Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume
Product Description
As long as there has been passion, there has been perfume. Wealthy Romans used to scent their doves while in Shakespeare’s time, a woman in love would place a peeled apple into her armpit to saturate it with her scent and then present it to her lover. “Essence and Alchemy” resurrects the social and metaphysical legacy that is entwined with the evolution of perfumery, from the dramas of the spice trade to the quests of the alchemists. Aftel tracks scent through the boudoir and the bath and into the sanctums of worship, and along the way teaches us the art of perfume-making, including many of her own recipes, offering insights on the relationship of scent to solitude, sex, and soul…. More >>
May 31st, 2010 at 6:43 pm
I was very excited when I ordered this book , but on arrival my excitement quickly turned to disappointment !! The cover looks very colorful , but upon opening the book the printing is very very light, and all the headings in the entire book
are so light as to be almost invisible !! It’s as though the printer tried to use as little ink as possible !! I have to use a magnifier to read all the headings and titles in the book ! This is very frustrating to say the least ! The subject
material in the book seems to be well done, and I’m sure it’s all very informative
with much knowledge on the subject available to the reader if only you knew what the author was talking about in each chapter without having to strain your eyes at
every turn !! Probably a good book , but spoiled by a very very bad printer !
Rating: 2 / 5
May 31st, 2010 at 8:27 pm
I read this because I wanted some general background in the art/science of perfumery. And that’s what it gave me. It purports to take the reader through the actual process of creating a perfume, but I did not follow those directions, so I can’t say whether it effectively serves as a textbook. But it was a very interesting treatise on the history and process of perfume creation, replete with quotes from many classic sources on perfumery and references to the power of fragrance in works that were not about making perfume.
Rating: 3 / 5
May 31st, 2010 at 8:27 pm
I read this book for my book group, and did not really care for it. This was a non-fiction history of the art of perfume-making going back to ancient and Biblical times. I found the writer’s style to be very repetitive; she said the same thing in several slightly different ways, sometime on the same page or even in the same paragraph. It just contained too much detailed information for my interest level. It also contained dozens of “how to” recipes for concocting your own fragrances or perfumes. solid perfumes, bath oils, bath salts, etc. For someone who practices massage or aromatherapy, this book probably would have been more relevant. I am an accountant at a major university, and I think I will stick to classic fiction, thrillers, etc.
Rating: 2 / 5
May 31st, 2010 at 9:00 pm
I have to admit that I haven’t read a lot of books on the subject of the history of fragrance but this book came highly recommened and, so far, I am finding it really interesting. I think that anyone who wants to know more about the subject could definitely benefit from reading it. For me, it’s more of a reference book than something I would just sit down and read so I haven’t finished it yet but I hope to when I have more time.
Rating: 4 / 5
May 31st, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Easy to read and really full of useful information done in a wonderful and passionate style.
It gave me a solid grounding in the how and why of aroma. Plus it is great fun to read!
Rating: 5 / 5