Last week the November Book Sense picks were announced--you can get a peek at them here. I'm excited because one of my nominations got picked--yippee! It's The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell by Rachel Herz, and it's a great read. Here's what I said:
"Since reading Scent of Desire I've noticed myself inhaling more deeply, wanting to capture the smells around me (at a restaurant or florist -- even on the bus!). This clever examination of the physiology and psychology of scent will wake you up to the world around you."
That blurb is totally true--I really have developed this odd need to inhale really deeply on the bus, which just doesn't always have a happy ending depending on who's sitting next to me (reference chapter six, "The Odor of the Other"). But I can't help it! And once there was the most delicious smell of sausage in the air and it just made me crazy to the point that I had to make a special trip to get myself some sausage to make for dinner (reference chapter seven, "Craving"). I'll just add that this is a totally fun book for fans of psychology, biology, or anyone who's just curious about what makes us the way we are.
Oh, and If you like Scent of Desire, then you must read Diane Ackerman's A Natural History of the Senses. A classic.
By the way -- the number one pick for November is 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill, which I'm bringing up just because I'm pretty excited that he'll be coming to Brookline Booksmith on October 29th (Just before Halloween! Perfect.)
1 comment:
I read and loved The Scent of Desire. It really does make you think about the odors that you love (and loathe!). I'm adding A Natural History of the Senses to my ever-growing list - thank you for the suggestion.
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