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The Museum of Scent: Exploring the Curious and Wondrous World of Fragrance Hardcover – October 31, 2023

5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 36 ratings

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Breathe in the natural and cultural history of scent with this richly illustrated book inspired by the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents

“This work . . . is a true original―a rarest of rare legacy volume. This book was created by a beautiful elder who is a polymath: meaning, a highly unique person of multiple modern and old ways of knowing. . . . Mandy Aftel’s dons and talents are now resting in your hands in this magical tome that, I deeply sense and hope, will bless you time and again.”
―From the foreword by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés Reyés, author of
Women Who Run with the Wolves and the forthcoming La Curandera, Walking in Two Worlds

Mandy Aftel is one of the world’s preeminent natural perfumers, with a clientele ranging from the singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen to Ivy Ross, head of hardware design at Google. Eschewing the synthetic molecules that dominate commercial perfumes, Aftel creates her complex and subtle fragrances using only natural essences. For her, each of these essences is a gateway to a lost world of scent, stretching back to the beginnings of human civilization and intertwined with the history of medicine, cuisine, adornment, sexuality, and spirituality. In 2017, Aftel opened a one-room museum―the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents―in her backyard in Berkeley, California, to help a modern audience rediscover the enchantment of this lost world. Her museum has attracted thousands of enthusiastic visitors and has been featured in the New York Times, Vogue, Goop, O: The Oprah Magazine, and numerous other media outlets.

Now Aftel has created this beautiful book, illustrated with treasures from her museum’s collection, so that readers at home can immerse themselves in the world of scent. She guides us through the different families of botanical fragrances (including flowers, woods, leaves and grasses, and resins), depicting each plant with a hand-colored antique woodcut and revealing its olfactory notes and lore. Special chapters are devoted to the most rare and precious fragrances―such as ambergris, formed of a rare secretion of the sperm whale―and to antique essential oil bottles, handwritten recipe books, and other evocative artifacts.
The Museum of Scent, which includes a bookmark subtly scented with a natural essence, invites us on a sensuous, imaginative journey.

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From the Publisher

Immerse yourself in the natural and cultural history of scent

Starred Kirkus review

This work is a true original

Jean Godfrey-June, Goop

A wonderful guide --Alice Waters

You fall into it and don't want it to end --Ivy Ross

From the queen of artisan perfumers, a delightful introduction to the universe of scent

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The world of perfumes is a universe all its own, and Aftel’s book is a colorful, authoritative guide. . . A beautiful book about beautiful things, with a fascinating narrative told by an author who loves her subject."
Kirkus, starred review

"Leafing through Aftel’s stunning compilation of olfactory magic is like being gifted a book of secrets. . . . It’s filled with a bevy of perfume knowledge that’s been meticulously collected over time."
Smithsonian

"Looking over Aftel’s life work, one is inclined to believe anything she has to say about smells. The book is a codex in the truest sense, but it is also a kind of cabinet of curiosities that encompasses elements of Aftel’s research, related ephemera, the history of natural botanicals, animal-based musks, artisanal production, scent combinations, and much more. Connected to culture, nature, food, history, trade, and the simple fact of breathing, it seems like scent might be among the most shared of human experiences."
Hyperallergic

"This work . . . is a true original―a rarest of rare legacy volume. This book was created by a beautiful elder who is a polymath: meaning, a highly unique person of multiple modern and old ways of knowing. . . . Mandy Aftel’s
dons and talents are now resting in your hands in this magical tome that, I deeply sense and hope, will bless you time and again."
From the foreword by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés Reyés, author of "Women Who Run with the Wolves" and the forthcoming "La Curandera, Walking in Two Worlds"

"Opening up this book is like opening up a whole new room in your imagination you didn’t quite realize existed―even if you never thought you were interested in perfume. It’s gorgeous to look at and gorgeous to read, bristling with details and wild histories. It’s a book to pick up again and again―whether you land on a page about onycha shells, shiso, or honeysuckle, you’re swept into a dreamy world―a cabinet of curiosities for the senses that’s both exquisite and endlessly surprising."
Jean Godfrey-June, Executive Beauty Editor GOOP

"
The Museum of Scent is a beautiful catalogue of Mandy’s olfactory expertise and artistry. This book is a wonderful guide through the rich and fascinating world of perfumery, and a joyful invitation to sniff your way through life!"
Alice Waters, chef and owner of Chez Panisse

"In
The Museum of Scent, author Mandy Aftel writes, "You just don't smell an aroma, you fall into it." The same is true of this magnificent book: It is so rich in story, information, and images, you don't just read it, you fall into it and don’t want it to end!"
Ivy Ross, co-author of New York Times bestseller " Your Brain on Art " and VP of Hardware Design at Google

"From the queen of artisan perfumers, a delightful introduction to the universe of scent and scented materials. Aromatics leap off the page in all their singularity, accompanied by astounding images and fascinating context. In book form as much as in real life, Aftel's carefully curated collection presents a whole that is revelatory in every one of its component parts."
Saskia Wilson-Brown, director & founder, The Institute for Art and Olfaction

About the Author

Mandy Aftel, an internationally known artisan perfumer and authority on natural fragrance, is the owner of Aftelier Perfumes and the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents in Berkeley, California. Her other books include Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume, which helped sparked the natural perfume renaissance and has been translated into eight languages. Aftel's work has been featured in the New York TimesVogueVanity Fair, and numerous other major outlets.

Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés Reyés is the author of Women Who Run with the Wolves, which has been published in forty-two languages, and La Curandera, Walking in Two Worlds, forthcoming from Texas A&M University Press.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Abbeville Press (October 31, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0789214717
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0789214713
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.4 x 1.1 x 9.4 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 36 ratings

About the author

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Mandy Aftel
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Mandy Aftel is an internationally known artisan perfumer and educator on natural fragrance and flavor. She was born and educated in Michigan and has been living in Berkeley, California since 1970. She is the owner of Aftelier Perfumes and the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents in Berkeley, California. The Archive is the first museum in the United States dedicated to the experience of fragrance, including her collection of one of a kind antique artifacts.

She participated in many exhibitions, panels and conferences concerning scent, has demonstrated and taught the art of natural perfumery across the nation, and regularly collaborates with top-name chefs and mixologists. She was named one of the top seven bespoke perfumers in the world by Forbes.com. Her work has been featured on CNN and in The New York Times, Vogue, Vanity Fair, In Style, Time, Bon Appétit, Food and Wine, W, Self, O: The Oprah Magazine, and Elle.

She is the author of eight books, most recently with Chef Daniel Patterson The Art of Flavor: Practices and Principles for Creating Delicious Food.

In Fragrant: The Secret Life of Scent (2014), through five major players in the epic of aroma (cinnamon, mint, frankincense, ambergris, and jasmine), Mandy explores the profound connection between our sense of smell and the appetites that move us, give us pleasure, make us fully alive.

Aroma (2004), the cookbook that Mandy co-authored with chef Daniel Patterson, focuses on the essential link between food and fragrance and includes recipes for both.

Essence and Alchemy: A Book of Perfume (2001) has been translated into 14 languages and was the winner of The Sense of Smell Institute’s Richard B. Solomon Award.

Scents & Sensibilities (2008) guides the reader through the history and creation of solid perfumes.

Mandy is also the author of The Story of Your Life: Becoming the Author of Your Experience; When Talk Is Not Cheap; and Death of a Rolling Stone: The Brian Jones Story.

Customer reviews

5 out of 5 stars
36 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book visually appealing and informative. They appreciate the author's knowledge of the history and lore of essences and natural perfumery. The book is described as a must-read for anyone interested in the senses and natural aromatherapy.

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5 customers mention "Beauty"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's beauty. They describe it as a work of art and like entering the author's Berkeley museum. The book captures readers' awe and wonder, as if the author were present.

"...It is a piece of art in & of itself, it is like stepping into her Berkeley museum & the world in which she exists through the pages of a book...." Read more

"...from her actual museum usher you through the door of the beautiful sanctuary she created…one piece of wood and stained-glass pane after another…as..." Read more

"...Plus, it’s a beautiful, substantial object in its own right." Read more

"...All connected to the most beautiful little museum in the world, located in Berkeley." Read more

5 customers mention "Information content"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and helpful for learning about perfumery. They appreciate the detailed information about materials and the craft of making perfumes. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in aromatherapy, history, and natural aromatics. It's also handy for those trying to create their own scents.

"...come to life through the lens of Mandy, through her vast knowledge of the history & lore of essences & natural perfume to the beautifully hand..." Read more

"...of Mandy Aftel’s marvelous collection, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves the senses, history, natural aromatic materials, museums, and..." Read more

"...most important book in natural perfumery, with new and detailed information about materials and the craft of perfume...." Read more

"A beautiful book with descriptions you can almost smell. Bravo!" Read more

4 customers mention "Scent"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's scent. They find it informative and say it is an important book in natural perfumery, with new and detailed information.

"...through her vast knowledge of the history & lore of essences & natural perfume to the beautifully hand painted illustrations...." Read more

"...has created yet another masterpiece with her latest book, The Museum of Scent...." Read more

"An exploration of perfume materials through the lens of Mandy Aftel’s marvelous collection, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves the senses..." Read more

"...It is undoubtedly the most important book in natural perfumery, with new and detailed information about materials and the craft of perfume...." Read more

Celebrating the scented legacy of a luminary who belongs on its pages.
5 out of 5 stars
Celebrating the scented legacy of a luminary who belongs on its pages.
Mandy Aftel has created yet another masterpiece with her latest book, The Museum of Scent. What is especially striking about Mandy is her profound way of birthing one work of art after another while cocooning each one in a patina all its own. Mandy is one of the true originals in this world…an original artist, an original thinker, simply an original…and her creations reflect that. From the natural materials she curates from searching the world over to the perfumes she makes with them. From the classes she composes like a legendary scented symphony to the books she pours from her soul, Mandy is one of a kind.The Museum of Scent is a true gift to the world, as it reflects the culmination of Mandy’s life’s work. To open the book is to step into another world and through time. Her soulful words and her impeccable illustrations transport you through time and place to both a lost world and the natural world that is just within reach for us all. Through her pilgrimage of collecting rare, historical books and researching everything there is about perfume and anything that has or is related to natural scent, she shares her knowledge, experience, and passion like an offering. A sacred offering for everyone, reflecting her generosity of spirit…another rarity in today’s world.Mandy is a seasoned, skilled writer and still captures awe and wonder as if she were bringing her scented universe forward for the first time. I feel enormously fortunate to study with Mandy and to continually visit her otherworldly museum in Berkeley, for which this book is an homage, and I can attest to the absolutely magical way she has captured the essence of it on each page. The collection of photos from her actual museum usher you through the door of the beautiful sanctuary she created…one piece of wood and stained-glass pane after another…as though you are standing before each exceptional artifact before you. Her hand-painted illustrations lead your imagination to places only seen before in dreams, and her ability to lift scents off the pages is an unmatched artistry. Indeed, Mandy Aftel is as much a part of the history of the natural fragrance world as each of the botanicals, books, perfumes, and long-lost treasures celebrated inside the book itself.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2023
    This may be my favorite book I have ever held in my hands, if I could give it ten stars I would. I felt transported to a magical world where the essences come to life through the lens of Mandy, through her vast knowledge of the history & lore of essences & natural perfume to the beautifully hand painted illustrations. It is a piece of art in & of itself, it is like stepping into her Berkeley museum & the world in which she exists through the pages of a book. It would make a beautiful gift to someone you love AND to yourself, truly a treasure!
    9 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2024
    Mandy Aftel has created yet another masterpiece with her latest book, The Museum of Scent. What is especially striking about Mandy is her profound way of birthing one work of art after another while cocooning each one in a patina all its own. Mandy is one of the true originals in this world…an original artist, an original thinker, simply an original…and her creations reflect that. From the natural materials she curates from searching the world over to the perfumes she makes with them. From the classes she composes like a legendary scented symphony to the books she pours from her soul, Mandy is one of a kind.

    The Museum of Scent is a true gift to the world, as it reflects the culmination of Mandy’s life’s work. To open the book is to step into another world and through time. Her soulful words and her impeccable illustrations transport you through time and place to both a lost world and the natural world that is just within reach for us all. Through her pilgrimage of collecting rare, historical books and researching everything there is about perfume and anything that has or is related to natural scent, she shares her knowledge, experience, and passion like an offering. A sacred offering for everyone, reflecting her generosity of spirit…another rarity in today’s world.

    Mandy is a seasoned, skilled writer and still captures awe and wonder as if she were bringing her scented universe forward for the first time. I feel enormously fortunate to study with Mandy and to continually visit her otherworldly museum in Berkeley, for which this book is an homage, and I can attest to the absolutely magical way she has captured the essence of it on each page. The collection of photos from her actual museum usher you through the door of the beautiful sanctuary she created…one piece of wood and stained-glass pane after another…as though you are standing before each exceptional artifact before you. Her hand-painted illustrations lead your imagination to places only seen before in dreams, and her ability to lift scents off the pages is an unmatched artistry. Indeed, Mandy Aftel is as much a part of the history of the natural fragrance world as each of the botanicals, books, perfumes, and long-lost treasures celebrated inside the book itself.
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Celebrating the scented legacy of a luminary who belongs on its pages.

    Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2024
    Mandy Aftel has created yet another masterpiece with her latest book, The Museum of Scent. What is especially striking about Mandy is her profound way of birthing one work of art after another while cocooning each one in a patina all its own. Mandy is one of the true originals in this world…an original artist, an original thinker, simply an original…and her creations reflect that. From the natural materials she curates from searching the world over to the perfumes she makes with them. From the classes she composes like a legendary scented symphony to the books she pours from her soul, Mandy is one of a kind.

    The Museum of Scent is a true gift to the world, as it reflects the culmination of Mandy’s life’s work. To open the book is to step into another world and through time. Her soulful words and her impeccable illustrations transport you through time and place to both a lost world and the natural world that is just within reach for us all. Through her pilgrimage of collecting rare, historical books and researching everything there is about perfume and anything that has or is related to natural scent, she shares her knowledge, experience, and passion like an offering. A sacred offering for everyone, reflecting her generosity of spirit…another rarity in today’s world.

    Mandy is a seasoned, skilled writer and still captures awe and wonder as if she were bringing her scented universe forward for the first time. I feel enormously fortunate to study with Mandy and to continually visit her otherworldly museum in Berkeley, for which this book is an homage, and I can attest to the absolutely magical way she has captured the essence of it on each page. The collection of photos from her actual museum usher you through the door of the beautiful sanctuary she created…one piece of wood and stained-glass pane after another…as though you are standing before each exceptional artifact before you. Her hand-painted illustrations lead your imagination to places only seen before in dreams, and her ability to lift scents off the pages is an unmatched artistry. Indeed, Mandy Aftel is as much a part of the history of the natural fragrance world as each of the botanicals, books, perfumes, and long-lost treasures celebrated inside the book itself.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2023
    An exploration of perfume materials through the lens of Mandy Aftel’s marvelous collection, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves the senses, history, natural aromatic materials, museums, and culture. Plus, it’s a beautiful, substantial object in its own right.
    6 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2023
    I was so excited to receive this book! I spent hours just looking through it. It is undoubtedly the most important book in natural perfumery, with new and detailed information about materials and the craft of perfume. All connected to the most beautiful little museum in the world, located in Berkeley.
    8 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2024
    A beautiful book with descriptions you can almost smell. Bravo!
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2024
    Excellent item arrived right on schedule!
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2023
    This is a beautiful, groundbreaking book. It is both meditation and insight into the human experience through our most primal sense, our sense of smell.

    The Museum of Scent experience itself is extraordinary, set in a little cottage behind Mandy Aftel’s house, as unexpected as the exhibits. From historical objects to ancient books and the essences themselves, the museum transports its guests through time and space, finally arriving at at an emotional place more proximate to the world around them, past collapsed into present and future.

    The book does this as well. It uses the museum as a portal to explore the history of scent and how it resonates in our lives. It’s full of stories, objects, documents and beautiful illustrations colored by Mandy, a fascinating journey through the intersection of nature and civilization. What we smell, where it comes from and how we’ve used it, both at home and in commerce.

    I was surprised and delighted by how vivid and erudite The Museum Of Scent is. I couldn’t put it down. This is a unique, brilliant expression of the history of natural essences and why they matter, written a master of scent and storytelling.
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2023
    Who builds a museum in their backyard? Mandy Aftel. Even though I’ve had a pretty good front-row seat witnessing Mandy's evolution as THE world's leading natural perfumer, I too found this book THRILLING. It's more than a book, it's a testament to what a fully creative life looks like: the profound acknowledgment that is the forward by Clarissa, the writing and hand-colored illustrations that just flow, the Leonard Cohen artwork over the organ, all the history of her exploration of natural perfume brought to life, the inside cover shots of her Berkeley garden, the book is a whole work is….a world…that honors the earth and life itself.
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Agreed: the Most Important Book in Perfumery share's Mandy Aftel's Creativity Writ Large

    Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2023
    Who builds a museum in their backyard? Mandy Aftel. Even though I’ve had a pretty good front-row seat witnessing Mandy's evolution as THE world's leading natural perfumer, I too found this book THRILLING. It's more than a book, it's a testament to what a fully creative life looks like: the profound acknowledgment that is the forward by Clarissa, the writing and hand-colored illustrations that just flow, the Leonard Cohen artwork over the organ, all the history of her exploration of natural perfume brought to life, the inside cover shots of her Berkeley garden, the book is a whole work is….a world…that honors the earth and life itself.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    2 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book!
    Reviewed in Canada on December 3, 2024
    Excellent quality and very interesting content.
  • J. Nolan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend.
    Reviewed in Canada on December 21, 2023
    This is an incredibly fascinating book that is very well researched and written. While there are many text-only perfume histories out there, this one provides rich visual context to the nature and provenance of the aromatic materials featured in her museum, which are accompanied by high quality photos and Mandy's hand-painted illustrations. Highly recommend.