Natural history

Author: Diana Ackerman
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The mortal body carries seven emotions and six desires, destined to be trapped in the Five Fingers Mountain of sensation. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch weave a radar net, capturing all our senses. We perceive the world through our senses every moment, and a world without senses would be a chaos. Yet, how much do we truly understand about our own senses and feelings? The Natural History of the Senses mines the vast and rich treasures of literature, mythology, history, and modern science to explore the origins and evolution of senses, the differences in senses across cultures, the legends and science of senses, idioms related to senses, and more. The author, both a poet and a scholar, is sensitive and wise, with delicate and nuanced writing, drawing from a wide range of sources. The book is not only engaging but also helps us better understand our senses, move away from the crude, and become more refined individuals who can better perceive the texture of life.