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A Natural History of the Senses
First published 1990 · 352 pages
A lush, poetic awakening to the everyday miracles of human perception and the physical world.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping out of a sterile room and into a vibrant, blooming garden. It is a deeply sensuous and leisurely experience, inviting you to slow down and marvel at the biological poetry of your own body. The prose is voluptuous and lyrical, seamlessly weaving hard scientific facts with history, lore, and personal anecdote. Rather than rushing toward a conclusion, the narrative meanders through the wonders of smell, touch, taste, hearing, and vision, wrapping the reader in an atmosphere of profound reverence and curiosity. It is an awakening for the mind and the flesh alike, perfect for those who love nature writing and want to be reminded of the sheer, intoxicating joy of being alive and embodied in the world.
- Mood
- sensuous
- wonder-filled
- immersive
- contemplative
- Tone
- reverent
- curious
- lyrical
- enthusiastic
- erudite
- Pace
- leisurely
- Themes
- embodiment and perception · the intersection of science and art · mindfulness of the physical world · humanity's connection to nature
- The writing
- Lush, voluptuous, and deeply evocative, seamlessly blending precise scientific terminology with soaring poetic metaphor.
- The arc
- Begins with curiosity about our biological mechanics and expands into a profound, awakened reverence for the everyday miracle of being alive.
- Who it's for
- Readers who delight in lyrical nature writing and want to slow down to marvel at the biological poetry of their own bodies.
Content notes
- historical animal experiments
- anatomical descriptions
About the book
A Natural History of the Senses is a vibrant celebration of our ability to smell, taste, hear, touch, and see. Poet, pilot, naturalist, journalist, essayist, and explorer, Diane Ackerman weaves together scientific fact with lore, history, and voluptuous description. The resulting work is a startling and enchanting account of how human beings experience and savor the world. A Natural History of the Senses is at once an ingenious exploration of the physical processes underlying our perceptions and an eloquent ode to life -- a rare combination of science and poetry. - Jacket flap.
Description from Open Library.
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