This book aims to offer "... readers some new insights into the society in which they are in the process of constructing. If they are as alarmed as I am by the dangers posed by McDonaldization, perhaps they can do what Weber thought virtually impossible - act to reverse the trend toward McDonaldization. Although I do not think such a reversal is possible, or even necassarily desirable, I do think that there are steps that people can take to ameliorate the problems, to humanize a McDonaldized society. It is hoped that this book will not only inform, but also serve as a warning, and perhaps most important, point the reader in directions that can help make the "iron cage of McDonaldization" a more human setting in which to work and live."

"...McDonald's represents a monumentally important development and the process that it has helped spawn, McDonaldization, is engulfing more and more sectors of society and areas of the world. It has yielded a number of benefits to society, but it also entails a considerable number of costs and risks."

• At least once a week, pass up lunch at McDonald's and frequent a local greasy spoon.

• To really shake up the clerk at the department store, use cash rather than your credit card.

• For your next vacation, go to only one locale and get to know it well.

• Go to no movies that have roman numerals after their names.

"Although I have emphasized the irresistibility of McDonaldization throughout this book, my fondest hope is that I am wrong. Indeed, a major motivation behind this book is to alert readers to the dangers of McDonaldization and to motivate them to act to stem its tide. I hope that we are able to resist McDonaldization and can create instead a more reasonable, more human world."

About the Author...
Ritzer is Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland, where he has been named Distinguished Scholar-Teacher. His other publications include Frontiers of Social-Theory (Colombia University Press) and Sociology: Experiencing Changing Societies (5th edition) with Kenneth Kammeyer and Norman Yetman.