Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Scent: A Natural History of Fragrance

Scent: A Natural History of Fragrance

Pearlstine, Elise Vernon
Gastinger, Lara Call

Hardcover

BiologyBotany & Horticulture

Currently unavailable to order

ISBN10: 030024696X
ISBN13: 9780300246964
Publisher: Yale Univ Pr
Published: May 24 2022
Pages: 272
Weight: 0.95
Height: 1.01 Width: 5.82 Depth: 8.84
Language: English
A fascinating exploration of the natural history of scent and human perceptions of fragrance from the viewpoint of plant and pollinator

An evocative journey that awakens one's curiosity to an oft-forgotten sense.--Dana Dunham, Scientific American

Plants have long harnessed the chemical characteristics of aromatic compounds to shape the world around them. Frankincense resin from the genus Boswellia seals injured tissues and protects trees from invading pathogens. Jasmine produces a molecule called linalool that attracts pollinating moths with its flowery scent. Tobacco uses a similarly sweet-smelling compound called benzyl acetone to attract pollinators. Only recently in the evolutionary history of plants, however, have humans learned to co-opt their fragrances to seduce, heal, protect, and alter moods themselves.

In this wide-ranging and accessible new book, biologist-turned-perfumer Elise Vernon Pearlstine turns our human-centered perception of fragrance on its head and investigates plants' evolutionary reasons for creating aromatic molecules. Delving into themes of spirituality, wealth, power, addiction, royalty, fantasy, and more, Pearlstine uncovers the natural history of aromatic substances and their intersection with human culture and civilization.

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