Rating: 
Summary: Passes the sniff test
Review: As a former denizen of the NIH, I concur with most of the suggestions about how institutions protect the accepted and reflexively reject anything too different. As a former scientist, Turin's arguments made great sense to me and were fully creditable. As a student of Everett M. Rogers Diffusions of Innovations, I can readily believe that Turin falls directly into the Innovator group and will out of hand be rejected by even his closest friends.All of that said, this is an excellent book , well worth reading, not only for the fascinating theory of scent, but also about the lethargy with which the scientific community accepts radically new ideas (or rejects them). For any one who has been at the NIH or a major university this book will remind them of the politics and the pettiness of these great institutions. I loved my 4.5 years at the NIH for the extraordinarily brilliant people there. Nonetheless, I was constantly amazed at the puerile behavior of some of those geniuses.
Rating: 
Summary: New ideas versus old faction
Review: Chandler Burr has written an interesting book in which we learn as much about the author as we do its subject - Luca Turin, Ph.D. Mr. Burr wants desperately to believe that the scientific establishment (and subsequently the Nobel Committee) has ignored the answer to the riddle of olfaction in the form of Turin's theory of smell. Has an out-of -the-box thinker, namely Turin, defied the odds and come up with the perfect description to explain how we sense odors? Doubtful, but that didn't deter Burr because Burr, like our subject Turin, is a dreamer at heart.
Here's my take on this book. First the facts: 1) Our understanding of olfaction is rudimentary at best 2) Perfume makers are a wily bunch who keep their cards close to their chest 3) Luca Turin likes to smell perfumes 4) Luca Turin believes that through his combination of esoteric scientific knowledge and imagination, he understands how we detect odors 5) Burr likes to cheer for the little guy - the underdog - and doesn't let pesky things (like facts) get in his way.
At its core, this book is about Luca Turin's imagination, plain and simple. While this doesn't necessarily translate into the scientific method, it makes for interesting reading. Crammed up in that brain of Turin's lie whimsical perfume descriptions, international corporate espionage and counterintelligence speculations, scientific publication conspiracies, and a lot of chemistry factoids. Unfortunately he ran out of room for scientific hypothesis and meaningful hypothesis testing. That didn't deter Turin (or Burr) from charging headlong into battle against other scientists with other convictions (and some actual data).
We certainly need people questioning dogma - otherwise how does knowledge accumulate. However, just because Turin questions the standard shape=smell dogma, doesn't mean he is correct. If you're looking to unlock the true mechanism behind olfaction, I don't think it's here, but if you want an entertaining read about imagination fueled with ego and where it leads, you'll love The Emperor of Scent.
Rating:
Summary: Wow - fascinating - scathing
Review: Need some basics in chemistry/physics/biology, and helps if you are familiar with major perfume brands, but a GREAT read. Quirky characters. Edge of the seat story. Wanted a Hollywood ending, but then, this is life/art/science/business, and it isn't always what we want it to be. Now I have to rush out to Sephora and smell all the smells!
Rating: 
Summary: "A tale...of jealousy, calcified minds, vested interests."
Review: Telling the story of Luca Turin, a French scientist who, in the mid-1990s, developed a revolutionary new theory about how we smell, Chandler Burr focuses on the evolution of the theory and why it has not led to a Nobel Prize. Turin, a controversial researcher, posited (and believes he proved) that scent is not determined by the body's ability to recognize the shape of molecules, the accepted explanation of smell. Instead, he believes that vibrations of electrons are recognized by a kind of "spectroscope" in our noses--that atoms with the same vibrations have the same smell even when they come from different elements.
Burr details Turin's experiments and his successful (he believes) searches for proof through the late 1990s. But he also describes Turin's unsuccessful attempts to be published in prestigious scientific magazines, his battles royal with other researchers, some of whom have rejected his ideas without reading his papers, and his disappointments with the "Big Boys," the world's seven biggest makers of perfumes, who would benefit directly if Turin were correct. Ultimately, Burr concludes that the scientific community and its attitudes toward Turin reflect their "scientific corruption, corruption in the most mundane and systemic [sense]."
For whatever reasons, Burr is unsuccessful in getting opposing scientists to discuss Turin's vibration theory in relation to their belief in a molecule's shape as a determinant of smell, and he ultimately presents a book that is biased in favor of Turin's work. By the end of the book, Burr has clearly abandoned any sense of impartiality and become a supporter of Turin. He inserts an Author's Note three-quarters of the way into the book to justify his inability to present an alternative viewpoint, concluding that scientific rejection of Turin's theory is the result of "vested self-interest and bad science."
Turin is clearly a difficult man, however, and his attitudes, reflected in humorous and sarcastic comments about other scientists and their ideas, may well have contributed to his lack of acceptance. Though one of his supporters praises him for being the first person to apply quantum mechanics to a physical problem, he also indicates that Turin's biggest flaw is his impatience. (In fact, Turin has already abandoned this work, moving on to a new project studying energy storage in cells.) Fascinating, though complex in its discussions of biology, chemistry, and physics, the book is also fun to read--the story of a maverick who had a great idea which no one takes seriously, at least not yet. Mary Whipple
Rating:
Summary: Science on the Fringe
Review: The Emperor of Scent is a fascinating, fun to read account of a man out on the scientific fringe. Chandler Burr, tells the story of Luco Turin, PhD in biology and a self described "Bio-physicist" who has been practically obsessed with smell all his life. Turin is clearly an expert when it comes to using his nose to decipher the mysteries of perfume. A book he authored on the subject has gained him access to the inner sanctum of the scent industry. In the course of his scientific and non scientific dabbling, Turin becomes interested in the theory of smell. The mainstream theory is that smell is based upon the shapes of molecules. But there are several problems with this theory, and as is sometimes the case, the scientific establishment refuses to deal with these problems rationally as too much is invested in the current theory. Turin resurrects an old theory. That smell is based upon how a molecules vibrate. This theory was considered preposterous in the past because the mechanism to measure this vibration seems too complex to be done biologically. Turin tackles this by proposing a plausible biological mechanism for tunneling electron microscopy or spectroscopy. He even finds some supporting evidence for this mechanism in scientific literature. Next Turin sets out to do some experimentation to provide evidence to support his theory. In physics there are theoreticians and experimentalists, In biology theory and experiment are the realm of the same individual or team. Turin seems to be a better theorist than an experimentalist. As it turns out biologists don't understand math very well. (fear of math may have been a reason for choosing that field) and Turin's theory is full of math. On the other hand physicists don't understand biology. Turin is caught in the middle. And no one wants to take him seriously. The Emperor of Scent spends many pages recounting Turin's attempts to be taken seriously. But he is an outsider who wants to upset the apple cart with a new theory only a multidisciplinary scientist such as he can really understand. He has little supporting evidence and is too impatient to spend years in a lab gathering the evidence he needs to support his theory. Instead he keeps leaping for the brass ring. While Chandler Burr is not very objective in his account he does tell an interesting story. This is not a scientific work, but a work of journalism. Burr's ultimate purpose may be to promote Turin's theory, but he also does a fine expose' of the scientific establishment at its' best. He also does a great job of introducing us to Luco Turin. A man out of the mold of Richard Feynman. Fun loving, entertaining, intense and monomaniacal at times. The Emperor of Scent is interesting on many levels. I learned a lot about smell, smells, and the fragrance industry. I also enjoyed the story of how a ball coming in from left field is handled by the scientific establishment. A very human story.
Rating:
Summary: Science on the Fringe
Review: The Emperor of Scent is a fascinating, fun to read account of a man out on the scientific fringe. Chandler Burr, tells the story of Luco Turin, PhD in biology and a self described "Bio-physicist" who has been practically obsessed with smell all his life. Turin is clearly an expert when it comes to using his nose to decipher the mysteries of perfume. A book he authored on the subject has gained him access to the inner sanctum of the scent industry. In the course of his scientific and non scientific dabbling, Turin becomes interested in the theory of smell. The mainstream theory is that smell is based upon the shapes of molecules. But there are several problems with this theory, and as is sometimes the case, the scientific establishment refuses to deal with these problems rationally as too much is invested in the current theory. Turin resurrects an old theory. That smell is based upon how a molecules vibrate. This theory was considered preposterous in the past because the mechanism to measure this vibration seems too complex to be done biologically. Turin tackles this by proposing a plausible biological mechanism for tunneling electron microscopy or spectroscopy. He even finds some supporting evidence for this mechanism in scientific literature. Next Turin sets out to do some experimentation to provide evidence to support his theory. In physics there are theoreticians and experimentalists, In biology theory and experiment are the realm of the same individual or team. Turin seems to be a better theorist than an experimentalist. As it turns out biologists don't understand math very well. (fear of math may have been a reason for choosing that field) and Turin's theory is full of math. On the other hand physicists don't understand biology. Turin is caught in the middle. And no one wants to take him seriously. The Emperor of Scent spends many pages recounting Turin's attempts to be taken seriously. But he is an outsider who wants to upset the apple cart with a new theory only a multidisciplinary scientist such as he can really understand. He has little supporting evidence and is too impatient to spend years in a lab gathering the evidence he needs to support his theory. Instead he keeps leaping for the brass ring. While Chandler Burr is not very objective in his account he does tell an interesting story. This is not a scientific work, but a work of journalism. Burr's ultimate purpose may be to promote Turin's theory, but he also does a fine expose' of the scientific establishment at its' best. He also does a great job of introducing us to Luco Turin. A man out of the mold of Richard Feynman. Fun loving, entertaining, intense and monomaniacal at times. The Emperor of Scent is interesting on many levels. I learned a lot about smell, smells, and the fragrance industry. I also enjoyed the story of how a ball coming in from left field is handled by the scientific establishment. A very human story.
Rating:
Summary: fast, engrossing read, one-sidedness small flaw
Review: The Emperor of Scent is excellent as much for its smooth readable style as for its fascinating topic. The book follows the story of scientist Luca Turin as he tries to unravel the mystery of the sense smell. Early in his work, Turin decides that the accepted theory, that the shape of the molecules gives them their smell, is completely wrong and that instead it is the vibration of the molecules that gives them their unique scent. The rest of the book details his tilting against establishment science in an attempt to prove his theory.
The science is for the most part clear and easy to follow; Burr does an excellent job of bringing it to the lay-level and the few times where the reader might feel a bit overwhelmed are far-between and mercifully brief. Burr and Turin don't simply investigate the smell sense in the abstract; the science/art of perfumery makes up much of the story, especially early on in the book as Turin writes a perfume guide which eventually gets him into the super-secret perfume labs which in turn leads to his theory. Personally I found these parts interesting to a point but could have done with fewer quotes from his reviews or fewer explanations of perfumes, but they don't really slow the book much and mostly disappear at the halfway point. The same is somewhat true though to a lesser degree with the details of Turin's personal life, most of which seemed extraneous to the story and somewhat perfunctory.
These are minor flaws though. One last one is that the book seems to end a bit abruptly. The major flaw is that Burr's presentation is very one-sided. While this probably helps from a narrative aspect, giving us a "character" to route for, streamlining the book, giving us something to believe in, from a non-fiction viewpoint a more balanced approach would have been better, giving us more reason to trust Turin. While the opposing viewpoint is clearly explained, its proponents are almost unanimously portrayed as near-villains and there is very little detail on specific objections, other than those raised to a single paper Turin published. The whole "debate" therefore happens somewhat in a vacuum which does a bit of a disservice to the work's non-fiction genre.
On the other hand, it is such a good read, it's hard to care too much about the lack of objectivity (Burr does try to explain the one-sidedness away but it comes off a bit weak). As mentioned, it is a fast, smooth read. And it is laugh-out-loud funny in places, warmly humorous in others. And it does exactly what a good non-fiction book should aspire to beyond clearly explaining; it leads the reader into further exploration of the same topic. It's hard to imagine someone finishing this and not wanting to read more on the "7 Big Boys" who manufacture almost all the smells we meet and greet in our daily lives. Or how/why those smells are chosen. Or whether the debate between Shapists/Vibrationists has taken any further turns.
Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A redolent exploration of our most neglected sense
Review: The sense of smell is the most neglected, most protected, of our senses, especially in the developed world. So many of us are so far removed from smell, we ignore, distrust, or fear this sense. Scientists believe that the human sense of smell is every bit as good as that of our best friend, dogs. We just haven't developed it to the degree they have, Luca Turin exempted.
Yet the sense of smell is also the most primitive of the senses, and the most evocative. A particular smell can transport me back to a certain time or place more effectively than a song, or an image. Olfaction is wired to a more primitive part of the brain, which may explain its power and its unconscious influence.
But smell is also our most amazing sense. The resolving power of our sense of smell is orders of magnitude greater than the eye or the ear; in our noses we have the olfactory equivalent of a telescope AND a microscope (a scanning tunneling microscope, to be exact, if Turin is right). We can dectect the minutest difference between two chemicals, and scientists have shown that we can detect the presence of perhaps a SINGLE molecule among trillions of other particles.
And yet, smell is also the least understood of the senses. It has resisted classification and analysis, probably because of our own reluctance and disconnection to it.
That's what I loved about this book. It was an eye-opening (nose-opening?) examination of something I give so little thought to. And the more you think about it, the more you read this book, the more amazed you are that you have this thing, and how it works just blows your mind. It also reintroduced me to the pleasures of this sense that I usually neglect.
I am not a scientist in any of these fields and therefore am not really competent to evaluate, but Turin's theory smells right to me. While the mechanism is exotic, it seems to me quantum mechanics (Vibration) would be easier to do in the nose than what the Shapists propose. Therefore, according to the scientific principles of parsimony and Occam's razor, Turin's theory deserves careful examination if for no other reason.
Sadly, the theme of the tale, as Turin himself understands, is not unique to him. Vested interests and petty jealousy very often impede the process of discovery. Science is still a human endeavor.
This book is:
1) A fascinating tour of scents and how we experience them
2) An scientific discussion of how the sense of smell works
3) A profile of a fascinating person
4) A tragedy about cruel scientific orthodoxy and intellectual martyrdom. The casuality is not so much Turin as the process of discovery itself.
Very highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book on resistance of science to new theories
Review: This book is very engrossing, and I will not repeat the praise many other readers have posted here. Instead, I will respond to some reviewers who criticize Luca Turin's theory based on his not having performed certain kinds of experiments, or criticize the author's failure to go into the science in more detail. To the contrary, the book's main point is very well supported: Turin has developed a coherent theory of smell and has backed it up with enough data that other scientists, instead of simply shouting him down, should instead have conducted any experiments they claim he should have done. The book shows that Turin has done enough to now put the burden on other scientists, who are more established, better-funded, and better equipped with labs etc., to do more than simply claim Turin left gaps, and then sit on their hands. The point is that science should not be about sitting in judgment on whether a particular scientist should be rated high or low; it should be about the development of promising theories regardless of the names attached to them. The book shows that the praise-and-prestige game of modern science impedes scientific progress. Other books that tell the same kind of story of scientific supression motivated by clinging to prestige are "The Rejection of Continental Drift" and "Plate Tectonics," both by Naomi Oreskes. The behavior of the opponents of continental drift (who lost, obviously) is uncannily similar to the behavior of those who oppose Turin's smell theory.
Rating:
Summary: WHAT SCIENCE IS REALLY LIKE!
Review: This in an important book. Using a narrative style reminiscent of C.P. Snow, the author gives his readers an inside view of interdisciplinary science - how new ideas arise and are worked through, and of the curious tribalism of segments of the scientific community, leading to the NIH response (meaning "not invented here").
The subject is how odors are sensed by living organisms and the scientist is Luca Turin, an energetic cosmopolitan polymath with a deep knowledge of perfumery and a doctorate in physiology. Turin has mastered an impressive swath of knowledge from the fields of biology, chemistry and physics and to construct a novel theory of olfactory perception. The conventional explanation of this phenomenon has long been Shape - an odor molecule with a particular size and shape fits into (or not) an appropriately shaped socket on the receptor - but this explanation has several difficulties that have been ignored by the community of olfactory scientists. Turin's explanation is Vibration - the receptors use ``inelastic tunneling spectroscopy" to register the molecular vibrations of incoming molecules, and he has assembled an impressive amount of empirical evidence in support of this view.
That's part of the story and it is told well, but an equally interesting tale is of how badly this idea has been received by those scientists who have been studying olfactory perception for decades and have become wedded to Shape. With Vibration in hand, Turin is outside the tribe, and his attempts to promote the theory are unfairly impeded. As the author doesn't hesitate to name names, this part of the story will be of great interest both to historians of science and to those general readers who wish to know how science really works.
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