Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.14 (919 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1586857029 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-01-10 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
< /p>. Renowned perfumer Mandy Aftel explores the primal nature and fundamental importance of aroma in everyday life, teaching people about the nature of smell and the idea of "olfactory consciousness" in Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume
"An overview of perfume, but somewhat unfocused" according to Raine Daye. This book was an entertaining read, but it was hardly a good historical account of perfumery. It did have a brief overview at the beginning of the book, but it quickly goes into a collection of quotes and historical quirks about perfume. I think that the "alchemy" part of the book where the author repeatedly ties perfume making to the thought processes of alchemists gets old fast. While alchemical processes did play a part in perfume's beginning the parallels she draws seem to be more of her own making.I think this book also didn't quite live up to my expectations of a book to help a beginner start making their own perfume. "sensuous" according to glouise. With an increased intrest in essential oils and scents I have of late, been reading books on these subjects. I should actually say, flipping through books on the subject. Most are not very interesting and read like dry textbooks. Mandy Aftel's work is the first book that has been so inviting and full of information that I have actually read it from start to finish. Aftel pulls the reader into the sensual world of scent. Her beautifully writen treatise is a joy to read (better than many novels I have picked up lately). In her book, Mandy Aftel opens up the door to a forgotten world and with basic information and flair, draw. Fascinating! Delightful! Essence & Alchemy was a really wonderful adventure in reading. From the history of perfume to the process, old and new, involved in extracting essences, to the follow-along steps to creating your own perfume, I found this book to be entertaining and informative from the first page to the last. The comparison between perfumery and alchemy was insightful. The illustrations were charming and fun. I learned a lot and was engaged the whole way through! Highly recommended to any fan of unusual nonfiction subjects.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.. And world history is full of the manipulation of smell, she reveals, starting with the palace perfumers of ancient Egypt; the Israelite women who concocted essences for temple sacrifices; the Romans, who anointed nearly everything; the alchemists, who searched for the Divine Essence; all the way up to modern pheromone researchers who hope, finally, "to snare the sex drive." Aftel traces this history with witty anecdotes (Ben Franklin's plea for a drug to make sweet-smelling farts, Petrus Castellus's advice to rub civet directly on the penis) and well-chosen alchemical and botanical illustrations. Smell is one of the most primal senses: even newborns orient first toward the smell of their mothers' milk. Agent, Peter Matson. After this seductive introduction, she shifts into the how-to mode, discussing the actual making