The great chef (and local treasure) Julia Child once allegedly said: "How can a nation be great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?"

Author and chef Nathan Myhrvold  is changing that perception and giving bread the love and attention it deserves in his new book,  "Modernist Bread: The Art and Science."  The book is made up of six volumes — spanning over 2,500 pages — of history, technique, recipes, and food photography all about one of the world's most fundamental foods.

Myhrvold stopped by Boston Public Radio to explain why we're so smitten with the smell of a loaf of bread fresh out of the oven and other secrets learned during the making of "Modernist Bread." To hear his interview, click the audio player above.