Today,
I’m going to write about books. It goes without saying that I love them. I
could (and have) read for days because it’s easy to lose myself in another
world.
It
turns out there are scientific reasons I love books too.
You
know that great smell an old book has? It’s caused primarily by lignin, a compound
in the wood used to make paper. Lignin is similar in composition to vanillin,
so as the lignin breaks down over time, it releases a vanilla scent. The paper
is often treated with various chemicals as well, which, as they age, can add
notes of camphor, wood, mushroom, and almond.
Happy
reading!
Off to check on your article link...but just wanted to say that I do lose myself in a book, all the time. (I lose myself writing them too!)
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think losing myself during the writing is better than during the reading. When you get into that flow and the book almost seems to write itself... heaven!
DeleteExcellent post! And the article made my inner geek squee.
ReplyDelete(I managed not to squee on the outside, but I did HUH! several times. That is a less alarming sound than random computer-aimed squeeing.)
You're too funny! :) My inner geek did a happy dance when I saw this recent neuroscience article too. Really amazing research!
DeleteI love books, too, whether in paper or digital form. The words are the good part. I can't understand the people who don't read. They are missing so much!
ReplyDeleteI agree! Even when a good story is made into a movie, I almost always prefer the book. There's so much more to a book that a movie could never touch.
DeleteAnd I prefer the scent of pages to popcorn any day!
I once heard that the smell of books was caused by the mould that grew on the paper - your explanation is so much nicer. But either way, I still love that smell!
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right - mold does add to the scent of old books too, if they were kept in a moist environment! Who'd have thought mold could add to such a pleasant smell?
DeleteGreat post, Jen! I'm more of a fan of electronic books, but sometimes it's good to just hold a paper book in your hand and just let go into the world of your imagination. :)
ReplyDeleteThere's definitely a place for both paper and ebooks! I love being able to carry hundreds of books around in my Kindle!
DeleteHello. I love them too! The world wouldn't be the same without them. :)
ReplyDeletePleased to meet you on this a-z challenge. Have a good week!
Ever wonder what you'd do with all those hours you spend reading if you just weren't a bibliophile? I can't even imagine...! (Nor do I want to.)
DeleteThanks for dropping in!
Fascinating stuff. I had no idea what caused old books to smell as delicious as they do. Lignin. Even the word is pleasing. Thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteMmmm... it makes me want to go visit a used book store!
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