McDonald's
Companiesfood-and-beverage
The franchising and real-estate model that defined fast food, with a strong founder memoir and a defining critical work.
9 books
Start here
- Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald'sRay Kroc, Robert Anderson, 1977
- McDonald's: Behind the ArchesJohn F. Love, 1986
- Fast Food NationEric Schlosser, 2001
Books 9
Eric Schlosser · 2001 · The industry critique that made McDonald's its central case.
Ray Kroc, Robert Anderson · 1977 · Insider account: Kroc's own telling of the takeover and expansion.
John F. Love · 1986 · The standard business history of the franchise and property model.
Marcia Chatelain · 2020 · Pulitzer-winning history of McDonald's franchising in Black America.
George Ritzer · 1993 · The standardisation model that made the chain scalable.
James L. Watson · 1997 · Edited fieldwork on how the format was localised across Asia.
T3 Ray & Joan
Lisa Napoli · 2016 · The Krocs, the fortune, and the philanthropy it funded.
Max Boas, Steve Chain · 1976 · Early unauthorised account of the franchise and real-estate machine.
John Vidal · 1997 · The London libel trial that became a reputational case study.