“The basic science behind the scent of your shaving cream is the same that governs the flavor of your TV dinner” (Schlosser 122). Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, was a Princeton graduate with a degree in American history. He has been writing for the Atlantic Monthly since 1996, where he was given a tip about America and its fast food industry. His simple magazine article turned into an international bestseller. His book was on the New York Times bestseller list for nearly two years. Schlosser has appeared on 60 Minutes, CNN, FOX News and many others. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone and The New Yorker (Drury University). In Schlosser's book, Chapter 5: "Why Chips Are Good" helps explain what we're actually eating when it comes to the American fast food industry. The beginning of this chapter focuses on the JR Simplot plant which is located in Arberdeen, Idaho and processes approximately one million pounds of potatoes per day (Schlosser 111). John Richard Simplot was born in 1909 and spent much of his childhood working on the family farm. Simplot went against his father and dropped out of high school at age fifteen and began working in a potato warehouse in Declo, Idaho. When JR turned sixteen, he became a potato farmer (Schlosser 112). It took only ten years for JR Simplot to become the largest potato shipper in the West. World War II brought much wealth to Simplot. He sold dehydrated onions to the U.S. Army and eventually became a major supplier of food to the U.S. Army during World War II (Schlosser 113). By the time Simplot was 36 years old, he was able to grow, fertilize, work... middle of paper... amb Water Gun Knife,” (Schlosser 130). The potatoes become fried and are blanched, dried, fried, and then frozen . Inside the freezer are approximately 20 million pounds of frozen french fries ready to be shipped and sold (Schlosser 131). This chapter focuses solely on why fast food, and french fries in particular, are so good .French fries may start out as fresh potatoes, but what many don't know is how fresh potatoes actually turn into the famous French fries "Eric Schlosser Biography." Drury University. 04 April 2012. .Schlosser, Eric. "Chapter 5: Why Chips Are Good." New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 2005. Print.