[.ca] Fast Food: Roadside Restaurants in the Automobile Age (ISBN 080186920X)

unreadable:
What could be more entertaining than a book about fast-food? What could be more fun than reading the history of Wendy's and Long john Silver, of hamburgers and hotdogs? Unfortunately the writers of 'Fast food' have a very bad case of sociologist's jargon. Most of the book is as exciting and as readable as a management study and many a paragraph goes beyond the comprehension of this reader, even though he graduated in literature. Moreover the writers do not bother to hide their cultured disdain for the food they write about. So notwithstanding the many interesting facts and observations in this book, in the end there is very little to enjoy.

Authoritative, but not light reading:
I enjoyed this book much more than the previous reviewer, but he has a point. FAST FOOD, like the other titles in the "Road and American Culture" series, should not be confused with the typical book on "roadside Americana": it's not a lighthearted, heavily illustrated volume designed to evoke nostalgic memories. If that's what you want, search for titles written by John Margolies or Michael Karl Witzel, or published by Chronicle Books. This is a serious examination of casual dining in America, from the lunch wagons which once served urban laborers through the chains which now cluster near every exit along the Interstate. Taken on its own terms, the book is a success, assembling more information (well-annotated, with an excellent bibliography) than any previous title on the topic. Just be sure you know what you're getting into!

As dry as a fast food hamburger:
This could best be described as a detailed history of chain-restaurants (not just fast food). It opens with a history of 'quick-service' eating establishments in the US, taking the reader through the history of tea rooms, roadside stands, diners, and other more recent permutations. Most of the book is devoted to histories of chain-restaurant companies, which amount to something less than riveting reading. The authors have thoroughly researched the history of every restaurant chain in painstaking detail, but rarely are these written in a way that makes for a gripping story. An exception is the Indiana-based 'Snappy Service' chain (closed in 1983), which is described in a way that brings its entrepreneur to life. The last chapter describes the pattern of chain restaurants that evolved in Springfield, Illinois. The book is profusely illustrated with well over a hundred photos and dozens of maps. One glaring error appears in a series of five maps (pp. 154-157) analyzing McDonald's domination of rival chains, in which the ratio of McDonald's to competitors was inverted.

An Easy Read:
I liked it so much I brought a copy for a friend of mine. It tells you EVERYTHING you could ever want to know anout fast food in America. The book will provide you with more fast food trivia than even the nerdiest person in the world would ever want to hear. A great coffee table book.