Cogs in the Great Machine by Eric Schlosser
In May 2005 Penguin will publish 70 unique titles to celebrate the company's 70th birthday. The titles in the Pocket Penguins series are emblematic of the renowned breadth of quality of the Penguin list and will hark back to Penguin founder Allen Lane's vision of good books for all'. Eric Schlosser's unique brand of hard-hitting, edgy yet always entertaining writing looks beneath the surface of American life to examine issues ranging from the black market to burgers. When Penguin published his expose Fast Food Nation in 2001 it sparked a storm in the fast food industry; this piece on the terrifying true cost of cheap meat shows why Schlosser has been instrumental in changing our attitudes to what we eat.