Fragrant Attraction

Did you know, the Kama Sutra, the fifth-century Hindu sex manual, written by men, praises the scent of women and proclaims that the beauty of a woman is not determined by how she looks, but rather how she smells. Many cultures have recognized the special relationship between smell, affection, and sexuality. In India the word for “kiss” means smell, and the Inuit typically rub their noses together rather than engaging in mouth-to-mouth kissing. Forget fatal attraction; smell is the most important characteristic for a woman choosing a romantic partner, according to the new book by Rachel Herz, an expert on the psychology of smell. In her book, The Scent of Desire: Discovering our enigmatic sense of smell, Herz looks at the role of scent in sexual attraction, based on years of research. Read more here.