Whether as food, beverage ingredient, or even a component of biodegradable cutlery, potatoes are leading food crop in world agriculture and have had profound impact on many societies throughout human history. In a Chats in the Stacks talk at Mann Library on October 13, 2011, Walter De Jong of Cornell’s Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics provides an overview of topics covered in his newest book, “The Complete Book of Potatoes,” co-authored with Hielke de Jong, potato breeder and fellow of the Agricultural Institute of Canada, and Joseph Sieczka, emeritus professor in Cornell's Department of Horticulture. Beginning with the potato’s importance to human civilization, Dr. De Jong’s talk touches on this crop’s versatility in food and nonfood uses, its disease-resistant varieties, conventional and organic production techniques, pest management, storage practices, and the sometimes surprising culinary qualities associated with different varieties.