THE PERFECT SCENT A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris and New York

The "scent critic" for the NEW YORK TIMES takes the mystery out of the usually shrouded perfume business. Going behind the scenes at major distributors like Coty, Hermès, and Chanel, he describes the gambles taken in launching new products and the activities that go into creating them. Some of the material translates well to audio, aided by the smooth voice of Mel Foster and his spot-on pronunciation of the many French names and phrases. However, chemical formulae and market share lists are numbing, no matter how clearly read. Burr can be devastating in his dismissal of scents he doesn't like, and it would be entertaining if Foster picked up on his peevishness. While not sensational, this is an informative exposé of a competitive international industry. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]