Worthwhile companion to outstanding movie

I would definitely see Morgan Spurlock's "Super Size Me" before reading "Don't Eat This Book," because the book refers often to the movie, and often references people and situations from the movie.

This book didn't fascinate me the way the movie did, but it has a lot of good information in it, and it's presented in an entertaining fashion. Sometimes Spurlock can be too "clever" for his own good, i.e. referring to Chuck E. Cheese as "Upchuck E. Cheese" (har-de-freaking-har). And sometimes it seemed like Spurlock was simply compiling info from other sources, unlike Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation," where you could really tell the author went out into the field and talked to people face to face.

But when I finished this book, something happened - something that didn't happen when I watched "Super Size Me" or read "Fast Food Nation." I actually started caring more about what I eat. Obesity is not a problem for me, but I really have started to eat better lately, and I think this book was the straw that broke the burger's back. I think this book, more than "Nation," is designed to inspire personal change, as opposed to muckraking and bringing down Big Food. Spurlock issues personal challenges, and they got to me. I'm not going to stop eating fast food, but I sure think about it a lot harder before I do - and not several times a week like I have in the past, that's for sure.

And I'm certainly not eating at McDonalds ever again. Not because of this book, but because the food always makes my stomach hurt.

Stop feeding yourself the same line of excuses

Morgan Spurlock is back with a well-needed follow up to his thirty day fast food diet that hit the DVD market as `Supersize Me'. In his DVD, Morgan took us on a journey with him as he proved that fast food is not, in any way, shape or form, nutritious. Regardless of how fast food may flaunt nutritive additives, a meal it does not make.

I am extremely pleased to have read, and be able to recommend, this book. There are many sources out there for those of us who have already been aware of the horribly detrimental effects fast food is having on our health, but Morgan has captured the attention of the people, and now brings the facts into print with a well written, easy to read, and factual book.

Morgan challenges us to do only the logical steps to understand what he is speaking about, like taking that burger out of the bun and actually looking at it. It's gray and flaccid, industrialized meat product. He exposes the lies of the industry, like the years long delay McDonald's made on its promise to change out the unhealthy oil they use. He investigates the impact of McDonalds in other countries and collects varied opinions of them. He provides disgusting information on the meat industry. He points out the ties between government lobbyist's and the all powerful food companies, including Sodexho, who provides your children's lunches. Most importantly, he points out the obvious connection between fast food and diseases that are sweeping our nation, like type 2 diabetes.

It's true that the people themselves are the ones ultimately responsible for what they shove into their pieholes, but the fast food industry is notoriously lax on providing truthful information to the masses. McDonald's nutritional charts are up to thirty percent inaccurate (in their favor) according to the lab results Spurlock obtained from an independent lab.

It's true that most issues are skimmed in this book, it is a fairly thin novel, but the pertinent facts are there and are backed up by other media and written materials. Spurlock makes several references to Fat Land, by Greg Critser, I book I have also read, which goes into far more detail than Don't Eat This Book, but never got the media attention that Spurlock has latched onto. This is definitely a great, easy-to-read, and informative book that deserves a great deal of attention.

Also recommended:
Fat Land by Greg Critser
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Slaughterhouse by Gail A. Eisnitz

These three books will round out and confirm what Spurlock has brought up in this follow up book to his thirty days of hell in fast food heaven. Enjoy!

Enough is Enough, Morgan!

Ditto to what has been said in most of the previous reviews. I do not feel the need to sit here and regurgitate the finite details of this book to you since everyone before me has done just that. However, I do feel an urge to comment on something else. I just started reading this book, and am only not even half-way through and yet, do not feel the need to finish the book both because I feel like it is just the same stuff over and over with a fancy new twist but most importantly, this guy can't write! Just because his movie did well (and he TV show on FX will presumably do well) doesn't mean the guy can write a well structured sentence or paragraph even IF his mom was an english teacher. His thoughts are dijointed and sometimes I find myself wondering...is there more? He exits topics before, I feel, they are resolved and rambles about thoughts that could be cut shorter. I can't tell if it's his fault, or if he got jipped the pleasure of a good editor. He makes points and has no facts to back them up and tries to make bold statements to end the chapters, but I am left feeling empty and annoyed. I am a huge fan of Fast Food Nation and even Food Politics, but the manner in which this book is written takes the feel of a high school english paper or an e-mail to a friend over a "serious book about a serious issue." Overall, an easy read if you can look past his annoying ways. Okay Morgan, it was cute in the movie but now you'v taken it too far. I've had enough.