Fast Food Nation

Having never read this book before, my initial thoughts about it were about how all the fast food restaurants are making the country obese or something along the "super size me" line. However, reading the first assigned chapter, I obviously got a distinctively different impression. I thought it was actually quite depressing to read, but at the same time eye-opening. I had never really thought of the fast food industry as the probable beginning to a vicious cycle of poverty. The chapter called to my attention that this trend toward dumbing down work to cut costs and going through employees as if they are all truly expendable in efforts to cut costs. Unfortunately these efforts to save a penny are throwing the masses into under performing jobs that hold them down. Its interesting how the mass production of identical houses in huge subdivisions mirror what is happening in other industries and can serve as another indicator that our society is transforming.
Reading chapter eight was harder. Just the descriptions of the slaughterhouse were enough to make me reconsider my beef eating appetite. I couldn't imagine witnessing the process, let alone work there. I almost felt as bad for the people working there as I did for the cattle. To live everyday of my life in that environment would be hell. There is really nothing else I can elaborate on other than how bad I feel for those people.