Summary Of A Natural History Of The Senses By Diane Ackerman

‘A Natural History of The Senses’ by Diane Ackerman allows the readers truly appreciate the sense smell. Ackerman goes throughout history, scientific evidence and different colorations on varying aspects of smell. She therefore allows the readers believe in smell as though it was a touchable sensation. She also allows the readers to creatively visualize memories, ideas and so forth. Ackerman allows the readers to think more in depth with how smell can be used in the daily lifestyle. She also shows the readers more into her own thoughts (with explanations) with how certain smells activate her own imagination. Furthermore, Ackerman creates the chapter smell into a sub sectional timeline, allowing the reader to create their idea as well as following her own. History can take any audience to any time era to allow the audience to feel as though they were experiencing that time frame. Ackerman does that same concept by introducing Cleopatra, allowing her readers to visualize Cleopatra on her throne with smells of incense all round covering her from head

She goes on saying how humans smell weakens over time and that since everyone’s noses protrude out of our face it takes scents longer to awaken inside of our brains. When it comes to sneezing it may seem like a simple task, but the way humans sneeze is a little more dramatic. Smell can also play tricks to oneself by allowing the nose to believe it smells of something else until it is truly seen. Ackerman also brings smell into a more scientific animal trait. Providing examples on how the human scent can bring pleasure and joy to its mate or how it can show leadership. Ackerman also explains how without scent most technologies would not have been able to come forth or how speech would not be made. Ackerman nevertheless believes in scent to be more of the more underestimated