The Forgotten Sense

For readers of James Nestor and Mary Roach, a fascinating tour of the science behind our most essential sense--and all we unleash when we stop and literally smell the roses Our sense of smell guides our lives far more than our screen-heavy, sight-privileged era would suggest. It animates our experience of food and drink, helps us access memories, and strengthens our intimacy with each other. But, long considered our most "beastly" sense, the inner workings of smell have stumped scientists for centuries. Now, psychologist and leading smell researcher Jonas Olofsson uncovers the sophisticated biological processes that animate our olfactory system, with profound implications for how we perceive the world around us. Drawing from cutting-edge original research, Olofsson shows that not only is our sense of smell extraordinarily sensitive, its process of chemical exchange shaped human evolution on its most fundamental level. From the pheromones, environmental signals, and emotions we process with each breath, olfaction makes us the individuals we are. Moreover, smelling is an intellectual exercise, Olofsson argues, one that we have the remarkable capacity to strengthen and, with some effort, even regain after illness. With infectious curiosity and a host of applications--from emotional health and gastronomy to literature and even politics-- The Forgotten Sense is a wide-ranging and entertaining look at this most understudied function of human life.

Human olfaction – the sense of smell – enables us to appreciate food and drink, it warns us of dangers and it makes our environments more enjoyable. However, olfaction is one of our least explored sensory systems. Until now. Smells and scents are the colour that enrich our experience of life. Ask anyone to reflect on their sense of smell, and they immediately start talking. First there are discussions about food and wine, but pretty quickly they move on to personal topics: about the smells that evoke memories of childhood, dead relatives, pregnancy, love and sex. When people talk about their sense of smell, they also tell us something about themselves, their feelings, thoughts and relationships. Thus, the sense of smell not only reflects the chemical world outside us, but also bears witness to our inner world, our feelings and thoughts. The Forgotten Sense explores the unknown mind and how it shapes people: Why can smells evoke such strong memories? How much can body odors control who you fall in love with? How sensitive is the human sense of smell? In many ways these questions are on the very forefront of our understanding, but Dr Jonas Olofsson has spent years studying the least understood of our senses. And he has discovered that it is actually possible to improve and refine one’s sense of smell, to develop it into a more useful tool to bring a powerful immediacy to your life.

For readers of James Nestor and Mary Roach, a fascinating tour of the science behind our most essential sense--and all we unleash when we stop and literally smell the roses Our sense of smell guides our lives far more than our screen-heavy, sight-privileged era would suggest. It animates our experience of food and drink, helps us access memories, and strengthens our intimacy with each other. But, long considered our most "beastly" sense, the inner workings of smell have stumped scientists for centuries. Now, psychologist and leading smell researcher Jonas Olofsson uncovers the sophisticated biological processes that animate our olfactory system, with profound implications for how we perceive the world around us. Drawing from cutting-edge original research, Olofsson shows that not only is our sense of smell extraordinarily sensitive, its process of chemical exchange shaped human evolution on its most fundamental level. From the pheromones, environmental signals, and emotions we process with each breath, olfaction makes us the individuals we are. Moreover, smelling is an intellectual exercise, Olofsson argues, one that we have the remarkable capacity to strengthen and, with some effort, even regain after illness. With infectious curiosity and a host of applications--from emotional health and gastronomy to literature and even politics-- The Forgotten Sense is a wide-ranging and entertaining look at this most understudied function of human life.

Human olfaction – the sense of smell – enables us to appreciate food and drink, it warns us of dangers and it makes our environments more enjoyable. However, olfaction is one of our least explored sensory systems. Until now. Smells and scents are the colour that enrich our experience of life. Ask anyone to reflect on their sense of smell, and they immediately start talking. First there are discussions about food and wine, but pretty quickly they move on to personal topics: about the smells that evoke memories of childhood, dead relatives, pregnancy, love and sex. When people talk about their sense of smell, they also tell us something about themselves, their feelings, thoughts and relationships. Thus, the sense of smell not only reflects the chemical world outside us, but also bears witness to our inner world, our feelings and thoughts. The Forgotten Sense explores the unknown mind and how it shapes people: Why can smells evoke such strong memories? How much can body odors control who you fall in love with? How sensitive is the human sense of smell? In many ways these questions are on the very forefront of our understanding, but Dr Jonas Olofsson has spent years studying the least understood of our senses. And he has discovered that it is actually possible to improve and refine one’s sense of smell, to develop it into a more useful tool to bring a powerful immediacy to your life.