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Overview
What do Americans think of when they think of the hamburger? A robust, succulent spheroid of fresh ground beef, the birthright of red-blooded citizens? Or a Styrofoam-shrouded Big Mac, mass-produced to industrial specifications and served by wage slaves to an obese, brainwashed population? Is it cooking or commodity? An icon of freedom or the quintessence of conformity?
This fast-paced and entertaining book unfolds the immense significance of the hamburger as an American icon. Josh Ozersky shows how the history of the burger is entwined with American business and culture and, unexpectedly, how the burger’s story is in many ways the story of the country that invented (and reinvented) it.
Spanning the years from the nineteenth century with its waves of European immigrants to our own era of globalization, the book recounts how German "hamburg steak” evolved into hamburgers for the rising class of urban factory workers and how the innovations of the White Castle System and the McDonald’s Corporation turned the burger into the Model T of fast food. The hamburger played an important role in America’s transformation into a mobile, suburban culture, and today, America’s favorite sandwich is nothing short of an irrepressible economic and cultural force. How this all happened, and why, is a remarkable story, told here with insight, humor, and gusto.
Synopsis
What do Americans think of when they think of the hamburger? A robust, succulent spheroid of fresh ground beef, the birthright of red-blooded citizens? Or a Styrofoam-shrouded Big Mac, mass-produced to industrial specifications and served by wage slaves to an obese, brainwashed population? Is it cooking or commodity? An icon of freedom or the quintessence of conformity?
This fast-paced and entertaining book unfolds the immense significance of the hamburger as an American icon. Josh Ozersky shows how the history of the burger is entwined with American business and culture and, unexpectedly, how the burger’s story is in many ways the story of the country that invented (and reinvented) it.
Spanning the years from the nineteenth century with its waves of European immigrants to our own era of globalization, the book recounts how German “hamburg steak” evolved into hamburgers for the rising class of urban factory workers and how the innovations of the White Castle System and the McDonald’s Corporation turned the burger into the Model T of fast food. The hamburger played an important role in America’s transformation into a mobile, suburban culture, and today, America’s favorite sandwich is nothing short of an irrepressible economic and cultural force. How this all happened, and why, is a remarkable story, told here with insight, humor, and gusto.
Courtney Greene - Library Journal
Cultural historian Ozersky (food editor/online, New York magazine) examines the hamburger-the bellwether, and later stalwart, of the fast-food establishment in America-as a cultural signpost for American cultural and social values. He includes meaty research on the personalities (e.g., Ray Kroc, Dave Thomas) and the corporations (e.g., McDonald's, White Castle, Big Boy) that not only perfected the delivery of the assembly-line sandwich to the masses but also profited from their ability to connect to the power of the individuality, ingenuity, and ambition inherent in the American dream, even as the shape of that dream has shifted throughout the 20th century to today-where McDonaldization and gourmet Kobe beef burgers coexist. Compelling reading, this clearly written book will attract a wide range of readers, from those with an academic interest in popular culture, U.S. history, sociology, or company histories to those generally interested in the American sociocultural landscape and the origins of McDonald's. Recommended for academic and public libraries.
Editorials
Library Journal
Cultural historian Ozersky (food editor/online, New York magazine) examines the hamburger-the bellwether, and later stalwart, of the fast-food establishment in America-as a cultural signpost for American cultural and social values. He includes meaty research on the personalities (e.g., Ray Kroc, Dave Thomas) and the corporations (e.g., McDonald's, White Castle, Big Boy) that not only perfected the delivery of the assembly-line sandwich to the masses but also profited from their ability to connect to the power of the individuality, ingenuity, and ambition inherent in the American dream, even as the shape of that dream has shifted throughout the 20th century to today-where McDonaldization and gourmet Kobe beef burgers coexist. Compelling reading, this clearly written book will attract a wide range of readers, from those with an academic interest in popular culture, U.S. history, sociology, or company histories to those generally interested in the American sociocultural landscape and the origins of McDonald's. Recommended for academic and public libraries.
—Courtney Greene
The Atlantic Monthly
"Short but comprehensive, heavy with interesting detail about the habits of American diners and restaurateurs."—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic Monthly
— Graeme Wood
Author Magazine
"Filled with anecdotes and enthusiasm, this book does what very few can do: it makes you hungry."—Kevin Lauderdale, Author Magazine
— Kevin Lauderdale
Belles Lettres
"Ozersky''s book is part biographical sketches of the great hamburger men and part American culture. . . . [H]e attempts to answer why the hamburger caught on in America and what kind of icon the burger business and the burger provide."—Rosalind Early, Belles Lettres
— Rosalind Early
Boston Globe
"[S]erves up a fast-paced and amusing account of how German ''hamburg steak'' evolved into hamburgers for urban factory workers, became an irrepressible economic and cultural force, and played a role in the suburbanization of America."—Joshua Glenn, Boston Globe (Brainiac Summer Reading)
— Joshua Glenn
Boston Sunday Globe
"A short, utterly brilliant chronicle of this
— Katherine A. Powers
Diner's Journal
"Authoritative [and] impressively detailed."—Frank Bruni, Diners Journal
— Frank Bruni
Fiery Foods & BBQ
"Ozersky helps to put American history in the context of the hamburger''s life story. Or is it the other way around? No matter, it''s a fascinating look at one of our favorite things."—Gwyneth Doland, Fiery Foods & BBQ
— Gwyneth Doland
Fortune
"Hugely satisfying. . . . Both scholarly and witty."—Daniel Okrent, Fortune
— Daniel Okrent
Jewish Exponent
"Ozersky''s little ode to joy on a bun is social history at its most flexible. . . .Ozersky''s inquisitive mind and evocative prose will get the juices flowing and your mouth watering."—Robert Leiter, Jewish Exponent
— Robert Leiter
Midtown Lunch
"A must read for any like-minded eaters."—Midtown Lunch
New York Daily News
"A sexy little volume on the history of the patty from its 18th-century beginnings to its postwar boom thanks to White Castle."—Rachel Wharton, New York Daily News
— Rachel Wharton
New York Magazine
"The book is more than an overview of the sandwich; it is an impassioned argument for its significance in American culture and a celebration of its power."—New York Magazine
New York Times Magazine
"Colorful reading. . . . This is a country that needed something to unite it, and, however improbably, Ozersky convinces us that the hamburger has done just that. " —Holly Brubach, New York Times Magazine
— Holly Bruback
San Francisco Chronicle
"Ozersky tells a taut tale of the sandwich''s Diaspora and hand-to-mouth existence. . . . Ozersky''s unusual blend of passion and common sense sets his book apart from others of its kind."—Ted Anthony, San Francisco Chronicle
— Ted Anthony
The Economist
"This entertaining and informative book, which traces the burger''s evolution from working man''s snack during the Depression to symbol of American corporatism, is nothing less than a brief history of America in the 20th century."—The Economist
USA Today
"Lively, well-reported. . . . A tasty cultural history that appreciates the sizzle and symbolism of its subject."—Bob Minzesheimer, USA Today
— Bob Minzesheimer