Fast Food Nation

Photo: wikipedia

I read Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser, about a month ago, so I'm forgetting all of the gritty details, but it's a very informative book and is absolutely worth reading. Before I read the book, I actually ended up buying a second copy of the book because I forgot that I already had it on my shelf, but that worked out, because Andrew and I were able to read through it at the same time, and I was able to pass on both copies of the book to other people.

Let me begin with the fact that I stopped eating fast food a long time ago, even before I became a vegetarian, because I started to get disgusted with just how frequently my mom would stop off to grab some fast food for dinner on the way home. How glad I am that I stopped then.

Fast Food Nation takes you through the history of the development of fast food, to the economical powerhouse that it is today. It discusses the potato and meat industry (including a difficult-to-read section on slaughterhouses). I'm very squeamish, so I read through certain parts of the book half squinting, but I felt better for having read through the interviews about the treatment and injuries of the workers and the politics behind a lot of realities of the fast food industry.

The book isn't written to expose truths about the fast food industry, but it doesn't just villify the fast food industry. It reminds the readers that we have power to change some of these situations. One of my favorite lines comes towards the end, when the author reminds the reader that fast food CEOs aren't evil. They're just businessmen. If we demand grass-fed, organic beef, we can get it. Fast food companies have that kind of power, and it won't affect our pocketbooks, either.

You'll be better off having read the book, and I guarantee you'll rethink your eating habits. Go read it now.

Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan

My mother sent me Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan, possibly because she thinks that I don't know how to handle my finances, but more likely because she read it and found it useful herself. And, may I make it clear in the beginning -- my mother is not a reader. I can't remember the last time she mentioned having read a book.

209 pages may sound like a lot of financial reading, but it's really quick reading, and it gives a surprisingly clear (and quick) explanation of how the world got into this big financial mess. The rest of the book seems to be FAQs on how to manage money if you're in a specific financial situation.

If you're someone who needs a swift kick in the posterior to get your financial situation cleared up, this is the book for you. Suze Orman's advice is pretty basic, but it's what thousands of people need to hear: Pay your debt first. Save enough money to carry you for a few months (she recommends 8 months) in case of emergency. Then, start figuring out how to save money each month. If you haven't paid off your debt and you don't have money to protect yourself in a real emergency (which would mean you might go into debt as a result), then you should be saving as much as possible and working towards those goals.

If you can take that advice, then you should save yourself the $9.99 it costs to buy this book. Put it towards paying off your debt. If you need someone to say it more directly, then march yourself over to a library and find this book. Or buy it (it's on Amazon, used for $5), and then pass it on to your friends.

All in all, it's a quick, easy read, with a lot of information that we can all benefit from. Even if you're in good financial health, but aren't sure how to invest your money yet, it's a good place to start (and will give you all kinds of information so you can dish out advice to your less financially-savvy friends).

The Bookseller of Kabul

Less than a week ago my friend and fellow book-lover, Dena, lent me a copy of The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad.  The story takes place in Afghanistan and Pakistan and discusses the life of, as you might guess, a bookseller in Kabul.

What surprised me was that this book was actually based on the author's real life experiences during her stay at the home of the bookseller. The book was really interesting and gave me a unique glimpse into the lives of upper-middle class people living in Afghanistan.  The only problem I really encountered in the book was that characters continue to be introduced throughout the entire book.  I'm not very good at names of characters, even if I'm working with a single set throughout a whole novel, so this book took a little focus.

Overall this book is an interesting look into the lives of men and women in Afghanistan. At times it felt as though this book was a documentary of a past style of living, but when I was reminded that it is a modern portrayal, I felt lucky to be educated and sleeping on a futon in a heated room.