Essence and Alchemy: A Book of Perfume | 
|  | | | Title: | Essence and Alchemy: A Book of Perfume | | Author: | Mandy Aftel | | Publisher: | Bloomsbury Publishing PLC | | Type: | Book / Hardcover | | Publication Date: | 17 September, 2001 | | ISBN / ISBN-13: | 0747554099 / 9780747554097 | | List Price: | | | Amazon Price: | $5.41 (only available used, via Amazon marketplace) | | | |
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| Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
For centuries, people have taken what seems to be an instinctive pleasure in rubbing scents into their skin, and using them to pray, to heal, and to make love. Yet in many ways perfumery is a lost art, its creative and sensual possibilities eclipsed by the dominance of synthetic ingredients. In Essence and Alchemy, winner of the Sense of Smell Institute's Richard B. Solomon Award, Mandy Aftel unearths a forgotten world in which scent was celebrated by poets, contemplated by philosophers, and universally appreciated for its profound resonance with body, mind, and soul. And she seduces the adventurous into experiencing firsthand the pleasures of working with natural essences.
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Customer Reviews:
• Fascinating! Delightful! 07 February, 2008
Essence & Alchemy was a really wonderful adventure in reading. From the history of perfume to the process, old and new, involved in extracting essences, to the follow-along steps to creating your own perfume, I found this book to be entertaining and informative from the first page to the last. The comparison between perfumery and alchemy was insightful. The illustrations were charming and fun. I learned a lot and was engaged the whole way through! Highly recommended to any fan of unusual nonfiction subjects.
- Reviewed by customer ID: ATX06IWCT2KC3
• A Revelation About Scent 05 February, 2008
This book is a very authoritative treatment of the subject, but that's not what makes it great. Aftel's passion for her subject, conveyed in lyrical, sensuous writing, is incredibly contagious.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A3TH20F476KE1M
• Unexpectedly Lyrical 18 August, 2007
I bought this book for information on how to make natural perfume, and was not disappointed, but what makes it so compelling is the elegance of the writing. Very evocative, really steeps you in the world of fragrance.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1TU7BP0791H8H
• Good Place To Start 29 July, 2007
The book offers a lot of good basic information for the beginner.
The elaboration and profiles of ingredients are packed with history and
and well written. Perhaps a bit too much. By the end of the book,
the basic information I was seeking was over shadowed by page after page
of lofty literary reference that become rather redundent and tiresome.
Overall, a good place to start.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1V356UGVASDRV
• Great Book! 06 April, 2008
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!
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1B8ENJ9FVW5LH
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