Occasionally impenetrable, but overall a fascinating tour of the world of fragrance, provided by a knowledgeable and...
A behind-the-scenes look at perfume research and development; a demanding course in the chemistry of fragrance; and the story behind the development of a scientific theory about how humans detect odors.
Biophysicist Turin, dubbed The Emperor of Scent in Chandler Burr’s 2003 biography, now serves as chief scientist of a company that creates fragrance molecules to order. He derived his still-controversial theory that a substance’s odor is based on the frequencies of its molecules’ vibrations from a 1977 article by R.H. Wright, who in turn derived it from Malcolm Dyson’s papers of the 1920s and ’30s. The author gives full credit to both men, whose work was not recognized in their lifetimes, and makes clear that he too still struggles to have his vibration theory accepted by those who believe that molecules’ shape gives them their odor. Although illustrated with diagrams and drawings, the chemistry sections may still daunt some general readers. Turin’s metaphors help, however. What distinguishes this account, besides the author’s wit and his enthusiasm for fragrance, is his florid writing about scents. Turin has a remarkable ability to detect and describe their complexity: For him, they are not simply odors; they speak and have personality and colors. “The voice of Nombre Noir was that of a child older than its years, at once fresh, husky, modulated and faintly capricious,” he rhapsodizes. “There was a knowing naivety about it which made me think of Colette’s writing in her Claudine books. It brought to mind a purple ink to write love letters with.” Along with lily of the valley, sandalwood and musk, however, the author provides a heavy load of aldehydes, acetophenone and protein semiconductors.
Occasionally impenetrable, but overall a fascinating tour of the world of fragrance, provided by a knowledgeable and passionate expert.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2006
ISBN: 0-06-113383-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Ecco/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2006
A dramatic demystification of suicide from detailed accounts of failed suicide attempts, their circumstances, and their aftermaths. Therapist and psychology professor Heckler (John F. Kennedy Univ.) interviews 50 people, ranging from teenagers to septuagenarians, mechanics to physicians. What these people share is their ability to live meaningful lives after having failed in their suicide attempts. Heckler opens with an analysis of the most common preludes to suicide. In their own words, his subjects reveal the devastating effects of traumatic loss, extreme family dysfunction, and alienation. As each of their stories unfolds, the critical elements in the suicidal urge become identifiable. Early unresolved pain compounded by present adversity is a chief precursor of suicide. Many of the interviewees relate early experiences of loss and trauma—such as the death of a parent or sexual abuse—that they were not able to mourn: They were experts at putting up a facade. But once this facade could no longer be maintained, many of those interviewed fell into a state that Heckler identifies as the ``suicidal trance.'' At this stage, suicide seems a logical option—almost an imperative. It becomes the only sensible way to both gain control and kill the pain. But when suicide attempts fail, survivors are forced to face the reality of their self-abuse and the crisis that they were trying to ``resolve.'' In addition to grappling with the more recent calamity, Heckler's interviewees underwent a grieving process in which their original pain finally surfaced and could then be dealt with. ``Grieving actually represents the successful beginning of resolving one's past,'' he writes. The catharsis of their suicide attempts were so powerful, in fact, that many of the survivors have moved on to success in helping and counseling professions. A bibliography and resource list round out the volume. Revealing and inspiring.
Pub Date: Oct. 19, 1994
ISBN: 0-399-13945-1
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1994
What could, in less skilled hands, have been a shrill attack is in fact an admirably restrained and thorough examination of how the medical establishment has treated women as patients, as research subjects, and as health care providers. Medical journalists Laurence (author of the syndicated column ``Her Health'') and Weinhouse (a freelance writer for Elle and other magazines) combine solid research and personal interviews (sometimes with well-known individuals and sometimes with women whose identities are concealed) to create a compelling picture of what's wrong with women's health care. They show how medicine has discriminated against women as doctors; has excluded them as subjects in most research involving new drugs, medical treatments, and surgical techniques; and has regarded female patients as second-class citizens. Not surprisingly, the authors look at the surgicalization of reproduction, the lack of innovation in birth control, and the medicalization of menopause. They note that while often overtreated as obstetrical and gynecological patients, women, when they have other complaints, are frequently taken less seriously than men with similar symptoms. Laurence and Weinhouse examine the medical biases that lead to differences in how men and women with heart disease, kidney failure, cancer, and AIDS are diagnosed and treated. Not only do male physicians tend to dismiss women's complaints as psychosomatic, but since women have not been included in most research studies, adequate information is simply missing on how best to treat them. The authors touch all the bases, including sexual harassment of women doctors, the trivialization of women's mental health, the gender bias in pharmaceutical advertising, and the intrusion of the courts into women's personal medical decisions. They conclude with some hopeful signs of change: More women are becoming physicians, and more research projects are including female subjects. Comprehensive analysis, well presented and well documented. (First serial to Ladies' Home Journal; author tour)
Pub Date: Oct. 3, 1994
ISBN: 0-449-90745-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1994
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