This book is a delightful romp through the senses. While Diane Ackerman weaves in and out of the biological aspects of the human senses, she takes us through a ride. The ride takes us through our senses' role in literature, life, human relations, art, and many aspects of human endeavor.

Diane's book is a joyous romp, but don't read it in one sitting. If you wish to discover little worlds you have forgotten, read one chapter daily. Savour the material and let it sink in.

Remember, this book is not a thriller. Enjoy it and read it again after a few years. ( )

Every essay in this collection was interesting. ( )

This went back and forth from being fascinating to being something of a slog. Ackerman meanders through facts, histories, and her personal experiences as they relate to the five senses, covering a wide range of topics.
The author is a poet—and I’m not a big fan of modern poetry—and that really came through in certain sections. Sometimes I really liked the way she turned a phrase, like this one, toward the end of the book.

What a strange lot writers are, we questers after the perfect word, the glorious phrase that will somehow make the exquisite avalanche of consciousness sayable.

But often enough, I just felt like I was punching my way through lots and lots of words.
I’m glad I read it—I never would have known about miraculous fruit or the greater honeyguide and lots of cool other things if I hadn’t. On the other hand, if I’d never read it, I never would have heard of the sadistic cook Mizald, who I imagine has been burning in hell these many years.
Anyway.
This was written about 30 years ago, and I don’t know if the way she referenced her sources was typical or not. She’s got a Further Reading section at the end, listing the books she used for research (presumably), but there are no footnotes or endnotes with more specific citations. I looked things up that I cared enough about to verify.
I heard about this book from a brief reference in The Other End of the Leash, and thought it sounded intriguing. Lots of it was, but if I were a skimmer, I probably would have had a better reading experience. ( )

Good, poetic musings about our body and its senses with literary and other allusions. Worthwhile. ( )

Some parts of this book are entertaining. Ackerman goes off on tangent often, which makes the book very long winded. I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought. ( )