The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell
by Rachel Herz
Book Summary Information
Author: Rachel HerzEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-10-01
ISBN: 0060825375
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: William Morrow
Book Reviews of The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell
Book Review: This book passes my smell test!
Summary: 5 Stars
Add me to the list of people who love this book.
My first and only other exposure to Herz' work was from the edited textbook of Wolfe et al. on Sensation and Perception. I have used that textbook five times to teach a large course at UCSD on sensation and perception. Herz' chapter in that book (on Olfaction) provides a superb introduction to the science of smell. In fact, I think I'd recommend that readers of "The Scent of Desire" consult that book if they find themselves craving pictures and diagrams. The colorful illustrations (and texbook website at Sinauer's site) povide quite a bit of elementary material that can be used to supplement Herz' new book (which unfortunately doesn't have pictures). I might also recommend the author's website, which contains plenty of supplemental/visual content.
Having said this, I hasten to emphasize that the new book is fascinating, and covers the essential topics that will be of interest to many. The book is very well written AND (as far as i can tell) scientifically accurate, which is always a welcome combination when it comes to popular books on science. Some of my favorite topics included discussions of the history of smell, Proustian scents (and memory), King Moulay Ismail the Bloodthirsty, e-noses, and lust from a bottle (pheromones)...
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