Articles. Musings. Literature. Art.
Various works that inspire or inform me and my work.
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![Book cover for Jacobson's Organ and the Remarkable Nature of Smell by Lyall Watson featuring two human-like creatures with elongated noses kneeling and facing each other amidst flowers, animals, and plants.]()
Jacobson's Organ: And the Remarkable Nature of Smell by Lyall Watson
This book explores the science, mystery, and power of scent, delving into how smell influences behavior, emotion, and evolution, highlighting the overlooked importance of our olfactory senses in human experience.
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![Chart titled 'Fragrances of the World' by Michael Edwards displaying fragrance categories with associated images. Categories include Floral, Soft Floral, Soft Amber, Amber, Woody Amber, Woods, Mossy Woods, Dry Woods, Aromatic, Citrus, Water, Green, Fruity, and Floral Notes, shown with representative flowers, woods, and fruits.]()
Michael Edwards' Fragrance Wheel
Founded by the fragrance expert and author Michael Edwards in 1983, Fragrances of the World is the largest guide to perfume classification that has ever existed. The Fragrance Wheel explains the relationship between innate fragrance preferences and the fragrance families.
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![Cover of the book Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins with a beige background, a small illustration of a person, and black and red text.]()
Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins (novel)
A whimsical, philosophical novel intertwining ancient and modern tales. It follows immortals, perfumers, and a mysterious beetroot on a quest for eternal life, love, and the perfect scent, blending humor, mythology, and sensuality.
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![Illustration of colorful paper cut-out of flowers, a rainbow, and a bird, depicted in blue and white with patterned details.]()
The Harvard Gazette: What the nose knows
Experts discuss the science of smell and how scent, emotion, and memory are intertwined — and exploited.
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![Book cover titled "Perfume: The Alchemy of Scent" by Jean-Claude Ellena, featuring a colored glass perfume bottle with a round top against a pink background, with a quote at the top.]()
Perfume, The Alchemy of Scent by Jean-Claude Ellena
Written by Jean-Claude Ellena, former master perfumer at Hermès, the renowned luxury brand, this is a wonderful book for anyone curious about perfumery. Includes Jean-Claude's raw materials list which is very useful for the beginner to know which raw materials can be used to create professional level perfumes.
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![Book cover for "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" by Patrick Süskind, featuring an abstract, colorful background with a silhouette of a person and a large, stylized title in black and red text.]()
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind (a novel)
This novel follows Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a scent-obsessed orphan in 18th-century France who becomes a perfumer. His obsession with creating the perfect fragrance leads him to murder young women.
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![Book cover titled "What the Nose Knows: The Science of Scent in Everyday Life" by Avery Gilbert, featuring a person's face with a camera's lens covering their nose.]()
What the Nose Knows: The Science of Scent in Everyday Life by Avery Gilbert
Unraveling the biology, psychology, and culture of smell, What the Nose Knows explores how odors shape memories, emotions, relationships, and health, revealing scent’s profound yet often overlooked impact on daily life.
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![Various perfume bottles arranged on and around green textured cylindrical platforms, with scattered yellow flowers and branches against a muted teal background.]()
NYT: 52 Fragrances and How to Think About Them
An encyclopedia of some of the most interesting floral, woody, fresh and spicy scents around.
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![Book cover titled 'Fragrance 101: The Amazing Power of Scent' with simple black and white illustrations of perfume bottles and a perfume atomizer, and the subtitle 'A new employee's guide to the world of fragrance' by Richie Schenck.]()
Fragrance Training 101 by Richie Schenck
This is a 101 for aspiring fragrance enthusiasts and future fragrance sellers. Explore the history of fragrances, as well as the various types of fragrances, and selling basics for working with clientele.
