Product Description

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. "Delightful . . . gives the reader the richest possible feeling of the worlds the senses take in."--The New York Times. (Literature--Classics & Contemporary)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13273 in Books
• Published on: 1991-09-10
• Released on: 1991-09-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780679735663
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
"One of the real tests of writers," notes Ackerman in this liveliest of nature books, "is how well they write about smells. If they can't describe the scent of sanctity in a church, can you trust them to describe the suburbs of the heart?" Ackerman passes the test, writing with ease and fluency about the five senses. Did you know that bat guano smells like stale Wheat Thins? That Bach's music can quell anger around the world? That the leaves that shimmer so beautifully in fall have "no adaptive purpose"? Ackerman does, and she guides us through questions of sensation with an eye for the amusingly arcane reference and just the right phrase.

From Publishers Weekly
Physiology and philosophy mesh in this poetic investigation of the five senses; essays explore synesthesia, food taboos, kissing and the power and diversity of music. "Rooted in science, enlivened by her own convincing sense of wonder, Ackerman's essays awaken us to a fresh awareness," said PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
YA-- An exciting multidiscipline book that crosses the lines of literature, history, anthropology, music, psychology, sociology, and philosophy and that flows with grace and reason. The theme is expressed in such a way as to draw readers into experiential thought and, therefore, impacts heavily upon the way one looks at the issue of sensing and its role for humanity. It is sure to raise readers' consciousness level while providing researched and analyzed information on this topic. In addition, the language is clear and concise, which makes the book valuable to a large cross section of readers. The generous use of cultural and historical examples adds to the readability.
- Nancy Craig, R. E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Climb aboard "The Magic Schoolbus"....for adults!
Do you remember the day in second grade when your teacher taught the lesson of the five senses? You felt around for some mysterious object in a brown paper bag for touch, you had lemon squeezed on your tongue for taste, you made Styrofoam cup telephones for hearing, you shut your eyes and stumbled around "blind" clinging to the arm of the kid next to you for sight, and you sniffed mothballs for smell. That was about it, subject covered. Now, just imagine if you could learn the lesson over again with the zany fictional teacher Ms. Frizzle of "The Magic Schoolbus" fame, except this time she's teaching adults. Welcome to the world of Diane Ackerman. In a Natural History of The Senses Ms. Ackerman enthusiastically, patiently, and most of all exuberantly reintroduces us to the sensual world from her perspective and shows us how it is so much more alive and kicking than what we learned in grade school.

This book is still broken down into five familiar sections of smell, touch, taste, hearing and vision, but in total it is so chock full of intimate detail of the world the reader can't help but see things in a different light for having read it. It is written with the intelligence of a scholar, the fluidity and grace of a poet, and well, as I've mentioned above the enthusiasm of the one and only Ms. Frizzle (and I mean this as the nicest compliment!) This book will certainly appeal to people who love detail as it is well referenced for those wishing to delve deeper into the literature of the senses. Diane Ackerman shares, teaches and reminds us of some of the most simple things in life. Do you know how a butterfly "tastes" sweetness? Can you explain the electrical significance of the corpuscles strategically placed throughout your own body responsible for great sex? If you are saying "so what?" then I ask that you just give it a try. It is a fun romp of a read that may take you places you haven't been for a long time. A good portion of the book is written in the first person, where the author has juxtaposed what she knows with how she lives, and I believe her detractors would comment that she appears self-absorbed for it. Just get over that and realize at the very last she reminds us life can be steered away from its sometimes predictable, even boring, path by something as seemingly insignificant as adding an extra teaspoon of vanilla to the muffin batter. Who knows, you may even dab some on your pulse points and let the rest of the world wonder why you smell so...exuberant. I'm sure Diane Ackerman would expect nothing less.

A cultural, creative, and sensory delight
After reading a few of Ackerman's New Yorker pieces, as well as The Moon by Whale Light and her contribution to Sisters of the Earth, I knew I would eventually read all of her books. A Natural History of the Senses does not disappoint. It flows like cool water through literature, history, music, politics, philosophy, and poetry. As a writer, I appreciate this book as a resource of my own, a way to deepen my understanding of our sensory appreciation of the world - but also as an example of beautiful writing by a master of the craft.
In a nutshell, I wish Diane Ackerman lived next door to me.

Poetry and Science
When I first read Diane Ackerman's book it opened my eyes, just as these other reviews testify. It does seem to be a book people either love or hate (I have some friends who thought it was sentimental babbling) but that doesn't change how extravagantly Ackerman uses language itself to convey the lush world of the senses. I teach a creative writing course at SFSU and I use the book to promote both that poetic description and the possibilities for experience and awareness the book evokes. An excellent example of the ways poetry can be used to explain science and experience.