First published 2003
Americans pour billions into their noses annually, from sinus medications to rhinoplasty, from aromatherapy to luxury perfumes. Gabrielle Glaser examines how this single organ evolved into a marker of beauty, social standing, and character judgment. She traces the cultural forces that sparked the cotton tissue industry and investigates why scent drives our choices in romance and politics. Glaser combines historical research with biological insights, weaving together art, culture, sexuality, and medicine. Her investigation includes conversations with doctors and patients, FDA officials, Fragrance Foundation members, a rabbi studying nasal references in Jewish scripture, and a plastic surgeon who undergoes his own nose surgery. The book reveals the complex relationship between this facial feature and human society, demonstrating how deeply our noses influence perception, attraction, and identity.
Genres: science, non-fiction, health, history-of-medicine, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: informative, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: interdisciplinary, investigative-journalism
272 pages · Paperback · Atria Books