`Ritzer here revisits and extends the ground-breaking theory he first fully expounded in 1993 in The McDonaldisation of Society, since when he has published a number of papers which take the thesis further and on which this book builds....
<p>This is exciting, readable, provocative modern sociology that sets out to challenge the dominant trends in the construction of our brave new global world....</p>
<p>His work constitutes a serious academic challenge from within the very heartland of McDonaldisation and I highly recommend it to those who want to gain a perspective on post-modern society (and </p>
<p>sociology)′ - <b><i>Self & Society</i></b></p>
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<p><b><i>`The new book will underline the importance and usefulness of the concept of McDonaldization and I fully expect that it will become a standard topic for years to come.. Fascinating, it will make an ideal focus for lectures, seminars and so on′ - <b><i>Alan Bryman, Loughborough University</i></b></i></b></p>
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<p><b><i><b><i>``McDonaldization′ I came to appreciate long ago - it is by now a household term!′ <b><i>Professor Zygmunt Bauman, Department of Sociology, University of Leeds</i></b></i><i>.</i></b></i></b></p>
Part One centres on a discussion of Karl Mannheim′s theory of rationalization. The author also assesses the degree to which sociology in general and sociological theory in particular have been `McDonaldized′. The second part demonstrates the empirical reach of the `McDonaldization′ process with discussions on work, credit and globalization. Part Three moves beyond `McDonaldization′ to the worlds of `new means of consumption′ and the postmodern perspectives that best illuminate them. The author concludes with a re-evaluation of the McDonaldization thesis and its future.