A Natural History of the Senses is a vibrant celebration of our ability to smell, taste, hear, touch, and see. Poet, pilot, naturalist, journalist, essayist, and explorer, Diane Ackerman weaves together scientific fact with lore, history, and voluptuous description. The resulting work is a startling and enchanting account of how human beings experience and savor the world. A Natural History of the Senses is at once an ingenious exploration of the physical processes underlying our perceptions and an eloquent ode to life -- a rare combination of science and poetry. - Jacket flap.