This first section, entitled 'In Search of Lost Scents', is a historical overview of the practical, metaphorical, and literary use of odors, starting in the Classical world, taking us through the Middle Ages, and ending up in the nineteenth century, with thinkers like Darwin and Freud. Which is why Aroma starts with a reconstruction of the olfactory world of premodern Western societies. It's hard for us to imagine how, in different times and cultures, other sensorial experiences played equally important roles to people in everyday life. Now more than ever, Western culture is embedded in a visual paradigm: our social life is so strongly connected to vision, that we're barely conscious of its impact on our language, our science, our technology, even our thoughts. Think of all the symbols and icons that surround us, and how we use pictograms and illustrations and other imagery to get our messages across. Think of how often we use visual metaphors in our daily conversations. While it's no longer the only good book on the subject, it certainly hasn't lost its refreshing, original appeal yet. Written by a trio of Canadian anthropologists in 1994, it was the first proper attempt to explore the social role of smell through history and across cultures. Aroma is not a book about perfume, but if you have even the faintest interest in the culture of smell, this is an absolute must-have. I've decided to make good use of this fact, and shine some light on a product of genuine academic labor.

There's something convenient about social sciences: you don't need a master's degree in anthropology or sociology to understand the literature involved.

Aroma by Constance Classen