Scent, the mysterious and essential powers of smell

by Annick Le Guérer

An exploration of the sense of smell discusses the properties and uses of scent in religion, science, medicine, myth, philosophy, literature, and fashion, moving from the perfumed rituals of ancient religions to the modern perfume industry.

260 pages, Hardcover

First published October 20, 1992

Reviews

[lisa_emily]

Scientific and philosophical work investigating the experience of scent, the sense. Leguerer looks into some historical persepctives on various smells and scents and meanings attributed to such experiences. She also looks into some philosophers' take on scent, as well as the lack of documentation. Little heavier than your usual natural history read- more in line with Bachelard's style.