A Natural History of the Senses

Diane Ackerman's lusciously written grand tour of the realm of the senses includes conversations with an iceberg in Antarctica and a professional nose in New York, along with dissertations on kisses and tattoos, sadistic cuisine and the music played by the planet Earth.

PRAISE FOR A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SENSES

"Delightful . . . gives the reader the richest possible feeling of the worlds the senses take in."--The New York Times

"A wonderful idea for a narrative journey, one that touches upon biology and anthropology, art and human consciousness...a heady, sometimes utterly engaging dive inot the world around us--from the hormonal effects of the smell of musk to the biological necessity of touch... Ackerman's poetic vision allows her to find mystery and meaning in the most personal and idiosyncratic places." --Boston Globe

"An intriguing, knowledgeable and compelling book on the science, mood, character and geography of the human senses.  But...it is [Ackerman's] inquiry into the temper and disposition of the senses that endures and settles irristibly just beneath the reader's skin.  In exploring the extreme diversity of the human senses and their incredible variegation from culture to culture, Ms. Ackerman manages to reveal just how exceptional, rather than common, human senses are."  --Atlanta Constitution and Journal