The perfumier and the stinkhorn Hardcover - 2011

London : Profile , 2011. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine cloth copy in an equally fine dust wrapper. Particularly and surprisingly well-preserved; tight, bright, clean and especially sharp-cornered. Physical description; 110 p. : ill. ; 19 cm. Contents; 1. The greenhouse and the field -- 2. The lichen and the lens -- 3. The crab apple and the grafting knife -- 4. The perfumier and the stinkhorn -- 5. The nightingale and the sonogram -- 6. The map and the world. Summary; In these elegant, short essays, revered nature writer Richard Mabey attempts to marry a romantic's view of the natural world with that of the meticulous observations of the scientist. By Romanticism he refers to the view that nature isn't a machine to be dissected, but a community of which we, the observers, are inextricably part. In these elegant, short essays, revered nature writer Richard Mabey attempts to marry a Romantic's view of the natural world with that of the meticulous observations of the scientist. By Romanticism, he refers to the view that nature isn't a machine to be dissected, but a community of which we, the observers, are inextricably part. And that our feelings about that community are a perfectly proper subject for reflection, because they shape our relationship with it. Scientists eshew such a subjective response, wanting to witness the natural world exactly, whatever feelings subsequently follow. Our feelings are an extension of our senses - sight, taste, smell, touch and sound - and here, in a sextet of inspiring meditations, Mabey explores each sensory response in what it means to interact with nature. From birdsong to poetry, from Petri-dish to microscope, this is a joyful union of meandering thoughts and intimate memories. Subjects; Philosophy of nature. Human-plant relationships. Human-animal relationships. Popular Science. Natural history, country life & pets. Nature / General. Genre; Illustrated.