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Books to travel with: What the Nose Knows: The science of scent in everyday life by Avery Gilbert

By Mick O'Hare

16 July 2008

FIRST up, I must fly the flag of my olfactory epithelium from the masthead of self-interest. Ever since a virus robbed me of my sense of smell – now thankfully restored – I’ve had a personal fascination for anything smelly, whether it be pleasant, pungent or putrid.

So notwithstanding the fact that you are reading a review by a certified enthusiast, Avery Gilbert’s whistle-stop journey – what the newspapers would call a romp – through, around and inside the nose is remarkably entertaining, and a great read for anyone seeking a tour that awakens the senses.

Everybody who is anybody in the world of…

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