An author explores how some cultures have valued the sense of smell, while others have decried it as evidence of decadence or barbarism and others, such as our own, try to cleanse the air of any pungent smells at all."
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Editorial Reviews
From Kirkus Reviews
Everything you wanted to know about one of the two ``chemical'' senses, including the fact that taste is as much a function of smell as it is of taste buds. Vroon, a Dutch psychologist, reviews the neural anatomy, neuroscience, physiology, history, myths, and texts relating to olfaction. The problem is that much remains myth and mystery--a phenomenon the author attributes to a general cultural denigration of the sense. Smell is considered a little vulgar and, from a commercial standpoint, more a concern of entrepreneurs out to mask smells or else persuade that perfumes can indeed seduce. With regard to the latter; not so, Vroon says. Perfumes are more apt to be used to please the wearer, and may have originated as a means of disguising when a woman was fertile (to keep men guessing and in tow, so to speak). Maybe, maybe not . . . but this is just one of many provocative suggestions and findings he adduces. These include assorted experiments with sweaty T-shirts, essence of human breaths, baby's security blankets, breast-feeding mothers and even twin studies that suggest that we are good at sniffing out males from females, one's own infant, mother, and mates from strangers. So we retain some of the wisdom of dogs, truffle-snuffling pigs, and other creatures who glory in smells. Cultural dismissal of smell may also have to do with our poor vocabulary and memory for smells. The author explains this on the basis of the sense being evolutionarily older and connected to emotional rather than cognitive centers. Just such connections may explain why we can be conditioned unconsciously: e.g., we may come to associate a smell with fear or pleasure, depending in the initial circumstance. And while diseases affecting smell are uncommon, they are exceedingly destructive of the quality of life. Given the many unknowns, students in search of a research topic should find the text a prime source of ideas. As for the rest, there are enough tidbits and food for thought to please the curious mind. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Review
Here is a book that systematically guides the reader through the olfactory maze and provides an introduction to what is known about it and what is not.... Anyone with a nose will enjoy this book, and will get more from the scented world all around him after reading it. It is a must for those who try to keep up with modern evolutionary psychology, neo-Darwinism and where the human species comes from. -- The New York Times Book Review, D. Michael Stoddart
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
an intriguing look at an important but ignored subject,
By
This review is from: Smell: The Secret Seducer (Hardcover)
This is a fascinating insight into our most basic, but most overlooked sense. Lots of basic factual information, which is clearly written and easy to understand, and lots of interesting and thought provoking material about how important our noses are in our daily lives. Quick reading - will liven up your next conversation.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
an intriguing examination of our most under-rated sense,
By
This review is from: Smell: The Secret Seducer (Hardcover)
If given a choice of which sense one would least like to lose, smell would certainly rank last. Yet our sense of smell is our oldest and most basic connection to the world around us. We probably begin to smell our mother while floating in her womb, and may be attracted to our future mates by their odiferous-fingerprint. Vroon gives a readable survey of the anatomy and physiology of our olfactory organ, and explains the implications of its direct connection to the sites of the most basic impulses in our brains.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good work on Psychology & Aromas,
By David P Oller (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Smell: The Secret Seducer (Hardcover)
I found the book fascinating and well researched. It includes a great deal of information on the relationship between aromas and the mind.It also includes many good references to previous works which make it a very good resource of information. The information is well presented and organized.
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