This book is fantastic! It is also completely horrifying. Do not let the fact that it is a commentary on socialism deter you from reading this book because the first 3/4 of it will give you no obvious indication of that. It is a story about how an immigrant family struggles to survive through horrific conditions. The vivid description given by Sinclair on the meat packing process encouraged some changes in food and safety standards. This is captivating and heartbreaking and if you don't read too much into it, it is an easy wonderful read.

I know this book is all about socialism, and I enjoyed learning about that and connecting concepts, but like most readers of the book, I enjoyed learning about our meat industry. Truly an eye-opener about what went down in "Packingtown."