Don't Eat This Book: Summary and book reviews of Don't Eat This Book by Morgan Spurlock, plus links to an excerpt from Don't Eat This Book and a biography of Morgan Spurlock.
Don't Eat This Book Fast Food and the Supersizing of America
by Morgan Spurlock
Hardcover: May 2005,
304 pages.
Paperback: May 2006,
320 pages.
The literary debut of the funniest and most incisive new voice to come along
since Michael Moore-and the acclaimed director of the film phenomenon of the
year.
Can man live on fast food alone? Morgan Spurlock tried to do just that. For
thirty days, he ate nothing but three "squares" a day from McDonald's as part of
an investigation into the effects of fast food on American health. The resulting
documentary won him resounding applause and a worldwide release that broke
box-office records. Audiences were captivated by Spurlock's experiment, during
which he gained twenty-five pounds, his blood pressure skyrocketed, and his
libido all but disappeared.
But this story goes far beyond Spurlock's good-humored "Mc-Sickness." He
traveled across the country-into schools, hospitals, and people's homes -to
investigate school lunch programs, the marketing of fast food, and the declining
emphasis on health and physical education. He looks at why fast food is so
tasty, cheap, and ultimately seductive, and what Americans can do to turn the
rising tide of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes that have accompanied its
ever-growing popularity. He interviewed experts in twenty cities-from surgeon
generals and kids to lawmakers and marketing gurus-who share their research,
opinions, and "gut feelings" on our ever-expanding girth and what we can all do
to offset a health crisis of supersized proportions.
In this groundbreaking, hilarious book, "benevolent muckraker" Morgan Spurlock
debuts a wry investigative voice that will appeal to anyone interested in the
health of our country, our children, and ourselves.
If you've read Fast Food Nation or Fat Land this offers very little new information but for the many who are still oblivious to the dangers of of eating what passes for food in places such as McDonalds, Spurlock's book or documentary will offer much food for thought. (Reviewed by BookBrowse Review Team).
Booklist - Mark Knoblauch
Spurlock's ingenuous persona and his bumptious spiritedness added immeasurably to the film's charm.... in print, this gee-whiz approach makes him come across as a lightweight, overshadowing and undermining whatever serious purpose he intended and whatever valid charges he might have brought against today's fast-food behemoths.
Publishers Weekly
Fact-packed and funny, this offshoot of Spurlock's Oscar-nominated documentary Super Size Me serves both as a substitute for and addition to the movie.
Kirkus Reviews
Starred Review. A powerful work of reporting and punditry.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by OSU Comp Student 2009 This book will change your outlook on fast food! This book gives a supersized portion of information on how the fast food industry is making the nation obese. Throughout the book, Spurlock uses a humorous voice, shocking facts, and pieces of his documentary to make us aware of the lack of... Read More
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A groundbreaking work of investigation and cultural history that may change the way America thinks about the way it eats.
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(724 words).
Booklist - Mark Knoblauch
of 5
by OSU Comp Student 2009
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