--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we first did 'Modernist Cuisine,' I…" description: "\"When we first did 'Modernist Cuisine,' I think most people in cookbook publishing would have said, 'This is insane.'\" — Nathan Myhrvold" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54b/nathan-myhrvold-3298_book-publishing_when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-th_231410.png" --- # When we first did 'Modernist Cuisine,' I think most people… ![“When we first did 'Modernist Cuisine,' I think most people in cookbook publishing would have said, 'This is insane.'” quote by Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54b/nathan-myhrvold-3298_book-publishing_when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-th_231410.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54b/nathan-myhrvold-3298_book-publishing_when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-th_231410.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54b/nathan-myhrvold-3298_book-publishing_when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-th_231410.png) > “When we first did 'Modernist Cuisine,' I think most people in cookbook publishing would have said, 'This is insane.'” [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Innovative cooking ideas were initially dismissed as crazy by industry peers. **In simple terms:** New ideas often face ridicule. Key Takeaway Persist despite criticism. Themes innovation culinary arts risk Mood inspired determined Type motivational When to use this quote - restaurant development - product launches - food tech startups Key Concepts disruption creativity Questions to Reflect On - What drives you to challenge norms? - How do you test unconventional ideas? A Different Perspective May overlook practical constraints of implementation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-publishing/) [Cuisine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cuisine/) [Modernist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modernist/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Cooking is an art, but all art requires knowing something about the techniques and materials. Using modernist techniques, you get more control, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/cooking-is-an-art-but-all-art-requires-knowing-something-about-the/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [Google helps us sort the Internet by providing a sense of hierarchy to information. Facebook uses its algorithms and its intricate understanding of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/google-helps-us-sort-the-internet-by-providing-a-sense-of-hierarchy/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [I came into book publishing without any particular impulse to be in book publishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/i-came-into-book-publishing-without-any-particular-impulse-to-be-in/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [“Book publishing is a passion that one hopes eventually becomes a good paying job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/book-publishing-is-a-passion-that-one-hopes-eventually-becomes-a-good/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I had a lot of space as a kid. My mother worked with human rights for the government, and my dad had a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yung-lean/i-had-a-lot-of-space-as-a-kid-my-mother-worked-with-human-rights-for/) [Yung Lean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yung-lean/) > [Many writers hate the shilling process, and I understand that. However, it's really the only thing about the publication process you can somewhat control.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/many-writers-hate-the-shilling-process-and-i-understand-that-however/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [Now, almost twenty years since my last job in book publishing, I know that there are far more socially inept people in book than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/now-almost-twenty-years-since-my-last-job-in-book-publishing-i-know/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [Book publishing was never a heaven "run by editors", and it is by no means today a hell "run by accountants." If our "sole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-nielsen-hayden/book-publishing-was-never-a-heaven-run-by-editors-and-it-is-by-no/) [Patrick Nielsen Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-nielsen-hayden/) > [I think I'm gonna attach myself to the sinking ship that is book publishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-clowes/i-think-i-m-gonna-attach-myself-to-the-sinking-ship-that-is-book/) [Daniel Clowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-clowes/) > [I think that the economics of book publishing favor hits with long book runs. You make all your money on the last bunch of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-think-that-the-economics-of-book-publishing-favor-hits-with-long/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Trade book publishing is by nature a cottage industry, decentralized, improvisational, personal; best performed by small groups of like-minded people, devoted to their craft,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/trade-book-publishing-is-by-nature-a-cottage-industry-decentralized/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [Book publishing would be so much easier without the authors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/book-publishing-would-be-so-much-easier-without-the-authors/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [“The grossest offenders are in the field of, in connection with, in order to, in respect of, so far as… is concerned. All sorts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-evans/the-grossest-offenders-are-in-the-field-of-in-connection-with-in/) [Harold Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-evans/) > [Australian SF book publishing has undergone a boom recently, and sometimes it's easier for new writers to sell a book to a local publisher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-egan/australian-sf-book-publishing-has-undergone-a-boom-recently-and/) [Greg Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-egan/) > [I thought, 'Okay, what's going to be my edge, and how am I going to define what I'm doing differently?' Once I had that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trip-hawkins/i-thought-okay-what-s-going-to-be-my-edge-and-how-am-i-going-to/) [Trip Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trip-hawkins/) ## More by Nathan Myhrvold > [Some article called me the most feared man in Silicon Valley. Good Lord! Why? My teenage boys got a kick out of it: 'Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/some-article-called-me-the-most-feared-man-in-silicon-valley-good/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [In market research I did at Microsoft Corp. in the early 1990s, I estimated that the 'Wall Street Journal' took in about 75 cents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/in-market-research-i-did-at-microsoft-corp-in-the-early-1990s-i/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [Our reactor actually burns nuclear waste as fuel. So not only is it safe and powerful, it solves an important issue: It actually reduces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/our-reactor-actually-burns-nuclear-waste-as-fuel-so-not-only-is-it/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [Food, like anything else, lives in the physical world and obeys the laws of physics. 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Sadly, the right sort of man never seems interested in the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/an-efficient-government-is-dangerous-in-the-hands-of-the-wrong-man/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [One of the greatest things that Apple and Jobs were very good at doing was daring to do the very different thing. It's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/one-of-the-greatest-things-that-apple-and-jobs-were-very-good-at/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [The first thing that is not obvious to people is global warming is a less-than-1% effect. 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The stakes aren't very dramatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/software-industry-battles-are-fought-by-highly-paid-and-out-of-shape/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) [Explore all 134 Nathan Myhrvold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) ## More Book publishing quotes > [I thought, 'Okay, what's going to be my edge, and how am I going to define what I'm doing differently?' Once I had that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trip-hawkins/i-thought-okay-what-s-going-to-be-my-edge-and-how-am-i-going-to/) [Trip Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trip-hawkins/) > [Australian SF book publishing has undergone a boom recently, and sometimes it's easier for new writers to sell a book to a local publisher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-egan/australian-sf-book-publishing-has-undergone-a-boom-recently-and/) [Greg Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-egan/) > [“The grossest offenders are in the field of, in connection with, in order to, in respect of, so far as… is concerned. All sorts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-evans/the-grossest-offenders-are-in-the-field-of-in-connection-with-in/) [Harold Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-evans/) > [Book publishing would be so much easier without the authors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/book-publishing-would-be-so-much-easier-without-the-authors/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [Trade book publishing is by nature a cottage industry, decentralized, improvisational, personal; best performed by small groups of like-minded people, devoted to their craft,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/trade-book-publishing-is-by-nature-a-cottage-industry-decentralized/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [I think that the economics of book publishing favor hits with long book runs. You make all your money on the last bunch of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-think-that-the-economics-of-book-publishing-favor-hits-with-long/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I think I'm gonna attach myself to the sinking ship that is book publishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-clowes/i-think-i-m-gonna-attach-myself-to-the-sinking-ship-that-is-book/) [Daniel Clowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-clowes/) > [Book publishing was never a heaven "run by editors", and it is by no means today a hell "run by accountants." If our "sole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-nielsen-hayden/book-publishing-was-never-a-heaven-run-by-editors-and-it-is-by-no/) [Patrick Nielsen Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-nielsen-hayden/) > [Now, almost twenty years since my last job in book publishing, I know that there are far more socially inept people in book than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/now-almost-twenty-years-since-my-last-job-in-book-publishing-i-know/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [Many writers hate the shilling process, and I understand that. However, it's really the only thing about the publication process you can somewhat control.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/many-writers-hate-the-shilling-process-and-i-understand-that-however/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [I had a lot of space as a kid. My mother worked with human rights for the government, and my dad had a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yung-lean/i-had-a-lot-of-space-as-a-kid-my-mother-worked-with-human-rights-for/) [Yung Lean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yung-lean/) > [“Book publishing is a passion that one hopes eventually becomes a good paying job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/book-publishing-is-a-passion-that-one-hopes-eventually-becomes-a-good/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I came into book publishing without any particular impulse to be in book publishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/i-came-into-book-publishing-without-any-particular-impulse-to-be-in/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [Google helps us sort the Internet by providing a sense of hierarchy to information. Facebook uses its algorithms and its intricate understanding of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/google-helps-us-sort-the-internet-by-providing-a-sense-of-hierarchy/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [What is true for book publishing is true for civilization: the books that survive the test of time are humanity's backlist, our collective memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/what-is-true-for-book-publishing-is-true-for-civilization-the-books/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) [Browse all 43 Book publishing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-publishing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When we first did 'Modernist Cuisine,' I think most people in cookbook publishing would have said, 'This is insane.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nathan Myhrvold" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-think-most-people-in-cookbook/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book publishing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-think-most-people-in-cookbook/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54b/nathan-myhrvold-3298_book-publishing_when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-th_231410.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54b/nathan-myhrvold-3298_book-publishing_when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-th_231410.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54b/nathan-myhrvold-3298_book-publishing_when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-th_231410.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When we first did 'Modernist Cuisine,' I think most people in cookbook publishing would have said, 'This is…” — Nathan Myhrvold", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nathan Myhrvold", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When we first did 'Modernist Cuisine,'...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-think-most-people-in-cookbook/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-think-most-people-in-cookbook/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```