Scientists who can poetically convey the worth of their research are rare individuals indeed. Many, in fact, migrate to the professional writer's life, such as Oliver Sacks and Michael Crichton. Turin, already the subject of a previous book (Chandler Burr's
The Emperor of Scent, 2003), not only demystifies the "hows" of smell but also chronicles his own discoveries and pays generous homage to others'. Curious beauty noses will sniff out the origins of such famed fragrances as Chanel N5, Opium, and the ever-widening world of musks. [...] The writing, when not tangled up in chemical-compound jargon, sparkles; who could not chuckle at his description of an allergy waiting to happen: "soap powder is, this side of a blowtorch, one of the harshest environments to put fragrance"?
Barbara JacobsCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Pressestimmen
Turin writes brilliantly, with the easy confidence of the expert and the infectious enthusiasm of the true amateur. (Tim Radford, The Guardian )
The best science book of the year so far. (BBC Radio 4 )
A rich sensory trip … this indispensable guide to all things smelly is as good as it gets. (Sunday Telegraph )