An edition of Smell (1997)

Smell

the secret seducer

1st Farrar, Straus and Giroux ed.
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Last edited by MARC Bot
July 12, 2024 | History
An edition of Smell (1997)

Smell

the secret seducer

1st Farrar, Straus and Giroux ed.
  • 1 Want to read

Smell: The Secret Seducer is a cultural history, a compendium of odd facts, and a kind of tribute to the sense of smell, which, of the five senses, is the one we most commonly take for granted.

Piet Vroon is a psychologist in the Netherlands, and in this odd and surprising book he demonstrates that the sense of smell is vital to our experience of the world, which would be much less interesting and intelligible without its odors, fragrances, aromas, and scents. Imagine being overcome unexpectedly by poison gas, being unable to smell the slyly fruity bouquet of a fine wine, or having no idea what one's lover smells like. A world without smell would be a sadly diminished place.

How we smell is Vroon's subject and his metier. In a brief history of smelling, Vroon shows how over time some cultures have exalted strong smells (associating them with passion, virility, and excitement), while others have considered them the evidence of decadence and barbarism. In Vroon's view, Western culture has been so thoroughly cleansed of unpleasant odors and stenches that we take the olfactory sense for granted.

Publish Date
Language
English
Pages
226

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Previews available in: English

Edition Availability
Cover of: Smell
Smell: the secret seducer
1997, Farrar, Straus & Giroux
in English - 1st Farrar, Straus and Giroux ed.
Cover of: Smell
Smell: The Secret Seducer
September 1997, Farrar Straus & Giroux (T)
in English

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Book Details


Edition Notes

Includes bibliographical references (p. [211]-226).

Published in
New York

Classifications

Dewey Decimal Class
612.8/6
Library of Congress
QP458 .V757 1997, QP458.V757 1997

The Physical Object

Pagination
x, 226 p. :
Number of pages
226

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL657189M
Internet Archive
smellsecretseduc0000vroo
ISBN 10
0374257043
LCCN
97002299
OCLC/WorldCat
36315881
Library Thing
1696958
Goodreads
2195715

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Download catalog record: RDF / JSON / OPDS | Wikipedia citation
July 12, 2024 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
April 17, 2024 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
March 7, 2023 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
January 15, 2023 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
April 1, 2008 Created by an anonymous user Imported from Scriblio MARC record