Author Guide · Investigative Journalism
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Eric Schlosser followed the hamburger back from the counter to the meatpacking plants of the American West, where low-paid workers did some of the most dangerous jobs in the country, and to the laboratories in New Jersey that create the flavours of fast food. Fast Food Nation changed how many readers ate. Twelve years later he published a history of America's nuclear arsenal built around a night in 1980 when a dropped tool punctured a missile in Arkansas. This guide covers all four of his books in order, and where to start.
By Lisanne Swart · 4 books · Investigative journalism · 2001–2013 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Eric Schlosser has published four books: Fast Food Nation (2001), about the fast-food industry; Reefer Madness (2003), about America's black markets; Chew on This (2006), a version of Fast Food Nation for young readers written with Charles Wilson; and Command and Control (2013), about the safety of nuclear weapons, a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Where to Start with Eric Schlosser
If you want the famous one
→ Fast Food Nation (2001).
If you want a thriller
→ Command and Control (2013).
For young readers
→ Chew on This (2006).
All 4 Eric Schlosser Books, in Order
Fast Food Nation
The fast-food industry and what it has done to America, from the marketing aimed at children and the flavour laboratories to the cattle ranches and meatpacking plants and the people who work in them. It became an international bestseller and was adapted as a 2006 film directed by Richard Linklater.
Reefer Madness
Three essays on the underground economy in America: marijuana, migrant farm labour and pornography.
Chew on This
Written with Charles Wilson: a version of Fast Food Nation for teenage readers.
Command and Control
In September 1980 a maintenance worker dropped a socket into a Titan II missile silo near Damascus, Arkansas, puncturing the missile's fuel tank. Schlosser tells that night alongside a history of how America has tried, and sometimes nearly failed, to keep its nuclear weapons safe. It was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and became a documentary film.
How Many Books Did Eric Schlosser Write?
Four books between 2001 and 2013, one of them written with Charles Wilson for young readers.
- Investigations — Fast Food Nation, Reefer Madness and Command and Control. Read the entries →
- Young readers — Chew on This (2006). Read the entries →
In What Order to Read Eric Schlosser
His books are not a series. Fast Food Nation and Command and Control are the two essentials; Chew on This covers the same ground as the first for younger readers.
A reading path
1. Fast Food Nation (2001)
2. Command and Control (2013)
3. Reefer Madness (2003)
Quick facts about Eric Schlosser
- Magazines
- Fast Food Nation began as an article in Rolling Stone; he has written for The Atlantic
- Films
- Fast Food Nation (2006, directed by Richard Linklater); Command and Control (documentary, 2016)
- Recognition
- Pulitzer Prize finalist, for Command and Control
- Books
- 4, from 2001 to 2013
How Eric Schlosser Works: Follow the System
Schlosser starts from something familiar, a hamburger, a joint, a missile silo, and follows the system behind it to the people who make it work and the places most readers never see, such as the floor of a meatpacking plant.
His books are heavily sourced and annotated, and he writes about workers and their safety with as much attention as about the companies and governments in charge.
Frequently asked questions about Eric Schlosser's books
How many books has Eric Schlosser written?
Eric Schlosser has published four books: Fast Food Nation (2001), Reefer Madness (2003), Chew on This (2006, with Charles Wilson) and Command and Control (2013).
What is Fast Food Nation about?
Fast Food Nation (2001) is an investigation into the American fast-food industry, from its marketing and flavour science to the meatpacking plants and the workers who supply it.
What is Command and Control about?
Command and Control (2013) tells the story of a 1980 accident at a Titan II missile silo in Damascus, Arkansas, alongside a history of the safety of America's nuclear weapons. It was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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