Aromatics and the Soul: A Study of Smells

"Aromatics and the Soul: A Study of Smells" by Dan McKenzie is a scientific exploration from the early 1900s that investigates the importance of smells in our lives, with a focus on how our sense of smell impacts public health, cultural traditions, and our memories. The book examines the topic of scents in many ways, considering both how they work in our bodies and the feelings they stir up inside us. Beginning with a preface that highlights the importance of our sense of smell, which is something that is often taken for granted. The author, recalling feedback from a friend about missing anatomical information, such as the vomero-nasal organ, uses this to start discussions about the personal ways we experience smells. The author then briefly describes what's to come in the following chapters, hinting at a big investigation into how our sense of smell plays a role in our health, history, and individual understanding. Intertwining scientific observations with personal memories, the author successfully keeps the reader interested while showing that our sense of smell is a deep and meaningful part of being human.