“After reading Birnbaum’s smart, lovely book, readers will be reminded to savor their next meal, each fragrant bite.” (Boston Globe )
“Molly Birnbaum’s fascinating journey, told with charm and compassion, is ultimately a story of triumph. A book for food lovers, sensualists, and all of us in search of our true heart’s desire.” (Kim Sunée, bestselling author of
Trail of Crumbs )
“Powerfully explores the science of smell and its ties to emotion, love and even memory. . . . A truly mouthwatering read.” (BookPage )
“Moving and informative.” (Publishers Weekly )
“A fascinating, illuminating and heartwarming read and a revelation of how aroma is woven, in intricate and complex patterns, through the tapestry of our lives.” (
Frangrance Forum )
“A Summer Hot Read.” (New York Post )
“Molly Birnbaum’s fascinating book takes her--and us--deep inside the mysterious world of scent. Her writing about this unseen force is fresh, smart, and consistently surprising. If this beautifully written book were a smell, it would be a crisp green apple.” (Claire Dederer, bestselling author of
Poser )
“Rich and insightful. . . . A veritable feast for the reader.” (Charlotte Observer )
“Fascinating and vivid. . . . Packed with information and a great read to boot. I was smitten.” (Library Journal )
“A culinary-minded journalist . . . movingly depicts the nearly ineffable plight of the anosmic . . . alongside passages of sweeping journalistic discovery of all things olfactory. A brave, unflagging memoir.” (Kirkus Reviews )
“A wonderful book about life’s unexpected turns, about love and its complexities, and about the ineffably mysterious human brain. I couldn’t stop telling people about it, while I was reading it. It will make you see your nose, your life, and your most important decisions in a whole new way.” (Maile Meloy, bestselling author of
Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It )
“Molly Birnbaum writes with great curiosity and depth, reawakening in us all the sense of taste that we take for granted.” (Amanda Hesser, author of
The Essential New York Times Cookbook )
Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Molly Birnbaum invites her readers to understand how the world is to a person who has lost her sense of smell. Well-written, informative, and mysterious, Season to Taste explores the many ways that our ability to detect odors contributes to our enjoyment of everyday activities. The olfactory sense often is taken for granted. Nearly everyone can smell the odors that surround us. We know that the olfactory sense in dogs and cats is superior to ours, however there is no common olfactory acuity test to determine whether my ability is average, above or below average. I don't know and I don't care if my acuity is as good as or better than yours. If I lose my vision, I become blind; if I lose my auditory ability, then I am deaf. What are you called when you lose your ability to smell? You are called an anosmiac. However, there is a great deal to learn about the human brain by discovering what happens when a person loses her sense of smell.
In Season to Taste, Molly Birnbaum takes the reader on her personal journey as she loses the ability to experience olfactory sensation. Molly Birnbaum loses her olfactory ability due to a blow to the head in an automobile accident. She soon learns that of the more than 2 million Americans who are unable to smell the world, only a very few are able to regain their sense of smell. Worst, there are no medical treatments that offer hope. You lose your sense of smell, then you have to learn to get used to this loss.
Molly is not satisfied with the prognosis. She sets on a path to restore her olfactory sense recognition. Because she cannot smell, she also cannot taste. Food has texture. Just using your tongue food can be sweet, sour, bitter, salty, or spicy hot . . . however with anomsia, all the nuances are gone. Molly no longer enjoys eating. Before her accident, she was scheduled to attend a culinary arts school on the road to becoming a professional chef. Because she cannot smell, she cannot taste; that dream is over. Worse, she soon learns that because of her olfactory losses, she is unable to detect which men might be suitable for her as a lifetime partner. Molly is in her early 20's when the loss occurs, she is afraid she may never know which man is right for her. Our sense of olfaction guides us to life partners who are a good match for our genetic makeup. Without that guide, we are guessing wildly about who would become a good match. Both discoveries are devastating to young Molly.
Typical of her generation, Molly is not satisfied with all the no's she receives from the medical profession. She begins a journey that eventually leads to her regaining nearly all of her lost olfactory ability. She finds a man. She learns how to cook and enjoy eating again. Along the way, she introduces the reader to several interesting characters who help her find her way. One interesting helper is the famous neuroscientist Dr. Oliver Sacks, MD. He is interested in her case and shares with her his own condition; he is nearly blind. Nonetheless, Dr. Sacks offers her connections to people who help her make progress and who give her hope of recovery. She also meets the colorful Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry ice cream. She is surprised to learn that he cannot smell. His role in the ice cream business is to add texture to the creamy mixture. He cannot taste the flavors of the ice cream he helps design, nonetheless his expertise on evaluating texture secures his important role. Have you ever tasted "Chunky Monkey?" That is one of Ben's success stories. Now you understand why the chunks, it adds another texture to the ice cream as it melts in your mouth.
Molly Birnbaum follows the lead of Dr. Oliver Sacks writing a medical history of an individual with an oddly functioning brain. I enjoyed every step of this journey with her to make sense of the loss of olfactory ability. If you enjoyed The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat, Birnbaum's book is in the same tradition, exploring the loss of olfaction.
