To totally understand this novel one should have an in depth understanding of chemistry, biology and physics. This is a story about a biologist, the highly intelligent Luca Turin, who becomes fascinated with perfumes. How does the nose identify odors? He begins collecting the great perfumes, studies chemistry and physics to determine how the molecules behave. His research convinces him that the commonly accepted theory of shape is not a determiner of the odors perceived by one's nose.
Luca researches and experiments until he begins to find that he may have unraveled the way we identify odors. His work convinces him that vibration may be a better determiner of how the nose works rather than the accepted theory of shape. After testing many, many molecules, he believes he has proved his theory so he writes an article for Nature putting forth his hypothesis and detailing the research he has done to prove it and the documenting theories. His article is refused again and again even though he tries to address the reviewers comments many of which seem to indicate that they did not understand what he did.
The story continues as Luca tries to convince the scientists studying odor of his findings. However, Luca is little known, sometimes combative and is threatening the life work of many of those who have worked on odor. He expands his knowledge of chemistry and physics to help him unravel the mysteries of his theory. It's a fascinating tale and the reader realizes that what we believe about scientists is not necessarily true. We like to believe that good ideas are respected and evaluated while bad ones are discarded; that hard working intelligent scientists with honest data are recognized and rewarded when this may not be true at all. To find out what happens to Luca and his theory pick up this novel and discover for yourself.
Andrea K. (rugosarose) reviewed The Emperor of Scent : A Story of Perfume, Obsession, and the Last Mystery of the Senses on 