A Natural History Of Love [signed/inscribed] + A Natural History of the Senses
Diane Ackerman
- Publisher: Vintage Books
- Date published: 1995
- Format: Softcover
- ISBN: 9780679761839
Sold together w/LOVE signed by Diane Ackerman & inscribed to bookseller, accompanied by the First Vintage Books Edition of her 1991 bestseller A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SENSES, which she didn't sign. Later printing of A NATURAL HISTORY OF LOVE w/slight shopworn bend & edge-fade, o/w unmarked & unread, in Near Fine condition. "Ackerman combs through history, literature, biology, and pop culture in search of 'the great intangible.' She juxtaposes Cleopatra with Abelard and Heloise, Freud with Blade Runner. She explores the allure of adultery, the appeal of aphrodisiacs, and the cult of the kiss. She reveals the secrets of the insatiable lovers like Casanova and Don Juan while baring the trauma of an entire society that has lost its ability to love. . . Enchantingly written, stunningly informed, [with] all the high-wire erudition and rapturous prose that made A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SENSES a national bestseller." [publisher copy] "If Colette had studied science and spent time listening to icebergs in Antarctica and interviewing a professional nose in New York, she might have written a book as luscious and erudite as A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SENSES. In the course of this grand tour of the realm of the senses, Diane Ackerman writes about the evolution of the kiss, the sadistic cuisine of eighteenth-century England, the chemistry of pain, and the melodies of the planet Earth with an evocativeness and charm that make the book itself a marvel of literate sensuality." [publisher copy] "An aphrodisiac for the sense receptors. Read a chapter, then step outside and Voila: the sky is a deeper blue, the birds sing a sweeter song. How could it seem otherwise, after feasting on voluptuous prose like this?"--Chicago Tribune. "A wonderful idea for a narrative journey, one that touches upon biology and anthropology, art and human consciousness . . . a heady, sometimes utterly engaging dive into the world around us--from the hormonal effects of the smell of musk to the biological necessity of touch . . . Ackerman's poetic vision allows her to find mystery and meaning in the most personal and idiosyncratic places."--Boston Globe. Both matching copies show slight shelfwear & a repaired edge, but are o/w unmarked & unread, w/sharp corners & crisp edges, square & tight bindings w/no creases in spines.
remarksusedbooks-23.00-4855fdc0bb5e433e58a0bf3d1da2ebc3