberries that weren’t red? However, these colorings have confused people. Kids drinking Windex for example.

Yellow #5: studies have shown that it can cause hyperactivity, headaches, rashes, and asthma. Where is this located? Mt. Dew, Gummy Candies, Jell-O, Lucky Charms and other foods. It’s been banned in some countries but still used widely in the US and Great Britain.

With meat, ranching and the cowboy life are being left behind by a new kind of ranching: factory farms. Ranchers are facing economic problems. McDonald’s is America’s largest beef purchaser. A while back it bought ground beef from 175 local companies. Today, it buys their beef from five companies. A lot of the ranchers have argued that the corporations have used unfair tactics by strangling the market which forces the price of the cattle to go down. Early in history, the trusts could stop these corporations from taking advantage; it was the beef trust. The purpose of the trusts was to break up companies that had grown too large, protect small companies from unfair business tactics so that the prices were set by the free market, not by corporate executives meeting in secret. Eventually, the beef trust was broken. Today, the top four meatpacking companies are: Tyson, Swift & Company, Excel, and National Beef. They control about 84% of the market. But because the companies have grown bigger and more powerful, independent ranchers can’t make a good income anymore.
In another place, Greeley, Colorado, the smell is a combination of live animals, manure, dead animals being turned into dog food, it’s basically an invisible fog. By gaining a profit, the meatpacking firms cut their costs by cutting the wages of the workers. Meatpacking used to be the best-paying factory jobs in the nation; now it’s one of the lowest-paying jobs. Usually, they hire poor immigrants. Why? They don’t have much power, and they’re easy to manipulate. The cows don’t roam in pastures, but they’re in feedlots. They’re given a special grain to fatten the cows along with growth hormones. But with all this manure, it’s dumped into these lagoon pools which can be 15 feet deep. Sometimes, they leak sending it to rivers and streams. But they also emit gases which can be deadly.
With chicken, it really took off when McDonald’s invented the Chicken McNugget. Interestingly enough, they have more fat per ounce than a hamburger does. Through this, Tyson company became the world’s largest chicken processor. But the farmer doesn’t get paid that much. Usually chicken farmers quit after about three years. Inside a chicken house, the building is as long as a football field, more than 30,000 chickens packed together. They would never see the outdoors. Their diet consisted of a mixture of old pretzels, cookies covered with fat, leftover meat, fat, blood and bones from chicken slaughterhouses. Basically, the chickens become cannibals. And chickens aren’t even meat-eaters! Chickens prefer grass but these chickens will never see grass in their entire lives. Chickens try to gain about 5.5 lbs. in about one month. That’s like a child weighing 286 lbs. by the age of six. But because these chickens get fat so quick, they can’t walk. Their legs are filled with fluid that they’re in constant pain. Indeed, most have heart problems. They can’t even exercise. Chickens are having heart attacks. If you open up a chicken, there’s a thick layer of fat around the chicken’s heart. The purpose is to fatten the chickens as much as possible.

How were chickens killed in the old days? The farmers just grabbed them and chopped their heads off with an ax. Nowadays, you hang their legs from an overhead chain. The chickens try to wriggle free that they sometimes break their legs. What happens is that the chain moves and then it dips the chickens in water that’s charged with electricity? This is supposed to knock the chickens unconscious. However, there are some chickens that aren’t knocked out. So what happens next means that they feel it. Even McDonald’s has admitted that one or two out of every hundred chickens aren’t knocked out. The chain moves to a sharp rotating blade that cuts their throats. Now if the chickens aren’t stunned, they’re going to feel it. However, there are still some chickens that can avoid the blade, which means what happens next is even more painful. The chain then dunks the chickens into boiling hot water so that the feathers can be removed. This isn’t just boiling water, it’s scalding hot. Indeed, no chicken has been known to survive it. So the chickens who are still alive are basically boiled to death. A video was released showing what happens inside this chicken factory farm. Some of the workers would throw the chickens (like a football) against the wall. In other cases, the workers would jump on the birds or throwing them up against the wall again. One has said, “I like to hear the popping sound they make.” Why this cruelty? The production line is moving too quickly.

Now you might say, “but that’s the only way to get the meat out quick.” Well, in Europe, they don’t have this process. They are kept in crates, then placed in a sealed chamber, then forced to breathe a gas that painlessly kills them unconsciously. So chickens never get boiled alive. A study has shown that this was more efficient than the electrified water, better welfare for the birds, and better for the workers in the plant, without affecting the quality of meat. However, it’s more expensive. Going back to Pollan, he checks out McDonald’s and was surprised with some of the foundings. (I was too.) For example, a chicken McNugget contains dimethylpolysiloxene. It’s a carcinogen. The McNugget also contains tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHG). It’s lighter fluid! Ingesting five grams of lighter fluid and kill. About 0.02 percent of TBHG is in the McNugget. With fast food, it’s doesn’t have that great savoring moment. After all, which would you rather have: fast food or a home-cooked meal? A home-cooked meal just feels (and tastes) more satisfying. Thus, people eat more and more fast food to try and get that “savory” feeling (and taste) that they once had.

So much cattle comes in that human error can cause unnecessary pain for the animals, injure workers, and contaminate the meat. The workers are basically cogs. In the 1950s, unions had a lot of influence: they were the highest-paid jobs, got good medical care, they could speak their mind, and it provided a good wage. In the 1970s, fast-food became popular, so wages had to be cut, moved the companies to rural places to weaken the unions, and mainly hired immigrants (usually illegal). The production line was sped up. Nowadays, meatpacking is one of the lowest-paid jobs in the US. It’s now become the most dangerous. The line moves so fast that the workers who cut the cattle from an overhead chain sometimes accidentally stab another co-worker or themselves with the knives and hooks. In the old days, plants slaughtered about 50 cattle an hour. Thirty years ago, it was 175 cattle an hour. Nowadays, it’s about 400 cattle an hour. That’s about 7 cattle per minute. With the increase in pace, the chances of injuries goes up. Faster pace means higher profits. If a worker dies on the job, the maximum fine is $70,000. But these companies make billions every year. An executive has a better chance of winning the lottery than facing criminal charges for causing injury of a worker. However, the workers can’t complain. Why not? They’re illegal immigrants. If workers are injured, usually, you let them go. They usually quit, become injured, or cannot do manual labor. Thus, these workers often become trapped in poverty.

In 1993, nearly 200 people were hospitalized, 4 people died from contaminated meat from Jack in the Box. Most of them were children. Other fast-food places were contaminated. McDonald’s in 1982. About 200,000 people are sick from something they eat everyday, 900 are hospitalized, 14 die. These increases in sickness is due to the way American food is produced. Usually, food poisoning was from a small outbreak: church gathering, family picnic, wedding receptions. Only one area of people got sick. But now, food is produced en mass that millions can get sick.

What’s interesting is that if toys causes major harms to children, the government can demand that all of those toys be removed. But the government cannot order a meatpacking company to remove contaminated beef. The government can’t even fine the companies. Lobbyists are close to Congress. Cattle don’t get much exercise. They mainly stay in a certain place and live among their own manure. To slaughter the cow, you have to really careful about cutting the hide off. But because everything is moving so fast, sometime the job isn’t the efficient. The digestive system is pulled out by hand. A single worker pulls the guts out of sixty cattle every hour. That’s one cattle per minute. Doing it right takes a lot of skill; doing it wrong means you spill all of the contents everywhere. But we’ve already learned what the meatpacking companies hire? Are these skilled workers? No. Therefore, meat gets contaminated a lot. With ground beef, it’s usually old dairy cows, cows which are already sick and diseased in the first place. Cows can live up to forty years. Guess when they get slaughtered? Around the age of four. That’s when their milk production begins to fall. One patty at a fast-food restaurant can come from hundreds or even thousands of cattle. However, germs can easily spread. And E. Coli gets spread too because it mainly comes from one source: poop. That’s right. There’s poop in the meat!

How many of you would eat dog? Why not? Pigs are actually more intelligent than dogs. The sows are confined in crates that they can’t turn around. Once the piglets are born, it’s even more crowded. The piglets, who are friendly by nature, start to bite and they bite off each other’s tails. Thus, the farmer chops off their tails. At the slaughterhouses, the ramps are really high and the path curves. Why? It’s so that the cattle doesn’t see what’s coming up.

There has also been talks about gaining massive weight. The authors talk to two kids who have gained weight by eating fast food. One has already had gastric bypass surgery, the other was contemplating it. In high school, these kids usually go across the street and eat fast-food. Indeed, most fast-food companies have an “80-20 rule.” About 80 percent of their money that McDonald’s earns comes from just 20 percent of its customers. With this, the industry encourages people to eat bigger portions. Along with the health problems, the heart is full of fat, arteries are clogged, the spine isn’t as strong (because of osteoprosis) and the blood vessels in the brain is constricted. High schoolers are more likely to break their bones if they drink soda constantly. With sodas, some cities have their soda cheaper than water. Their teeth aren’t that great though.

It seems like a great idea, but at the same time, the major critique has been: isn’t the individual in charge of whether s/he goes to a fast food place. If you don’t like fast-food, don’t go! So where’s individual responsibility in all this? The authors reply that while individuals should have the responsibility, it’s a different story when it revolves around children. With so much fast food around, and with the advertisements, it’s considered exploitation of children. Marketing to kids by bringing only fast-food and soda to schools doesn’t give the kids the full details about the problems behind these things.

“But won’t McDonald’s go out of business if their whole system changes?” you might ask. No. The authors contend that there are a few places that treat their workers fairly, animals without suffering, and without the whole marketing campaign. In-N-Out Burger is one example.

Finally, it talks about the globalization of fast food. When Iraq fell to the Americans, guess what was the first thing installed in Iraq? A Burger King. Imagine that. You bring democracy and freedom to a state, and you’d probably want the first thing there to symbolize the struggle, but it’s a fast-food joint. Throughout the world, everything is becoming part of the fast-food industry that political scientist Benjamin Barber has called it a “McWorld.”

In the end, I think it’s a good book even though it’s written to a younger generation. There’s still some questions that can be brought up to the table, but I’ll let this review pass as is. Wow, I thought this would be a short review but it’s longer than I thought.

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

My fascination with Chew On This was sparked by reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma for a school assignment. Similar to Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, this book depicts the secrets of multi-million companies like McDonald’s and Coca Cola. This novel struck me because I’ve never thought of what went into my burger or vegetarian side of fries.
Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson will take you on a rather disturbing adventure of the production of meat and give awareness of the evolution of the fast food that feed and feed off the young. The book gives light to topics that are unnoticed by children and adults. The book depicts short accounts of conflicts with fast food from every corner of the globe. What is in your chicken nugget? Maybe next time you would be more careful about what you order from the golden arches.
If you enjoy action-packed epics or romantic novels, this is not the book for you. There is a lack of thrill in the experience, and because it is nonfiction, there are few characters to empathize with. The text is also rather dense with language that is devoid of any literary devices. Even with language that could be found in a college textbook, the book is rather enjoyable. The novel is crafted by putting together bite-sized stories to form a cohesive text. When reading, curiosity will be the main motivation to continue this book. The novel is very informative and has facts that are suitable for all ages. The only critique that I have is that the section in the novel dedicated to the meat packing industries is rather gruesome, depicting injuries from work. Overall, I would recommend the book to anyone curious about food.

[Arieleus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes me question whether I should be eating fast food or not.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chew On This by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson is a very detailed and intriguing non-fiction book. In this book you learn about the ingredients that may be hidden in your food, what really makes fast food so bad, and how the animals are mistreated to make the food. Many people are eating food that is damaging to your body because it is not really what you think it is. As an example, Ocean Spray grapefruit juice is colored from dactylopius coccus costa bugs being crushed up. It is considered a "natural" coloring. The term natural apparently refers to anything that comes from nature, so you can literally be eating bugs.
The book opens talking about the history of fast food and how the whole idea came together. It introduces many people that are important to the business and production, and then it jumps right into modern day food. I learned a lot about the making of food, and now I am never walking into a fast food place again! Some fast food places are lying about what is in their food. An example is, a McDonalds was making “vegetarian” fries in beef fat! Although ideas like this may not seem like a big deal this can be going against certain religions, affecting people's health, and also it is just lying. In this book, I became aware of many things that go on in fast food places. Chew On This covered how businesses have progressed throughout the past years. I enjoyed being able to see this in the book because I could really see how our world in terms of food production has evolved.

After reading this book, the way I eat will not change. However, I have only stepped foot in a fast food restaurant a few times in my life. For many americans, a McDonalds Big Mac is their school lunch and dinner almost every day. They hardly ever even set eye on fruit or vegetables. Often it is because that is what is offered and that is what they like, but sometimes people eat fast food because it is what is affordable. Even if the person knows what is in the food, fast food may be the only eating option in their household. In this section of the book I found many connections to “Eat This Not That” by David Zinckenco. “Eat This Not That” explores how to make your eating healthier and out of two foods which one is healthier. This book was also designed so you could see the healthier choice. As an example, I learned how McDonalds makes their chicken mcnuggets and what a healthier option could be.

Overall, I was very impressed by all the information packed into this book. The writing style was so unique that I stayed interested throughout the entire book. Each page had facts or a story, and then usually a wild fact that was so bad or bizarre you didn’t want to believe it. I think it was the last bizarre facts that kept me engaged throughout the whole book, maintaining my interest. Hopefully more people will understand the making of fast food by books like these, and alter their eating habits to their greatest ability.

If you are looking for a non-fiction book to read, I highly recommend Chew On This. I read this book very quickly because each page had so much great information that I could never set it down! The only reason this is not a book for you is if you are already picky with foods, or under 6th grade. Although the words are easy to read, Chew On This has some parts that consist of gross facts and disturbing thoughts. This book is not gender oriented and if you would like to acquire more about this topic, this is the book for you!

[Franny · Rating 4 out of 5]

(My reviews are intended for my own info as a language arts teacher: they serve as notes and reflections for teaching and recommending to students. Therefore, spoilers may be present but will be hidden.)

SUMMARY: I was surprised at what a quick read Chew On This ended up being for a nonfiction text aimed at young adult readers. Jam-packed full of interesting facts about fast food, authors Schlosser and Wilson have put together a book that is both appalling and eye-opening: either way, there's no denying it is an engrossing informational text (with emphasis on the 'gross' in many parts!).

Chapters contain information about popular fast food chains' histories, advertising campaigns aimed at children, workplace practices, food production and service, and impact on customers' health. Except for the chapter on the lack of healthy food and drink choices offered at fast food joints, the information was pretty new to me. The chapter about pop was the only one that lost my interest a little, as the authors strayed a bit from their focus on McDonalds and KFC, and instead went after Coca-Cola. (I don't have a problem with their views, by the way; it's just that this section seemed a bit disjointed as the authors jumped from fast food to soda to dental work to pop sales in Alaska and so on.)

THEME: The authors present a clear claim that fast food has changed Americans' eating and even work habits for the worse, and that we should avoid giving these restaurants our business whenever possible. The afterword reveals that, following the publication and promotion of Chew On This, fast food executives (or their marketing companies, at least) and food industry groups went after their message with media appearances, websites, and letters to schools. I would love to have my students check out some of this anti-Chew propaganda to fact-check and compare the arguments made.

READABILITY: Should be no problem for any middle-grade student. Sentence structure and word choice make even the more complex passages easy to comprehend. Some photos are present, which are helpful, and I actually wish there had been a few more to enhance some of the ideas and concepts.

APPROPRIATENESS: I can't imagine any students or their parents having problems with this book...unless they are a part of upper management at Wendy's or something. The descriptions of the cattle and chicken slaughterhouses were not overly-descriptive, but they may make some a bit squeamish.

[Brandy Simmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Chew on This" by Eric Schlosser is a nonfiction YA novel about the history of fast food and the long lasting effects it has had on our culture. Schlosser effectively combines human interest stories with facts about the industry. Schlosser gives us the stories of the men who founded the fast food restaurants we have all come to know. Most of the novel focuses on McDonald's, which was the pioneer of the fast food kitchen and franchise. This novel covers a wide area of topics, from the fast food workforce to what is actually in the food. As a result, it forces us to think about how fast food has shaped our eating habits, our body, our children and even our jobs. This book goes beyond the unhealthy part of fast food (which, by now, we all know) and shows how it has changed our culture.

"Chew on This" is a great read for students in 5th-8th grade. It encourages students to question the reality they have come to know. I appreciated the chapter regarding artificial and natural flavors. I am an avid ingredient reader and I have often wondered what these words meant. I had assumed natural flavor was the complete opposite of artificial flavor, when in fact, they are created in the same lab!!! My mind was blown when Schlosser indicated the same companies who manufacture many popular household cleaners and perfumes also manufacture these flavor additives. I began thinking about how this one company bombards two of my senses daily. I love all my household cleaners and candles because of the way they make my house smell. I love my body lotions, perfume, body sprays and specialty soaps because the way they make my body smell. I began going through my cupboard and discovered even some of my seasonings have "natural flavor" as the last ingredient. One of these was my all purpose seasoning I put on almost everything. Now I know why it makes everything taste so good! Even when I cook a fresh meal(which is most nights) I was adding fake stuff to my food without even realizing it. I felt manipulated on many levels. To think one manufacture was responsible for so many aspects of my life is frightening.

My biggest criticism of this novel is the obvious bias. When writing nonfiction, I believe it is paramount to remain objective. It gives your story more credibility. After reading this novel, I would like more information about everything. I feel like I cannot accept this as full truth without some additional reading. Perhaps this was the author's intent!

[Ricardo Alvarez · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give this book 2 stars because it is getting me mad on what have i ate and now i know what did i eat.If i was a person who has gotten sick by the food of mcdonalds i would have sewed mcdonalds.Also in between some chapters they have some stories about other companies and i don't like that.I don't like that because if this book is supposed be talking about things i don't want to know about fast food but then they put other stories. I don't think this makes sence to me.It was talking of how Disney was somehow connected to mcdonalds because in the story it says "Disney later used television to take the idea of synergy beyond anything that anyone had previously imagined". This is how they were fitting in that short story about Disney if it has nothing to do with fast food they just make cartoons. That's what I hate about it,it makes me feel like the author is trying to be sneaky because i get he made the book but he just needed to write about fast food.I learned that these hamburgers are not healthy at all even if they clean it it doesn't matter it is still bad because the farmers are treating these animals bad.The farmers/workers of companies too.I can compare this to a passage in second grade that i read but in Dominican republic that a man ate Burger King almost everyday to see if gets very fat in a month and the results showed out to be that he weighted about 487.3 pounds.Even he was surprised because now he has to loose all that weight because before he used to be in shape now that he did that challenge he messed up himself.I think that his name was Alberto Santos but he was Mexican and he was on VACATION and not even his wife could belive he did such a thing like that.If i wouldn't have read this book i wouldn't be informed of what I eat and maybe the daily life of someone else that eats mcdonalds 24/7.Maybe someone i know i can tell that to,so they wont get obese and not care about themselves like if they were a piece of paper i wouldn't want that neither does anyone else.

[Lauren Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the novel Chew On This: Everything You Don’t Want to Know About Fast Food, by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson, you read about the history of fast food, how it started, how the industry has changed over time, where the food comes from, and how the food is processed. This book is pretty insightful to see how fast food is so addicting and where the fast food food really comes from. This book tells you all the crazy facts about fast food and its effects on people and the business up to today.
There were a few things I really enjoyed about this book. The book was split into different chapters and those chapters were split into hilariously named headings for each mini-subject under the chapter topic. Some of the mini-subjects were really interesting to read. This book is really informal about the fast food industry and the food most Americans eat. It was also neat to learn about the cow ranches we have around Greeley and what they are used for, how they are operated, and of course-the smell.
I disliked a few things in this book also. The book had plenty to say about the history, which after a while I got really bored with it. I thought this book was going to go more into what is actually in the food they make and less about where it comes from and how its processed. I am not a big eater of fast food so I found most of this book pretty boring and it made me want to eat fast food less than I do now.
This novel would be a great read for older grades doing book reports or projects on an industry, food service, or health. This will also help those who eat more than needed servings of fast food realize what they are putting in their bodies and the effect it has on their health. Some of the content in this novel is a bit graphic especially to those animal lovers out there so that might be hard for students to read through.

[David16 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chew on This was a great book. I liked Chew on This for a couple of reasons. It has information that you would probably not know about unless you read the book. It had very long chapters but those chapters were split into mini chapters. The mini chapters kind of made the chapters more like sections or topics. Each chapter has one main focus and than has different stories about it. The chapters were about things such as where the meat comes from in your fast food and how the fast food industry is using children to their advantage. Even though I am not a big fast food eater and I am not really interested about fast food. The book was still really interesting to me and I think twice about eating and doing a lot of things now. It's not even all about fast food stores and factory's. This book goes over history of fast food, history of restaurants and knowledge about everyday food that almost everybody eats. It is a great nonfiction book.
There are some parts in Chew on This where it does get a little boring. In my opinion all nonfiction books eventually get boring though. I just got a little tired of hearing the same stuff over and over again in the chapters. There were parts that I thought the author was running out of things to write. It all didn't sum up to anything either. I sort of ended. I didn't think that a book like Chew on This should have an ending that didn't show what the whole book really meant. I am not trying to say the book wasn't good though. If your. Interested in where fast food came from or want to read something you've never heard before, Chew on this is a good book for you. I am giving it four stars for all the interesting stuff I learned about it.

[Julial · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the informational non fiction Chew on This, Eric Scholosser and Charles Wilson inform the reader about the disturbing secrets and poor heath conditions caused by fast food. This informational non-fiction book details information on how the food at fast food restaurants ,such as McDonald's, is raised, slaughtered, and prepared; also, it has real scenarios of people that work or eat there regularly at fast food restaurants, and how their experiences effected them. Chew on This contains eye-opening information that will cause the reader to think twice before pulling into a McDonald's drive thru.

I appreciated how the author wrote gruesome details about topics pertaining to things like slaughter and what substances are used in fast food. I learned that crushed up bugs were used to dye milkshakes pink. The author cleverly composed phrases that stick in your head such as, "The birds that somehow live to this point are boiled to death(181)." This quotation came from a chapter titled "Shocking", and I have found that it is the most memorable chapter in the book because it describes in detail how chickens at Pilgrim's Pride slaughterhouse (one of the major chicken suppliers for McDonald's) were outrageously killed. I found this book very informative, and I will keep this book in mind when I am deciding whether or not to stop at a fast food restaurant. I plan to live a long life, and not have major heath problems in my mid-twenties caused by the effects of fast food. I would recommend this book to everyone, because even if you have no plans to stop eating fast food you should know what you are putting in your body and what it can do to you.

[Dillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chew on This is written by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson with a first copy right date in 2006. The book is non fiction. Chew on This is about fast food and the affects it has on your body. In Chew on This, the plot revolves around Ronald McDonald and Ray Croc who started the fast food chain. Charlie Nagreen first invented the hamburger at the Outagamie yearly carnival. He used to sell meat balls but people wanted to walk and eat so he combined meat balls into a patty.
Chew on This is told in the third person. It encourages you to not eat fast food or drink soda. Chew on This is recommended for kids and adults. The author keeps the story moving by giving you interesting facts such as how fries are made, how the meat is produced, and how the fast food chain started. The author’s style of writing is very straight forward and he presents the material and content so it is appropriate for the attended audience.
The book changed me from wanting to eat fast food even though fast food sounded (and sometimes smelled) really good. I think animals should be killed in a more humane manner if they get killed at all. Chew on This is a unique book. I can’t think of any books like it.
I think Chew on This is written really well and it gave some interesting and factual information. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about fast food and how it’s made.
by Dillon