| Edition |
First edition. |
| Description |
xii, 290 pages ; 24 cm |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages [241]-280) and index. |
| Summary |
Everything about the sense of smell fascinates us, from its power to evoke memories to its ability to change our moods and influence our behavior. Yet because it is the least understood of the senses, myths abound. For example, contrary to popular belief, the human nose is almost as sensitive as the noses of many animals, including dogs; blind people do not have enhanced powers of smell; and perfumers excel at their jobs not because they have superior noses, but because they have perfected the art of thinking about scents. In this entertaining and enlightening journey through the world of aroma, olfaction expert Avery Gilbert illuminates the latest scientific discoveries and offers keen observations on modern culture.--From publisher description. |
| Contents |
Odors in the mind : making sense of scents -- The molecules that matter : the key ingredients of nature's chemistry set -- Freaks, geeks, and prodigies : the wide range of olfactory ability -- The art of the sniff : how the brain edits what the nose detects -- A nose for the mouth : cooking, eating, and evolution -- The malevolence of malodor : when bad smells happen to good people -- The olfactory imagination : smell and creative genius -- Hollywood psychophysics : scent and cinema -- Zombies at the mall : leading consumers by the nose -- Recovered memories : Proust's soggy madeleine -- The smell museum : preserving odors from the past -- Our olfactory destiny : the future of smelling. |
| Subject |
Smell -- Popular works.
|
|
Odors -- Popular works.
|
| ISBN |
9781400082346 |
|
140008234X |
|
