Read 'n' Seed 6: Final Review of "Fast Food Nation"

Overview of Book:
Fast Food Nation was a very eye opening read, and I think that is really the purpose behind this book.  The author, Eric Schlosser, goes behind the scenes of mainly the fast food industry along with the meatpacking industry, digging up the truth behind the all American meal.  He meets and interviews real people working in these industries as well as individuals who have been negatively affected by these industries.  Schlosser does a great job of putting the familiar saying "you are what you eat" into context.  This book is a great read for anyone looking to become more informed about what they are putting into their bodies, and it's effects on the environment.
Three Significant Issues:
The three main issues that have really stuck with me after finishing this book are: employee treatment, slaughterhouse conditions, and the overall effects the fast food industry has had on the environment.  All over the world fast food employees are being paid poorly and mistreated.  They are being taken advantage of mainly because of their age and their lack of experience out in the "working world".  Also employees of slaughterhouses are being injured and barely taken care of.  Slaughterhouse employees have one of the highest injury rates in the U.S.  They are getting injured on the job and forced to return to work with a very limited amount of time to recover if they get any recovery time at all.  The slaughterhouses are also extremely disgusting in my opinion.  Because of the demand for meat from the fast food industry they are pushing their employees to the limit and carelessly handling our food in the process.  E-coli has now become a major concern for individuals who consume meat products, which in the past, before there was such a demand for meat, E-coli was not such a problem because meat was handled with more care.  Lastly, the more that these fast food chains keep popping up, the more that our environment is going to suffer.  When a building goes up, more land is taken away, more food needs to be processed, the more food that needs to be processed, the grain and resources are going to be used.  It is a viscous cycle!  All of these things add up and they are harming our planet, not helping it.  We the consumer have been consumed by the fast food industry!  The more we know about this topic gives us the ability to do more about the problem.
Meaning and Importance:
The topics discussed in this book are important to me because in the long run they affect me, my family, and everything on earth really.  Without the environment where would we be?  We wouldn't be, it is as simple as that!  This book has really opened up my eyes to what is going on in the fast food industry and has given  me some great knowledge.  Again, I feel that the more that you know the more you can do to prevent/reduce the problem.
Recommendation: 
I would most definitely recommend this book to others!  I have been saying this all semester long, that I want everyone to learn what I have learned from this book.  I don't think that this book covers everything that people should know about this topics, but I think it is a great starting place to become more engaged in what is going on in the fast food industry.  So, if you are looking for a great read that is informative and will get you thinking critically, this is the book for you!