The Unfinished Clue
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Weekend for Murder
  • The Unfinished Clue
  • Well then, who DID do it?
The Unfinished Clue
Georgette Heyer
Manufacturer: House of Stratus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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GeneralGeneral | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
SuspenseSuspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Heyer, GeorgetteHeyer, Georgette | ( H ) | Authors, A-Z | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0755108892

Book Description

The stabbing of irascible General Sir Arthur Billington-Smith fails to stir up grief in anyone - least of all his family, which is no wonder considering the way he has treated them all during the fateful weekend. He had disinherited his son, humiliated his wife, refused to help his financially stricken nephew and made no secret of his loathing for his son's fiancée, a cabaret dancer. Inspector Harding picks his way through a mass of familial discontent to find the culprit - and find much more besides.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Weekend for Murder.......2007-07-07

Georgette Heyer's "The Unfinished Clue" is an English country house mystery designed for murder. The corpse invited his own demise by antagonizing every person with whom he had contact. This novel is seventy years old, but still delights readers with its crisp, witty dialogue and intriguing puzzle of who actually did everyone else in the story a favor by sticking a knife in the old boy's neck.
The tight time frame leaves the local police and Scotland Yard's Inspector Harding coming up blank as each suspect with a strong motive is moved from the list of possibles; a clear case of everyone is a suspect and no one is guilty. Join legions of cozy mystery fans for a fun read from a reclusive author who let her work speak for its self, because shout it does nearly forty years after her death. Seldom mentioned in the ranks of Agatha Christy, Josephine Tey, or Dorothy L. Sayers, Ms. Heyer deserves her place.
Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Sins of the Fathers."

4 out of 5 stars The Unfinished Clue.......2003-07-13

The "unfinished clue" is the word "There," written by General Billington-Smith, part of the name of the person who stabbed him to death in his study with "a curious Chinese dagger." Despite the conventional setting and characters, both are very amusing. The Scotland Yard detective does nothing but listen to witnesses and fall in love with the victim's sister-in-law, but there is a pleasingly complicated schedule of movements, the discrepancy in which reveals the most unlikely person as murderer.

5 out of 5 stars Well then, who DID do it?.......2001-05-26

General Sir Arthur Billington-Smith was a man whom everybody hated. So when he has a house packed full of ill-assorted visitors, each one of which he is on quarelling terms with, and he is found stabbed in the back, the police have a tough job on hand. Luckily inspector John Harding from Scotland Yard has a good head on his shoulders. A lovely read, in the best Heyer tradition.
The Unfinished Clue
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Another fun Heyer mystery
The Unfinished Clue

Manufacturer: Bantam Books, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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  1. Death In The Stocks Death In The Stocks
  2. Detection Unlimited Detection Unlimited
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ASIN: 0553114425

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Another fun Heyer mystery.......2005-11-30

Heyer's mysteries are always more memorable for the characters than for the solution. There are suspects galore who hated the dead guy - or at least found him very annoying - and the various motives are more amusing than the identification of the actual culprit.

From the cover :

Sir Arthur Billington-Smith was nobody's idea of the perfect host. In fact he was absolutely frightful. He bullied his wife, grumped at his guests, refused gleefully to help out an indigent friend, and positively blew his stack when his wayward son took up with a nightclub dancer who was definitely N.Q.O.C. (Not Quite Our Class). Is it any wonder that one fine, bright, English June morning Sir Arthur Billington-Smith quite literally became a bloody bore when he was firmly stabbed in the back with a pretty little Chinese dagger? And is it any wonder that dev'lishly attractive Inspector Harding from London thought everyone was guilty?
The Unfinished Clue
Average customer rating: Not rated
    The Unfinished Clue

    Manufacturer: Bantam Books
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Mass Market Paperback
    ASIN: B000H840N8
    THE UNFINISHED CLUE
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      THE UNFINISHED CLUE

      Manufacturer: Bantam
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback
      ASIN: B000HH226Q
      The Unfinished Clue
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        The Unfinished Clue
        Georgette Heyer
        Manufacturer: Bantam Books
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback
        ASIN: B000OO8SJW
        The Unfinished Clue
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          The Unfinished Clue
          Heyer Georgette
          Manufacturer: Redwood
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback
          ASIN: 1741211433
          The Unfinished Clue
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            The Unfinished Clue
            Georgette Heyer
            Manufacturer: Bantam Books
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Mass Market Paperback
            ASIN: B000R6SWDO
            The Unfinished Clue
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              The Unfinished Clue
              Heyer Georgette
              Manufacturer: Dutton E P
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover
              ASIN: B000JPI1N4
              THE UNFINISHED CLUE (Paperback)
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                THE UNFINISHED CLUE (Paperback)
                Georgette Heyer
                Manufacturer: EDGEWEAR/BROWNING
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback
                ASIN: B000VG6D3G
                The Unfinished Clue/Audio Cassettes
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  The Unfinished Clue/Audio Cassettes

                  Manufacturer: CHIVERS AUDIO BOOKS
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Hardcover
                  ASIN: 0816193185

                  Mask of the Sorcerer
                  Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                  • Slow To Unfold, But Worth It
                  • A fantasy masterwork
                  Mask of the Sorcerer
                  Darrell Schweitzer
                  Manufacturer: Wildside Press
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Paperback

                  GeneralGeneral | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
                  ASIN: 0809532816

                  Customer Reviews:

                  4 out of 5 stars Slow To Unfold, But Worth It.......2007-03-20

                  First, I have to unburden myself: this book has one of the WORST covers I've ever seen. If you saw this in a bookstore, you wouldn't even pick it up because it's totally amateur hour. A completely horrifying marketing decision.

                  Anyway. This is a bit of an unusually structured novel, which takes place in a world modeled on Pharaonic Egypt. The protagonist, Sekenre, is the son of the centuries-old sorcerer Vashtem, and is an unwilling recipient of the gift and curse of sorcery. (To some degree, sorcerers here follow a system introduced in the completely unrelated movie "Highlander", in that they are quite keen to hunt down and slaughter each other, because to kill a sorcerer is to absorb all of his or her powers and memories.) After certain events, Sekenre is forced to leave the city of his birth, but has no friends, no prospects, and nowhere to go, and the sorcery that he fears and despises is borderline unreliable and scarcely under his conscious control.

                  He soon meets a pair of exiles, and in aiding them gets caught up in their schemes. Meanwhile, he has to learn to master his powers and to fight off other sorcerers, not to mention suppress the still-powerful personalities and memories of the dead sorcerers within his mind.

                  The unusual part of the structure is that for the vast majority of the book, Sekenre is always in the process of "becoming", as it were. He seems to drift wherever the wind takes him, and events happen to him, and he continues to react to what goes on around him, but very often he is a mere pawn and seldom is he active on his own behalf. Practically everyone around him seems to know more about his life and his talents and his destiny than he does. I have to think that the author deliberately went for a very nuanced effect where the reader keeps waiting for something to "happen", but eventually you come to realize that it's been happening all along.

                  Sekenre makes for a different type of hero, one who wants to escape the curse of sorcery to be just an ordinary person. Far from being a master of magics and a clever trickster, he is in grave peril in every single combat, constantly getting battered and seriously injured and languishing in a state of exhaustion and illness. Yet he has a powerful will and a strong moral code, and earns himself important allies.

                  Not your typical tale of might and magic by any stretch, but if you want a change of pace from almighty eldritch wizards in a stereotypical medieval England setting, you could do worse.

                  Schweitzer also has collectd some Sekenre short stories in a separate volume, "The Book Of The Sorcerer". I'll have to check that out.

                  5 out of 5 stars A fantasy masterwork.......2004-12-23

                  Darrell Schweitzer is an author whose work you should read. Not because he's been nominated for three World Fantasy Awards. Not because he's done an unparalleled job as editor for the best fantasy magazine in print(Weird Tales)for the last twenty years. Finally,you should not buy Mask of the Sorcerer because GENE WOLFE gives the book a glowing, no, an incandescent,review. You should read this book because Schweitzer is an absolute master of fantasy prose. This book follows the life of a sorcerer,Sekenre,from childhood to mastery of his craft. That life encompasses innnocence,sorrow,transcendence,and love. Every single one of my friends has LOVED this book. I think you will too.
                  The Mask of the Sorcerer
                  Average customer rating: 1 out of 5 stars
                  • HERE'S MY TWO CENTS
                  The Mask of the Sorcerer
                  Darrell Schweitzer
                  Manufacturer: Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Club
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Hardcover
                  ASIN: 0739405810

                  Customer Reviews:

                  1 out of 5 stars HERE'S MY TWO CENTS.......2007-09-11

                  Amazon has copies of this book available for 17 cents.

                  Are they kidding? That's almost a quarter--far too much to pay for anything Darrell Schweitzer has EVER written.
                  Mask of the Sorcerer
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Mask of the Sorcerer
                    Darrell Schweitzer
                    Manufacturer: Wildside Press
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback
                    ASIN: B000NXWNWW
                    Mask of the Sorcerer
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      Mask of the Sorcerer
                      darrell schweitzer
                      Manufacturer: SEBC Fantacy
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Hardcover
                      ASIN: B000FMKRQA

                      12 Steps with Jesus
                      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                      • Awesome
                      12 Steps with Jesus
                      Don Williams
                      Manufacturer: Regal Books
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback

                      Substance AbuseSubstance Abuse | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
                      Twelve-Step ProgramsTwelve-Step Programs | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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                      4. Meditations for the Twelve Steps: A Spiritual Journey/Friends in Recovery With Jerry S. Meditations for the Twelve Steps: A Spiritual Journey/Friends in Recovery With Jerry S.
                      5. A Hunger for Healing: The Twelve Steps as a Classic Model for Christian Spiritual Growth A Hunger for Healing: The Twelve Steps as a Classic Model for Christian Spiritual Growth

                      ASIN: 0830734988

                      Book Description

                      Don Williams powerfully relates in 12 Steps with Jesus that by allowing Jesus to fill the emptiness that leads to addictive behavior, readers can leave addiction in the dust! Churches must lead people to dependence on Jesus. When we give ourselves wholly to Christ, He will fill us wholly, replacing the hollowness that results in addictions. In 12 practical steps, Pastor Williams reveals to achieve spiritual fulfillment in Christ, discover freedom from addiction and embrace the abundant life that God promises to all of His followers.

                      Customer Reviews:

                      5 out of 5 stars Awesome.......2007-01-12

                      I bought this book for my brother after hearing Don Williams at a healing conference. My friend borrowed the book stating it was so helpful that she needed to keep it to read again. I couldn't get it back from her! I bought my brother another and he took it to his AA/NA meetings to share contents with others in his group. He told me that before I bought the book for him, he had heard about it from a number of people in the struggle to be freed from addiction.

                      This book will bless your life. Don seems to teach what he preaches and preaches what he lives. Before I was introduced to 12 steps with Jesus, I basically had little that I could refer clients to for reading that encompassed real experience and the word of God. I thank God for empowering Don's life to write this book. If you are a pastor, read it. If you are struggling with addiction and desire to be healed, don't stop until you get it. If you have family members who are addicted, buy it, read it, give it to them and discuss it with them. It will bless their lives. Peace
                      Walking the 12 Steps with Jesus Christ
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        Walking the 12 Steps with Jesus Christ

                        Manufacturer: Christian 12 Step Ministry
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Paperback
                        ASIN: B000ETACCS

                        Product Description

                        A Christian Bible-based study guide for use in recovery from addiction to drugs, alcohol, or other out-of-control habits. X Christian 12 Step Ministry, INC. Ocala FL.
                        WALKING THE 12 STEPS WITH JESUS CHRIST January 1997 Revised Edition
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          WALKING THE 12 STEPS WITH JESUS CHRIST January 1997 Revised Edition
                          Ray, compiled by Geisel
                          Manufacturer: Christian 12 Step Ministry
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Paperback
                          ASIN: B000LOBBD0
                          Walking the 12 Steps with Jesus Christ: Celebrating 25 Years of Service, September 2004 Edition
                          Average customer rating: Not rated
                            Walking the 12 Steps with Jesus Christ: Celebrating 25 Years of Service, September 2004 Edition
                            Ray Geisel
                            Manufacturer: Christian 12 Step Ministry
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback
                            ASIN: B000UH4MSO

                            Fast Food Nation tie-in: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal (P.S.)
                            Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                            • Very well written - informative without being alarmist
                            • No zealot like a convert
                            • First half blah, second half must read
                            • ways of eating
                            • A Must-Read for anyone that eats fast food
                            Fast Food Nation tie-in: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal (P.S.)
                            Eric Schlosser
                            Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback

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                            5. Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America

                            ASIN: 006116139X
                            Release Date: 2006-10-17

                            Book Description

                            To a degree both engrossing and alarming, the story of fast food is the story of postwar America. Though created by a handful of mavericks, the fast food industry has triggered the homogenization of our society. Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled the juggernaut of 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.

                            Each day, one-quarter of the adults in the United States visit fast food restaurants, spending more than $110 billion dollars in the year 2000. Schlosser examines the franchise arrangement, with its curious blend of protection, paternalism and profit as adeptly as he delves into the specifics of what's in the beef. Also on Schlosser's hit list: the susceptibility of meat to dangerous pathogens such as e. coli; the slaughter of nearly 600 cows per hour (this American packinghouse standard, he reveals, is nearly 6 times the rate of European slaughterhouses); an in-depth look into serious nutritional, environmental, and cultural questions. Fast Food Nation is a groundbreaking work of investigation and cultural history that has changed the way America thinks about the way it eats.

                            Fast Food Nation the movie is slated to be released by Fox Searchlight on November 17, 2006. Starring Ethan Hawke, Avril Lavigne, Patricia Arquette, and Greg Kinnear.

                            Customer Reviews:

                            5 out of 5 stars Very well written - informative without being alarmist.......2007-07-15

                            This book describes the growth of the fast food / burger industry in America, and the consequences from fast food's popularity. The author covers labor practices (and malpractices) in the cattle growing and food processing industries, food regulation, dietary effects, and health hazards like E.Coli and mad cow.

                            The book is very well written, in my opinion. I found the opening stories about Cheyenne Mountain and the rise of the burger industry in California fascinating. Some of the personal stories of illegal immigrants in the food processing industry were also interesting, although I feel the author emphasized them too much. I personally was more interested in the larger history and practices of the industry and when the personal effects for me as a consumer could be. That was also covered - I just wish some other parts had been shorter.

                            The book is not indiscriminate leftist McDonalds bashing -- in fact, at the end the author acknowledges some industry-changing positive steps McD has taken to insure better beef quality, and even goes on to praise In-N-Out Burger, my favorite burger chain in California :)

                            Very good reading, you will not regret buying or borrowing it.

                            5 out of 5 stars No zealot like a convert.......2007-07-10

                            A modern-day "The Jungle", this book is powerful enough to change the eating habits of even the most indifferent consumer. The expose on the USDA and FDA is particularly chilling.

                            4 out of 5 stars First half blah, second half must read.......2007-06-23

                            After years of hearing about it from my mother I'm finally read this books. I'm glad I did but it wasn't perfect. The second half about the common practices of meat produces both in and out of the slaughterhouses was good and something everyone should read. The first half however I had a hard time getting through. I didn't find the part on the beginning/growth interesting, nor did I enjoy the discussion of the sociological and economic effects of the fast food industry. He just spend way too long whining about how big companies are killing off the "American farmer" relying almost entirely on the 'this is how it used to be so it's best' argument. The book breaks down into two parts; skip the first half but the second is a must read for everyone.

                            5 out of 5 stars ways of eating.......2007-03-26

                            I know kids that buy Taco Bell for lunch religiously at school, or domino's pizza; I was never fortunate enough to spend a $4 on lunch everday and came with packed carrots and a turkey sandwich. After reading Fast Food Nation I am so thankful that I am even limited to eating fast food on a rare weekend.I agree that it is very convenient for fast paced lives but Schlosser has released what people sacrifice for their bodies for their own convenience. I look back in disgust at the Hot Lunches I begged my parents for in school; us kids would complain that the fried chicken was sometimes purple or awkwardly brown; and now because of Schlosser's book I relize that its just not apparent in a bad kitchen staff. Fast Food Nation provides the trueth about what we put into our bodies and honestly is trying to help America not be the number one country with people with weight issues and Burger King, McDonalds or Taco Bell within every neighborhood. In addition, I've always loved $.89 tacos or buritto supremes at Taco Bell... but I've now decided to change my diet and stick to my own prepared food...or my mothers will be much much better for me and my body. I know kids that buy Taco Bell for lunch religiously at school, or domino's pizza; I was never fortunate enough to spend a $4 on lunch everday and came with packed carrots and a PB and J. After reading Fast Food Nation I am so thankful that I am even limited to eating fast food on a rare weekend, and I agree that it is very convenient for fast paced lives but Schlosser has released what people sacrifice for their bodies for their own convenience. I look back in disgust at the Hot Lunches I begged my parents for in school, we would complain to the school that the fried chicken was sometimes purple or awkwardly brown; and now because of Schlosser's book I am changing my diet and sticking to my own prepared food...or my mothers. Fast Food Nation made me question where and how my hamberger meat traveled from its producer- why would I want to eat something when I dont know what it ate or how it was handled.

                            5 out of 5 stars A Must-Read for anyone that eats fast food.......2007-01-09

                            It's important to stay informed - to be armed with the knowledge to make the right choices as to what you put in your body and how you choose to stay healthy as you move forward in life... Sounds cheesy? or is it simply good common sense to do so? This book will arm you with what you need to know about fast food (and indeed the food industries generally), and what they have to do in order to get products to you. I read this a couple of years ago, and have been buying copies for friends ever since. I feel it is required reading...
                            Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
                            Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                            • A hard look at not only fast food, but the beef industry
                            • Frightening Truths
                            • Fast Food Nation - Eye opening read
                            • Eye Opening
                            • Alarming!
                            Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
                            Eric Schlosser
                            Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback

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                            ASIN: 0060938455
                            Release Date: 2002-01-08

                            Amazon.com's Best of 2001

                            On any given day, one out of four Americans opts for a quick and cheap meal at a fast-food restaurant, without giving either its speed or its thriftiness a second thought. Fast food is so ubiquitous that it now seems as American, and harmless, as apple pie. But the industry's drive for consolidation, homogenization, and speed has radically transformed America's diet, landscape, economy, and workforce, often in insidiously destructive ways. Eric Schlosser, an award-winning journalist, opens his ambitious and ultimately devastating exposé with an introduction to the iconoclasts and high school dropouts, such as Harlan Sanders and the McDonald brothers, who first applied the principles of a factory assembly line to a commercial kitchen. Quickly, however, he moves behind the counter with the overworked and underpaid teenage workers, onto the factory farms where the potatoes and beef are grown, and into the slaughterhouses run by giant meatpacking corporations. Schlosser wants you to know why those French fries taste so good (with a visit to the world's largest flavor company) and "what really lurks between those sesame-seed buns." Eater beware: forget your concerns about cholesterol, there is--literally--feces in your meat.

                            Schlosser's investigation reaches its frightening peak in the meatpacking plants as he reveals the almost complete lack of federal oversight of a seemingly lawless industry. His searing portrayal of the industry is disturbingly similar to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, written in 1906: nightmare working conditions, union busting, and unsanitary practices that introduce E. coli and other pathogens into restaurants, public schools, and homes. Almost as disturbing is his description of how the industry "both feeds and feeds off the young," insinuating itself into all aspects of children's lives, even the pages of their school books, while leaving them prone to obesity and disease. Fortunately, Schlosser offers some eminently practical remedies. "Eating in the United States should no longer be a form of high-risk behavior," he writes. Where to begin? Ask yourself, is the true cost of having it "your way" really worth it? --Lesley Reed

                            Book Description

                            Fast food has hastened the malling 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 here 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 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. He also uncovers the fast food chains' disturbing efforts to reel in the youngest, most susceptible consumers even while they hone their institutionalized exploitation of teenagers and minorities.

                            Customer Reviews:

                            5 out of 5 stars A hard look at not only fast food, but the beef industry.......2007-10-10

                            WOW...
                            And I don't say that so much because of the things this books brings to light about the fast food industry. I actually say it because of all the horrifying things I've learned about the BEEF industry! I never would have imagined what goes into raising cattle (the disgusting things they are fed), killing them and then turning them into meat. The dangers that these processes bring upon us as consumers of this beef (mad cow etc.) And the fact that the government is barely, if at all, regulating this?! Because they are "all in bed" with the beef industry! WOW. I am seriously considering from now on buying organic beef. I hope that in the next ten years that this government will start putting in place some better protection for us as beef consumers, at the time this book was written they were not allowed to re-call beef, nor were they able to inspect the factories....definitely a book worth reading and hopefully it continues to get noticed, make waves and bring upon some change.

                            As for the reading, it was dry at times, but for the most part interesting. I think it was very well written. It was helpful how it was broken down into chapters dealing with different aspects- made it easy to follow the argument and then grasp the sum-up of it all at the end, and how each part ties together. From the chapters on how fastfood/McDonalds got it's start, to the look at "why the fries taste so good", or what's in the beef, to the look at the meat processing plants...the author certainly seemed to do his homework, because he was nothing if not thorough. If Schlosser were to write a follow up, years down the road, I'd definitely read and will certainly recommend this to friends!

                            5 out of 5 stars Frightening Truths.......2007-10-09

                            Schlosser's exposé of the fast food industry makes for terrifying reading. Now that I am aware of the appalling corporate trade practices, I have been sure to avoid McDonald's (except in order to get hold of the complete Happy Meal collections of Hannah Montana and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- the mantelpiece would have seemed bare without them). However, it is equally worrying to learn about the produce found in major supermarkets. Chicken is frequently known to contain as much as 40% additives. If you ask me, 'chicken' should be just that and it should NOT involve added protein. It is for this reason that I must politely decline Uncle Bruce's invitations to dinner. Since I caught a glimpse of him through the kitchen window (during the final throes of 'injecting' a chicken) I have felt little urge to join him for a Sunday dinner.

                            5 out of 5 stars Fast Food Nation - Eye opening read.......2007-10-04

                            This is a very well researched and written tome that I would recommend to anyone interested in how big agribusiness works. Cynical by nature, I'm even more so after reading the book, especially when it comes to politics and big business. If you read nothing else, check out the chapter on the slaughterhouse. Egad.

                            I look forward to reading Schlosser's other book, Refer Madness.

                            4 out of 5 stars Eye Opening.......2007-09-29

                            After reading the book, I became so appalled at the thought of eating fast food again. It's not just about health either. The sad and horrific stories about how factory workers were treated and their working conditions will wake you up. One often knows how bad fast food is, but until you read this, you won't really know just how BAD it is.

                            5 out of 5 stars Alarming!.......2007-09-28

                            I could not put the book down. I found it so intriguing that I had to buy another copy to pass among my family and friends. I was, like the rest of the people who have read this, shocked to know exactly how the large agricultural companies operate and the feebleness with which the FDA and USDA operate.
                            Being a government employee myself I feel the massive budget cuts and have experienced the mounds of work displaced to employees already overwhelmed. There's no way to catch up or catch anything that is not a blatant violation. So, I'm not surprised to find out that the majority of the time the agricultural business is left to police itself.
                            I was skeptical by the amount of negative information in the book and wondered if this could indeed really be happening. The author, however, delivers facts and names which when investigated would have to be accurate for those details to be published -otherwise this book would have been shut down before publishing.
                            That said I feel the book must be on the mark. Knowing that I am more cautious, than ever, about where I purchase my food. I could not stand fast food before I read the book, which gave me relief that not eating junk food is sensible advice. Knowing what I know now I choose to cook more meals at home. I have banned the supermarket for most items that I can purchase locally -meats and vegetables. Trust in the man at Winn Dixie or Food Lion is gone.
                            My advice; educate yourself. Do not let this be the only source of information about the food industry. Buy locally if you can. Make a friend of your local butcher or farmer's market. Purchase in-season items -this reduces the miles your food has traveled which lessens the environmental impact of what you are eating. It'll guarantee a better quality product too. Know where your food is coming from.
                            Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
                            Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                            • Fast- Food: Gone with it!
                            • Fast Food Nation
                            • Very detailed history and facts about the fastfood industry
                            Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

                            Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback
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                            1. Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health (California Studies in Food and Culture, 3) Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health (California Studies in Food and Culture, 3)
                            2. Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World
                            3. Chew On This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food Chew On This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food
                            4. Fast Food Nation Fast Food Nation
                            5. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America

                            ASIN: 0965188388

                            Customer Reviews:

                            4 out of 5 stars Fast- Food: Gone with it!.......2007-03-26

                            I really enjoyed reading Schlosser's Fast- Food Nation. He really explained and elaborated the history and evolution of the industry, with pro's and con's. As well as focusing on the history of the fast- food industry, he connects with Upton Sinclair's, "The Jungle," talking about the meat- packing industry and how it effects the fast food industry today. Personally, I don't eat fast- food but it was very interesting to read about how it got started and how today, it's gotten to the point that there is a McDonald's in almost every state in the U.S. as well as in Europe.
                            Overall, I rate this book 4 stars and look forward to read more of Schlosser's books in the future.

                            4 out of 5 stars Fast Food Nation.......2006-01-11

                            Fast Food Nation chronicles the history of what have become today's largest and most successful fast food chains. He uncovers the dark secrets that lie behind the "all-american meal"
                            Schlosser does a great job of keeping the reader entertained with interesting facts and he makes it hard for the reader to put the book down. This being Schlosser's first book is acutely reminiscant of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" it takes a direct look at meat packing plants and tells us "why the fries taste so good." After reading this book, the reader may or may not have a hard time even looking at fast food restaurants.

                            5 out of 5 stars Very detailed history and facts about the fastfood industry.......2005-07-01

                            Fastfood Nation is a detailed research into the fastfood industry. It appears to be marketed as an expose detailing how fastfood makes you fat and ruins the world. Happily it isn't that. Instead it is a thorough fact based description of all aspects of the fastfood industry.

                            Schlosser obsessively details: The history of fastfood in general, dwelling on histories of the nation wide chains, and with references to interviews with founders if the founders were still alive to interview. Case studies of workers at all levels of the industry and discussion of the economics that make franchises work. Where the ingredients in the food come from, including the farmers, the corporations that distribute food to the various fastfood companies and how the flavors are designed and mass produced. And finally how the fastfood industry is changing and expanding globally today.

                            I am curious as to what kind of field research Schlosser did for this book. His descriptions of how the fastfood world works as far as hows and whys of worker treatment are dead on. (I have worked enough fastfood to leave sizable gaps of "seasonal worker" on my resume.) Obviously he interviewed people, but it seems like he also did follow up interviews over a longer period of time perhaps a couple of years. It is good to see someone with a job that presumably comes with benefits who has a firm grasp of the situation.

                            I recommend this book to the curious. If you are looking for a 200 page essay on why fastfood is bad then look elsewhere. This isn't that book and doesn't even push that conclusion. However, if you are looking for a well written report on all aspects of the history and workings of the fastfood industry then you will love this. It is obsessively detailed. Clearly Schlosser has a grasp of the subject.
                            Fast Food Nation - The Dark Side Of The All-american Meal
                            Average customer rating: Not rated
                              Fast Food Nation - The Dark Side Of The All-american Meal
                              Eric Schlosser
                              Manufacturer: Perennial / Harper-collins
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Paperback
                              ASIN: B000LX44EY
                              Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
                              Average customer rating: Not rated
                                Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
                                Eric Schlosser
                                Manufacturer: Tandem Library
                                ProductGroup: Book
                                Binding: Unknown Binding

                                Company ProfilesCompany Profiles | Biography & History | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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                                ASIN: 1417687177
                                FAST FOOD NATION: THE DARK SIDE OF THE ALL-AMERICAN MEAL.(Review): An article from: American Scholar
                                Average customer rating: Not rated
                                  FAST FOOD NATION: THE DARK SIDE OF THE ALL-AMERICAN MEAL.(Review): An article from: American Scholar
                                  Andrey Slivka
                                  Manufacturer: Phi Beta Kappa Society
                                  ProductGroup: Book
                                  Binding: Digital
                                  ASIN: B0008HZLLI
                                  Release Date: 2005-07-28

                                  Book Description

                                  This digital document is an article from American Scholar, published by Phi Beta Kappa Society on March 22, 2001. The length of the article is 1586 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

                                  Citation Details
                                  Title: FAST FOOD NATION: THE DARK SIDE OF THE ALL-AMERICAN MEAL.(Review)
                                  Author: Andrey Slivka
                                  Publication: American Scholar (Refereed)
                                  Date: March 22, 2001
                                  Publisher: Phi Beta Kappa Society
                                  Volume: 70 Issue: 2 Page: 152

                                  Article Type: Book Review

                                  Distributed by Thomson Gale
                                  Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal.: An article from: Journal of Consumer Affairs
                                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                                    Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal.: An article from: Journal of Consumer Affairs
                                    Robert O. Herrmann
                                    Manufacturer: American Council on Consumer Interests
                                    ProductGroup: Book
                                    Binding: Digital

                                    GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
                                    GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books
                                    GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | HTML | Formats | e-Docs | Formats | Books
                                    ASIN: B0008IIXTE
                                    Release Date: 2005-07-28

                                    Book Description

                                    This digital document is an article from Journal of Consumer Affairs, published by American Council on Consumer Interests on December 22, 2001. The length of the article is 692 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

                                    Citation Details
                                    Title: Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal.
                                    Author: Robert O. Herrmann
                                    Publication: Journal of Consumer Affairs (Refereed)
                                    Date: December 22, 2001
                                    Publisher: American Council on Consumer Interests
                                    Volume: 35 Issue: 2 Page: 399(2)

                                    Article Type: Book Review

                                    Distributed by Thomson Gale

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