The Story

Fast food has hastened the mauling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled American cultural imperialism abroad.
That’s a lengthy list of charges, but Eric Schlosser makes them stick with an artful mix of first-rate reportage, wry wit, and careful reasoning.
Schlosser’s myth-shattering survey stretches from California’s subdivisions, where the business was born, to the industrial corridor along the New Jersey Turnpike, where many of fast food’s flavors are concocted. Along the way, he unearths a trove of fascinating, unsettling truths — from the unholy alliance between fast food and Hollywood to the seismic changes the industry has wrought in food production, popular culture, and even real estate.

Common Book Theme: You are what you eat!

Fall 2012 Focus: Health, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Choices
Fall 2012 Lose to Win Contest Information
Fall 2012 Events

Spring 2013 Focus: Political and Cultural Impact of the Fast Food Industry
Spring 2013 Events

Responses to Last Year's Common Book, Life is So Good

“As I get older I started realizing and learning that life has a true meaning, a meaning to love, feel, and learn. George Dawson in Life Is So Good gave me a big message that inspire me the most, and that is for me not to give up on my dreams. I am able to relate to Dawson in so many ways. As I read his book, I felt as if I was there with him going through all his good times and bad times. George Dawson never once complained about his life; that is the reason I have so much respect for him.” — Esmeralda Gonzalez, ENGL 1301 student