The Atlas of Scents

By Ari Turunen

A fascinating journey through the rich world of scents.

Without scents, there would be no life: plants use scents to attract pollinators, animals use them for mating. Scent influences our consciousness, makes us more alert, evokes memories and triggers emotions. It is therefore no wonder that perfumes and spices have been among the most important trade products in the world since time immemorial.

The Atlas of Scents takes the reader on a journey across different continents and links scents to a vast collection of facts from history, mythology, literature, visual arts, etymology and chemistry. The result is a fantastically written and beautifully designed book that shows the importance of scents in our lives.

Ari Turunen has a degree in social sciences and geography. He has published 13 titles on cultural history and popular science and his works have been translated into 12 languages to date.

Publishing information

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About the author

Ari Turunen is the editor-in-chief of the Finnish edition of Le Monde Diplomatique and a non-fiction author specialising in the history of customs and culture. He has written 13 books on cultural history and popular science. Turunen’s themes and approach are global and his books have been translated into 11 languages. He has also co-published extensively with several other non-fiction writers.In 2023 Turunen received the Nonfiction Writers’ Award, an annual award of merit to writers who have distinguished themselves in the field of nonfiction. The jury complimented his works as breathtakingly vast and multi-dimensional.