The McDonaldization of Society: Revised New Century Edition

“I love this book; it is a contemporary classic. . . . I would certainly use this book in an undergraduate theory course.”

“From my viewpoint, what I need is a book that spurs debate and stimulates critical thinking among my students, particularly on the societal consequences of rationalization. Ritzer’s book does exactly this. The strengths of the book are its connection to “real life” as well as the possibility of using it as a platform for discussing business practices seen from the viewpoint of citizens, rather than managers. . . . I would surely adopt its new edition and use it in a wide range of courses.”

“I use this book in an introductory level social problems and public policy course. The book is also used in my department in many sections of introduction to sociology. It works well in introductory level courses. . . . It is a good book and has been a great teaching tool. I find the book helps students to see rationalized environments where they could not see them before. Vision is a good thing. . . the book still has a long shelf life ahead.”

“This is an important book. Its wide recognition is well deserved. Its central strength is the clarity and brevity with which it makes accessible an extraordinarily important and complex process shaping the postmodern world.”

“I am impressed with the amount of examples the author has gathered from around the world for the book. Examples are current, interesting, and illustrative. They mesh well with the text and help enormously in explicating complex processes underlying McDonaldization.”

“I have enjoyed using this book. I recommend it to other education professionals and, on occasion, have given copies of this book to friends and relatives as gifts. The strengths are obvious.”

“The opening chapters are very strong. I very much like the way Weber’s ideas are brought to life. . . . This is such a good opportunity to bring more theory into awareness for students. . . . It is very engaging and brings the reader into the content in a wonderful way.”

'I love this book; it is a contemporary classic. . . . I would certainly use this book in an undergraduate theory course.' - Philip Cohen, University of California, Irvine

One of the most popular sociology books of all time has been thoroughly updated to examine how McDonaldization has roared into the 21st century. The McDonaldization of Society: Revised New Century Edition, discusses how McDonaldization and the broader process of globalization (in a new Chapter 8), are spreading more widely and more deeply into various social institutions such as education, medicine, the criminal justice system, and more.

This Revised New Century Edition provides many new, relevant examples from recent events and contemporary popular culture, including the ever-increasing global proliferation of McDonald's and other fast food franchises, shopping malls, and similar commercial entities. Their impact is examined in the post-September 11, 2001 era.

The McDonaldization of Society is ideal for use in a wide range of higher-education courses and will be of equal interest to anyone interested in social criticism. The book offers readers new insight into the society they are constructing around them.