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A Feast in Every Sense: The Mystery, Marvel, and New Science of Our Senses
Not yet published
Expected 19 Jan 27A vivid and groundbreaking tour of the senses, full of cutting-edge science and thrilling anecdotes, that reveals how they shape our lives and the way we experience the world around us—by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Natural History of the Senses
A Feast in Every Sense is Diane Ackerman's luscious and tender journey into the mystery of our modern sensory lives, a grand tour that captures the heady feelings of being alive. She introduces us to receptors that create the creamy sensation of a perfectly ripe avocado, sound waves that allow us to identify hot versus cold water by sound alone, skin sensors that lower pain and change brain chemistry at a lover's touch.
The sensory universe colors every morsel of human existence. Why does sitting in a hard chair make you a harder bargainer? Why does Tylenol decrease empathy? Why does sipping a bitter drink invite harsher moral judgments? How does the time of day you receive a flu vaccine or an organ transplant affect its success? Is airplane food really that dull, or do our cravings and sense of taste warp at altitude? What sensory rebels have lived at the frontiers of perception? So many mysteries, good and bad, can only be understood through our senses.
Ackerman also uses new scientific discoveries, like our host of Secret Senses—ever-vigilant scouts—to explain life's intricacies and understand how the world's endless stimuli combine with our inner lives to form our deepest thoughts, feelings, hardships and joys.
Blending history, science, personal experience, and a poet's eye, A Feast in Every Sense is both an ambrosial display of how we process the beauty around us and a call to rediscover what it means to be fully embodied and alive in a world brimming with wonders.
A Feast in Every Sense is Diane Ackerman's luscious and tender journey into the mystery of our modern sensory lives, a grand tour that captures the heady feelings of being alive. She introduces us to receptors that create the creamy sensation of a perfectly ripe avocado, sound waves that allow us to identify hot versus cold water by sound alone, skin sensors that lower pain and change brain chemistry at a lover's touch.
The sensory universe colors every morsel of human existence. Why does sitting in a hard chair make you a harder bargainer? Why does Tylenol decrease empathy? Why does sipping a bitter drink invite harsher moral judgments? How does the time of day you receive a flu vaccine or an organ transplant affect its success? Is airplane food really that dull, or do our cravings and sense of taste warp at altitude? What sensory rebels have lived at the frontiers of perception? So many mysteries, good and bad, can only be understood through our senses.
Ackerman also uses new scientific discoveries, like our host of Secret Senses—ever-vigilant scouts—to explain life's intricacies and understand how the world's endless stimuli combine with our inner lives to form our deepest thoughts, feelings, hardships and joys.
Blending history, science, personal experience, and a poet's eye, A Feast in Every Sense is both an ambrosial display of how we process the beauty around us and a call to rediscover what it means to be fully embodied and alive in a world brimming with wonders.
- GenresScience
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 19, 2027
About the author
Diane Ackerman
80 books1,145 followersDiane Ackerman has been the finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction in addition to many other awards and recognitions for her work, which include the bestsellers The Zookeeper’s Wife and A Natural History of the Senses.
The Zookeeper’s Wife, a little known true story of WWII, became a New York Times bestseller, and received the Orion Book Award, which honored it as, "a groundbreaking work of nonfiction." A movie of The Zookeeper’s Wife, starring Jessica Chastain and Daniel Brühl, releases in theaters March 31st, 2017 from Focus Features.
She lives with her husband Paul West in Ithaca, New York.
The Zookeeper’s Wife, a little known true story of WWII, became a New York Times bestseller, and received the Orion Book Award, which honored it as, "a groundbreaking work of nonfiction." A movie of The Zookeeper’s Wife, starring Jessica Chastain and Daniel Brühl, releases in theaters March 31st, 2017 from Focus Features.
She lives with her husband Paul West in Ithaca, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
** I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is scheduled to be published on January 19, 2027 in the US. **
This was an AMAZING book! Not only did I learn so many new things while I was reading, but the pure enjoyment of reading the book. The writing was SO decadent. You could FEEL the joy/wonder/delight of the author as she guided you through our senses. Such a beautiful work celebrating how our bodies let us experience the wonders of our world. A new favorite non-fiction to add to my library.
This was an AMAZING book! Not only did I learn so many new things while I was reading, but the pure enjoyment of reading the book. The writing was SO decadent. You could FEEL the joy/wonder/delight of the author as she guided you through our senses. Such a beautiful work celebrating how our bodies let us experience the wonders of our world. A new favorite non-fiction to add to my library.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was lucky enough to receive a free advance reader copy or this book for review. Thank you, Random House.
What a beautiful book! It’s full of amazing stories about the five senses, plus a few bonus senses. It’s not just a quick summary about how our senses work, but a deep dive into what makes them so amazing. If you want to learn about our senses in story form, beautifully written, this book is for you. The reference list in the back is also amazing. I’m definitely going to seek out more of her books.
What a beautiful book! It’s full of amazing stories about the five senses, plus a few bonus senses. It’s not just a quick summary about how our senses work, but a deep dive into what makes them so amazing. If you want to learn about our senses in story form, beautifully written, this book is for you. The reference list in the back is also amazing. I’m definitely going to seek out more of her books.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews