Endorsement – Elise Vernon Pearlstine
Scent: A Natural History of Fragrance
by Elise Vernon Pearlstine
In this plant’s-nose view of fragrance, the author plunges us into the redolent world of the vegetal Kingdom. We humans belong to another Kingdom to which plants are utterly indifferent, yet we are not indifferent to them, and our delight in their scents has had a major impact on civilization (from trade and courting rituals to cooking). In recounting how our respective histories (natural vs. cultural) have become entwined, this superb book will inspire the reader to discover their inner botanist and breathe deeply.
– David Howes, author of The Sensory Studies Manifesto (forthcoming from The University of Toronto Press)