"Revelations in Air" by Jude Stewart

You just can’t pass up a guidebook to smell. After all, they say smell is the sense that comes closest to pure perception. Smell can collapse space and time, unlocking memories and transporting us to worlds both new and as familiar as a whiff of the old gym. We can recognize different smells--the bright tang of citrus, freshly sharpened pencils, the fish counter but do we understand how and why we smell?  In “Revelations in Air,” Jude Stewart takes us on a journey into the weird and wonderful world of smell. Beginning with lessons on the incredible biology and history of how our noses work, Stewart teaches us how to use our noses so that we can smell better. While humans lack the ability of the average dog, people aren't bad, said Stewart, noting that a person can differentiate from 80 million to a trillion different odors.When people lost their sense of smell as a result of covid, Stewart told Steve Tarter that it often led to other problems such as overeating junk foods in an effort to experience familiar smells and tastes.Tarter recalled a childhood visit to Lake George in New York where the idyllic lake was overshadowed by the fumes emanating from a paper mill on the lake.  Stewart noted that smell-induced memories tend to be earlier than other memories.In her book, she breaks down smells into categories such as funky or pungent, challenging readers--and smellers-- to add their own items to the list.With engaging exercises for listeners to refine their own skills, "Revelations in Air" offers a doorway into the surprising, pleasurable, and unfamiliar landscape of smell.