My book published in 2019, is now available in its 3rd edition! It’s available on Amazon, or here now. The third edition has an expanded appendix with more essays, and a longer list of resources. If you would like shipped internationally, please email catherine@mindmarrow.com with address and PayPal information. The book has landed on all continents I am proud to report! Thank you for supporting independent voices with the purchase of my book.
Overview:
Adventures for your nose in art, anthropology, and science, the book Nose Dive is a broad introduction to olfactory culture meant for artists or anyone curious about the power of scent. Something is in the air with respect to our most powerful and least regarded sense. This book demystifies the world of scent, provides springboards for further study, and presents exercises for shifting gears with your nose. A must-read for anyone intrigued by the superpower right under our noses.
The book is available online at Amazon or to ship overseas you may follow directions in the shop on our site. Any difficulties for overseas shipping and purchase please email catherine@mindmarrow.com It has landed in over 16 countries, and is available at select stores in the US, and is also on the recommended book list at the Institute of Art & Olfaction.
Reviews:
“...Catherine Haley Epstein relentlessly explores the world of scent at the crossroads of various artistic disciplines. Her first self-published book offers a broad, non-academic introduction to olfactory culture, and scent-based creative practices. It opens with a swift summary of scientific, anthropological, historical and cultural facts, embellished with the author’s clear cut views of the perfume industry....” NEZ, The Olfactory Magazine
“…..Everyone who is deep down in perfumery or comes from the outside and is flirting with perfumery, be it commercial or artistic, should read this book. Very understandable language for fundamental considerations. Serious, witty, deep thinking. All the artistic pages and the numerous paragraphs explaining commercial/design/artistic activities are just brilliant. Catherine gives you in passing, some exercises to do to make you think and smell differently. Some small little intricacies of commercial perfumery are not all on point, hard to investigate a hermetic industry and after all…doesn’t matter. Nose Dive is just perfect to make everyone, newcomers to old times, focus on the bigger picture and sniff the talk about Perfumery with a capital P. The vision/sniffing of a fine artist on Perfumery. Bravo bravo. (not a paid ad and you can tell me book took a few dives!)….” - Christophe Laudamiel, Master Perfumer, Artist
“ Different types of books contribute to the field of scent culture: coffee table books, scholarly books, perfume guides and many more. This book is different. It is original in its approach, writing and design….Above all, the Nose Dive is written in a personal and authentic style, intelligently and entertaining.“ - Switzerland-based Scent Culture Institute
“Reading Nose Dive is an absolute must for anyone of us who’s wanted to dive deeper than merely smelling nice by spraying something beautiful, deeper still than having a particular memory connected to smell….Along with theoretical discussions, pondering on her own years of research and development, Epstein also offers some practical exercises for those interested in making their own fragrances, or things to think about, study and enjoy in your own time.” - UK-based Perfume Society
“Required reading: Nose Dive by @mindmarrow - this is a fabulous compedia on olfaction for anyone, especially artists, writers, anyone intellectually curious and of course, fumeheads. Not only is it well-researched, Catherine’s manifesto on scent enlightens those who tend to experience life through their other senses. For any perfumer who has had to explain their work to the uninitiated, this book covers olfaction at large and lifts the lid on the topic of perfume and lets the subject matter breathe a bit more and waft into our imagination and leave a sillage of what is possible. “ - Yosh Han, veteran indie perfumer
Physically lighter and thinner, but ever so elegant and comprehensive is Epstein’s book on olfactory art and philosophy. ….. What makes “Nose Dive” so compelling are the exercises. In fact, the title of the book refers to user engagement: “To “dive right in” is to have agency, and it’s active. It implies being playful, and uninhibited, but with consequence”, the author explains. Epstein: “Scent – besides being material – is all about experience, so I created this diving board that invites readers to research their own olfactory environment”. - Caro Verbeek, Netherlands Olfactory Science Exchange.
From Amazon: 5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, polished and thought-provoking!
“I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully written and truly unique work. Catherine's ability to share her "nose sense" will appeal to a wide variety of people, from those working in scent-related fields (I'm in the wine industry where nose is critical) to others who simply want to gain a better understanding of what is probably our least used and appreciated sense. The reader will gain contextual information regarding the history of and science behind scent, cultural appreciation of this important sense (who knew there was a people who greet each other with the question, "How is your nose?"), as well as artistic applications from the simple such as how to create an invigorating scent to more professional pursuits. I particularly enjoyed her beginning of chapter questions and challenges, and thinking about my preferred smells and associated memories was both a creative and fun exercise. Nose Dive is more of an experience than a book and it challenges you to think differently, both with your brain and nose. In short, I loved it!” - Dixie Huey, culinary communications expert, @NutritionNetwork Advisor, and francophile
*Nose Dive was published a year before the other book of said title. My book and Nose Dive project have no affiliation or collaboration with that book, its authors or collaborators. Please see the following review and comparison of my book to the later published book written by my partner in the Odorbet and published by the Netherlands Olfactory Science Exchange.
