Ackerman, Diane - A Natural History of the Senses

[oyceter]

The book isn't so much a progressive history of the development of the human senses through evolution or something, which is what I thought when I read the title. Rather, it's a collection of essays roughly centered around a biological/scientific viewpoint of the senses, but with a thoroughly poetic point of view. It's split into six sections -- one for each of the five senses, and the last for synesthesia.

Alas, I have let a little too much time lapse before writing about this, so I can't clearly recall all the essay topics, but they range from assorted things from a general overview on the importance of touch to psychological well-being to recordings of humpback whale song to the wonderfully elusive smell of violets. I love how Ackerman combines scientific knowledge with a poet's sensibility, because in the end, I feel arts and sciences aren't opposites, but rather, complimentary subjects.

I probably learned a great deal of assorted random trivia from this book -- Empress Josephine was enamoured of the smell of violets, and the smell itself is so elusive because it is based on a chemical that basically shuts down our sense of smell after smelling it for a while. But then your sense of smell returns after a bit, so then you smell it again. It may be a little pop-sciencey for people who are very good at the sciences, but it's at just about the right level for me, and I enjoy how Ackerman uses it to make me think more about what I'm feeling and smelling and tasting and viewing. Instead of making these things prosaic by applying scientific knowledge, the added knowledge makes these essays even richer and even more evocative, which is quite a skill in and of itself.

I was very entranced by all the essays, although they may be best appreciated when read in small doses, as I did. Who knows? I feel like somehow Ackerman's essays have made me just that much more aware of the physical world around me and how I process it, and it's made me more appreciative of the sensual, which I am glad of.

Comments

[angeyja.livejournal.com]

Sure. I some times talk about how deep in I read or that I still read in that very focussed way a child does. What I mean more practically is that I really have to watch what I read when I am in a more fragile place (like under a lot of environmental stress.) Too much about ceratin thingslike violence can trigger a not a depression but ceratinly a very low state, and also, reading something fun can help.

I am not sure about whether or not this is connected soemhow to my learning style. I fall in the 30% minority that learns by text (as opposed to the majority that learns best with a combo of text/visual and listening.)

[oyceter]

Ooh, yes. I actually use books and what I read as a sort of mood enhancer or a mood changer or something. Which is why I assiduously avoid horror. But yeah, there are definitely some books which are good for comfort and rainy days, and others that are better when I'm happy enough to go for angst.