'Engaging and hopeful' New Scientist
A fascinating exploration of how losing our sense of smell can shape our world, and how the global pandemic transformed our understanding of this mysterious sense.
When award-winning reporter Paola Totaro lost her sense of smell to Covid in March 2020, her world changed and dulled in an instant. Trapped in a sensory vacuum without fragrance or flavour, she embarked on a journey of discovery to unravel the mysteries – and eccentricities – of the fifth sense.
Our sense of smell shapes our everyday experiences in ways we often don’t even notice. Its loss can affect our emotional wellbeing, our relationships, our ability to interpret the world around us – and yet it has long been regarded as the least important of our senses. But almost overnight, Covid changed everything. As it became clear that loss of smell was a key symptom and the number of sufferers exploded, olfactory researchers suddenly found themselves thrust into the spotlight, with more attention, subjects and funding than ever before.
On the Scent is the story of a quest for answers, from the theories of ancient philosophers to the cutting-edge laboratories of 21st century neuroscience. It looks at the extraordinary experiences of patients and scientists alike, offering a unique glimpse into the world of those born without smell as well as those who lose it; exploring how smell can be a key indicator of declining physical health; and showing how new research may offer hope to the millions of people worldwide who have suffered sensory loss.
"An enthralling, elegantly written, and poignant exploration of our most neglected sense, one whose role in human life – in memory, emotion, attachment – has suddenly been made vivid by loss.” Peter Godfrey-Smith, author of the bestselling OTHER MINDS
"Such an engaging and pleasurable read which should do a lot to lift smell out of the shadows ... packed with insights and observations that bring this topic to life for everyone" Professor Barry Smith, Centre for the Study of the Senses, University of London
"Destined to be a bible for anyone who has lost their sense of smell, whether from Covid or not"Chrissi Kelly, AbScent
Publisher: Elliott & Thompson Limited
ISBN: 9781783967124
Number of pages: 320
Dimensions: 1980 x 129 mm
ON THE SCENT - Paola Totoro and Robert Wainwright
Well this is a timely book for me. It dropped on my doorstep as I was entering my second experience of Covid.
The first time in August 2021 myself, my husband and my...
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When Paola Totaro caught Covid, she lost her sense of smell and taste. She used that experience to write On the Scent with her husband, Robert Wainwright. The book is a wide-ranging exploration of how, what and why we... More
I loved this book. Such a well written and timely deep dive into what it’s like, and why we lose, our fifth sense. The sense of smell is so deeply rooted in us and such an everyday part of who we are and we live that... More
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