Perspective

John F. Love is the author of Behind the Arches. He is not a corporate book writer, employed by McDonald's for pay, but rather was surprised that McDonald's revealed so much to him as an independent researcher. None of his questions were unanswered and no source was inaccessible. That said, Love's attitude towards McDonald's is extremely positive.

Typically books written about McDonald's are extremely negative. Consumer advocates, nutritionists, political activists and critics of advertising all have a beef with McDonald's, but Love's book is different. He peers deep into McDonald's corporate culture, and looks at its history from beginning to end. It is quite clear that he has an enormous admiration for the firm.

For one thing, Love is literally in awe of McDonald's accomplishments, its growth from a single store to over 14,000 today. He is deeply impressed by Ray Kroc who, while not a perfect man, was...