Written primarily for chemists as a guide to the molecular basis of odours, Gunther Ohloff’s Scent and Fragrances (Springer-Verlag, £55.50, ISBN 3540 57108 6) incorporates an epigrammatic but highly detailed dossier of natural odorants and their structural relationships. In much more leisurely style, Ohloff (translated by Wilhelm Pickenhagen and Brian Lawrence) also reviews our scientific understanding of olfaction. As a reference work, this translation is inevitably impaired by the five-year gap since the original was published in German.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features

Earth
Huge crater in Australia may be the oldest impact structure on Earth
News

ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
You should turn off fans when it's too hot – but how hot is too hot?
News

Humans
Elite Maya people had teeth placed in a cave far from their tombs
News

Mind
Parenting may permanently improve brain health for mums and dads
Features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Woman with Alzheimer's starts conversing again after taking psilocybin
2
Unapproved gene therapy for boosting longevity is set to go on sale
3
Huge crater in Australia may be the oldest impact structure on Earth
4
How some people's brains make an extraordinary recovery from stroke
5
New-to-science spider builds trap that flings ants into the air
6
How menopause radically changes the brain – and what happens after
7
‘Fusogenic’ neurosurgery let paralysed pigs walk again – are we next?
8
The secrets to keeping your brain sharp in old age
9
Autism may have two distinct subtypes that vary by brain activity
10
The surprising ways your brain changes from your 20s to your 40s