The Jungle (Upton Sinclair)

Zola transplanted in the stockyards and meatpacking plants of Chicago at the turn of the 20th century. A gripping read, owing a lot to the effective style of the author. This book was often cited recently in the BSE context as one of the 1st exposing the dreadful conditions faced by cattle (& workers...) in slaughterhouses as a root cause for the recent epidemics of food-borne illnesses (cf Greg Critser & co.). The author uses the few end chapters as a long (too long ?) discussion of the virtues of Socialism, which was expected of him but does not really do justice to the rest of the book, which then just looks as one long introductory rant against capitalism and exploitation - that is the only downside I would find to the book, which remains otherwise a very good read.