Overview

What do we actually mean when we say that something smells of fresh paint? Or frying bacon? And what does five o clock in the morning smell like? Inspired by an unsettlingly synaesthesic question put to him by his son, Barney Shaw looks into the science of smell: peering behind its sensory nature to discover its complexities, and finding beauty in its processes. Shaw's popular science debut is an investigation into the biology, psychology and history of smell. It's also a search for effective ways to describe the kinds of smell we instantly relate to, but find strangely ineffable, and includes a 200-item thesaurus of succinct descriptions of common smells. Journeying around boatyards, perfume shops and memories, Barney Shaw opens your nose, breaking down the ""chords"" of smells into component notes and revealing new ways of understanding the world around us.

Full Product Details

9781785781131

Table of Contents

Reviews

'The inclusion of a thesaurus which provides accessible definitions of everyday smells is useful and informative and allows the reader to develop their own pleasing language to give voice to the tantalisingly mysterious world of scent. His guidance and advice around how to develop one's sense of smell is clear and relatable and ensures you are left sniffing the world around you long after you finish the final page. This is a fascinating, engrossing adventure guided by passionate and thoughtful insights from Shaw which will keep you riveted throughout. A must have for those of you who have ever looked past the end of your nose and wondered about its olfactory brilliance.'

Author Information

Barney Shaw is an artist, and former civil servant. He was Private Secretary to Norman Tebbit and later David Miliband, and was put in charge of the country's 1,100 unemployment benefit offices. He was also responsible for government policy on, variously: Scientology, anthrax, and wartime conscription. This is his first book.

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