The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell – A Definitive Investigation of Aroma's Impact on Emotion, Memory, and Survival($9.99Value)

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Why do some people like a certain aroma and others hate it? Is smell personal or cultural? How does it affect our choices and our actions? The Scent of Desire is the definitive psychological study of the importance of smell in our lives, from nourishment to procreation to our relationships with other people and the world at large. Located in the same part of the brain that processes emotion, memory, and motivation, this most essential of senses is imperative to our physical and emotional well-being. It was crucial to our ancestors' existence and it remains so today, profoundly shaping our emotional, physical, and even sexual lives. One of the world's leading experts on the psychology of smell, Rachel Herz investigates how smell functions, what purpose it serves, and how inextricably it is linked to our survival in this compelling, surprising, delightfully informative appreciation of the wonders of this sadly neglected sense. “This is a spicy perfume of a book, redolent with fascinating facts and provocative hypotheses.” - Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor, Harvard University, author of The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, and The Stuff of Thought “Filled with intriguing bits of information.” - Weekly Standard “You’ll never take your nose for granted again once you’ve read The Scent of Desire.” - USA Today “A great reference book that everyone should read. An excellent overview of the sense of smell. It kills some of the myths that have long been corrupting Perfumery and explains where the higher debates should really be. Thank you, Rachel Herz, for gathering these facts about olfaction in one place.” - Christophe Laudamiel, Senior Perfumer, Fine Fragrances & Innovation THE SCENT OF DESIRE was a finalist for the 2009 AAAS Excellence in Science Writing Award - The American Association for the Advancement of Science “Astounding and sometimes mind-boggling with (a) wonderfully charming voice and writing style.” - Blogcritics.org “Charming. A reminder that life without aromas...would be sad indeed.” - Curled Up with a Good Book “Intriguing...This illuminating book argues convincingly that the sense of smell should never be taken for granted.” - Publishers Weekly “Fascinating . . . A serious book, with many whiffs of delight.” - Washington Post Book World “A delightfully unexpected blend of personal anecdotes, pop-cultural erudition and scientific understanding. ” - Kirkus Reviews Why do some people like a certain aroma and others hate it? Is smell personal or cultural? How does it affect our choices and our actions? The Scent of Desire is the definitive psychological study of the importance of smell in our lives, from nourishment to procreation to our relationships with other people and the world at large. Located in the same part of the brain that processes emotion, memory, and motivation, this most essential of senses is imperative to our physical and emotional well-being. It was crucial to our ancestors' existence and it remains so today, profoundly shaping our emotional, physical, and even sexual lives. One of the world's leading experts on the psychology of smell, Rachel Herz investigates how smell functions, what purpose it serves, and how inextricably it is linked to our survival in this compelling, surprising, delightfully informative appreciation of the wonders of this sadly neglected sense. Since 2000, Rachel Herz, Ph.D., has been on the faculty of Brown University. She has appeared on the Discovery Channel, ABC News, the BBC, National Public Radio, and the Learning Channel, and is the subject of a Scientific American profile piece. The Scent of Desire Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell By Rachel Herz HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Copyright © 2008 Rachel Herz All right reserved. ISBN: 9780060825386 Chapter One the sense of desire Smells are surer than sights or sounds to make your heartstrings crack. —Nabokov On November 22, 1997, Michael Hutchence, lead singer for the internationally renowned Australian band INXS, was found hanging naked in his hotel bedroom, the noose tied with his own leather belt. The last person to see him alive, onetime fling and longtime friend Kym Wilson, was at first suspected to be complicit. She insisted that she and her boyfriend had left Michael fully clothed the night before after a visit in his hotel room. Kym was soon relieved of suspicion and suicide confirmed as the mode of death. But why would the excessively successful and apparently want-free Michael Hutchence take his own life? What could have drawn him into such a deep depression that he would ultimately kill himself? Various accounts by friends and associates, including interviews with Michael Hutchence himself, point to a pivotal and life-altering event that could very well be the precipitating link to his suicide. In September 1992, Michael Hutchence was in a freak traffic accident. Riding his bicycle home from a nightclub in Copenhagen, he was struck by a car a