Your Favorite Frag/Perfume/Cologne Book(s)?

[tehtimmeh]

I haven't yet read Turin's book that is so popular and referenced by many of you. I am planning on getting a copy to read within the next week or so.

I assume when people refer to his "book" that they mean the perfume guide, but I also understand that he has a few other publications as well.

What other book(s) have you guys read and recommend as "must reads" for a 'fume head? I'm interested in hearing your opinions and recommendations.

 

[StylinLA]

Turin's Perfumes: The A-Z Guide is probably the top among fume heads. He and his wife write reviews on a ton of different perfumes.

In the end, our own opinion counts most; it's a near guarantee that he will dump on something you love. But the reviews are well written and often funny. I have done extensive research on other such guides, but his seems to be the most recent that touches on many, many scents we all know. And he gives his uncensored views on all. It's not a "read" as much as it is a reference manual that you will consult frequently.

He has another book called The Secret of Scent which is way more on the technical side, discussing in no small detail the chemical composition of many of the fragrance notes. A bit over my head and depth of interest, but if you have a knack for science, you might like it.

Chandler Burr, the only other frag reviewer with a bit of a name, has also written a couple that I haven't checked out yet. They look worthwhile.

Lastly, if you are a frag head, and you seem to be, Perfume, by Patrick Suskind is a great read. It's a bizarre novel which I will not try to explain in detail here. It was also made into a movie with Dustin Hoffman.

 

[joshmpdx]

I bought Perfumes the Guide last year during the Christmas season and it's been on my bedside table ever since. it's great, I read it all the time.

Thanks for the other recommendations, Stylin.

 

[texbilly]

Turin's Perfumes: The A-Z Guide is probably the top among fume heads. He and his wife write reviews on a ton of different perfumes.

In the end, our own opinion counts most; it's a near guarantee that he will dump on something you love. But the reviews are well written and often funny. I have done extensive research on other such guides, but his seems to be the most recent that touches on many, many scents we all know. And he gives his uncensored views on all. It's not a "read" as much as it is a reference manual that you will consult frequently.

He has another book called The Secret of Scent which is way more on the technical side, discussing in no small detail the chemical composition of many of the fragrance notes. A bit over my head and depth of interest, but if you have a knack for science, you might like it.

Chandler Burr, the only other frag reviewer with a bit of a name, has also written a couple that I haven't checked out yet. They look worthwhile.

Lastly, if you are a frag head, and you seem to be, Perfume, by Patrick Suskind is a great read. It's a bizarre novel which I will not try to explain in detail here. It was also made into a movie with Dustin Hoffman.

I bought Perfumes the Guide last year during the Christmas season and it's been on my bedside table ever since. it's great, I read it all the time.

Thanks for the other recommendations, Stylin.

The A-Z guide is an awesome launching point to navigate choices and I also love the background and comparisons they include. The comparisons alone are helpful because I might have or smelled a similar scent and it enables me to determine whether to rush to the store or move on.

 

[Niles]

I've read and enjoyed Luca Turin's perfumes: the guide, Patrick Suskind's novel, "Perfume" and Chandler Burr's biography of Turin, "Emperor of Scent".

 

[mdevine]

I've read and enjoyed Luca Turin's perfumes: the guide, Patrick Suskind's novel, "Perfume" and Chandler Burr's biography of Turin, "Emperor of Scent".

I received "Perfume" by Patrick Suskind for Christmas and started it this evening. It looks interesting but may take me a while to finish. Mostly because my wife got me Rosetta Stone (Spanish) and I am finding it a pleasant diversion from my usual routine.

 

[tls1]

I also enjoy reading Turin and Sanchez, mostly for entertainment purposes but it is a great resource and includes some interesting essays. The important thing to keep in mind is that the main guide is a collection of their *opinions* (admittedly, learned and experienced) on individual fragrances. While their summaries are highly amusing and often insightful, you'll likely find that your experiences and tastes differ. I've found it fun to sniff things at stores, form your opinions and then compare notes (or vice versa).

If you are interested in the business of perfume, I'd recommend "The Perfect Scent: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris and New York" also by Chandler Burr. It's a look at the development of two perfumes: Un Jardin sur le Nil (Hermès) and Lovely (Sarah Jessica Parker's first fragrance).

I also enjoyed "A Natural History of the Senses" by Diane Ackerman. It's a literary/scientific tour of the senses, and the chapter on smell is quite an enjoyable read even if you aren't a fumehead.

 

[Featherweight]

Turin and Sanchez's book is definitely a must-read, although beware of their hostility toward Creed and anything aquatic. They find little praise for the first, and plenty of hatred for the second.


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