The Secret of Scent: Adventures in Perfume and the Science of Smell

“A rich sensory trip . . . this indispensable guide to all things smelly is as good as it gets.”—Sunday Telegraph

One man's passion for perfume leads him to explore one of the most intriguing scientific mysteries: What makes one molecule smell of garlic while another smells of rose?

In this witty, engrossing, and wildly original volume, author Luca Turin explores the two competing theories of smell. Is scent determined by molecular shape or molecular vibrations? Turin describes in fascinating...