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The Sensational Past: How the Enlightenment Changed the Way We Use Our Senses Hardcover – Illustrated, February 7, 2017

by Carolyn Purnell (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 35 ratings
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Sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch―as they were celebrated during the Enlightenment and as they are perceived today.

Blindfolding children from birth? Playing a piano made of live cats? Using tobacco to cure drowning? Wearing “flea”-colored clothes? These actions may seem odd to us, but in the eighteenth century, they made perfect sense.

As often as we use our senses, we rarely stop to think about their place in history. But perception is not dependent on the body alone. Carolyn Purnell persuasively shows that, while our bodies may not change dramatically, the way we think about the senses and put them to use has been rather different over the ages. Journeying through the past three hundred years, Purnell explores how people used their senses in ways that might shock us now. And perhaps more surprisingly, she shows how many of our own ways of life are a legacy of this earlier time.

The Sensational Past focuses on the ways in which small, peculiar, and seemingly unimportant facts open up new ways of thinking about the past. You will explore the sensory worlds of the Enlightenment, learning how people in the past used their senses, understood their bodies, and experienced the rapidly shifting world around them.

In this smart and witty work, Purnell reminds us of the value of daily life and the power of the smallest aspects of existence using culinary history, fashion, medicine, music, and many other aspects of Enlightenment life.

11 illustrations
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  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  4. Publication date
    February 7, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    5.9 x 0.9 x 8.6 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0393249379
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0393249378
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Carolyn Purnell’s insightful survey of the ways Enlightenment thinkers made sense of their world offers exciting new perspectives on how we see, smell, hear, taste, and touch our own. As entertaining as it enlightening, The Sensational Past is a dazzling debut by a talented young historian."
― Peter S. Onuf, author of The Mind of Thomas Jefferson

"No other history of the Enlightenment is quite like this one! Brilliant insights about the past are juxtaposed with wry comments about how we think today. By finding compelling human-interest stories involving real people, Purnell produces a book that is at once entertaining, erudite, and original."
― Gary Kates, professor of history at Pomona College and author of Monsieur d’Eon Is a Woman

"A fine companion to Diane Ackerman's A Natural History of the Senses…[The Sensational Past is a] surprisingly moving…lively and edifying narrative with lessons for today."
― Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"[The Sensational Past] thoroughly yet lightheartedly explores the sensory theories of Europe’s 18th-century intelligentsia and how these ideas influence culture, lived experience, and scientific endeavors…As Purnell enlightens readers on the origin of the word ‘restaurant’ or the medical reasons to ‘blow smoke up one’s ass,’ she reveals the many subtle ways we make sense of our world."
― Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A fun, historical page-turner filled with one awesome vignette after another on the curious social behavior of the day, Purnell’s book will enchant its audience."
― Booklist

About the Author

Carolyn Purnell received her PhD from the University of Chicago. She is a history instructor, an interior design writer, and a lover of bizarre facts.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Illustrated edition (February 7, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393249379
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393249378
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.9 x 0.9 x 8.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 35 ratings

About the author

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Carolyn Purnell

Carolyn Purnell

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Carolyn Purnell is a history instructor, writer, and lover of all things colorful and offbeat. She is the author of Blue Jeans (Bloomsbury, 2023) and The Sensational Past: How the Enlightenment Changed the Way We Use Our Senses (Norton, 2017). Carolyn earned her Ph.D. in history from University of Chicago, and her work has appeared in Psychology Today, Wall Street Journal, CityLab by The Atlantic, Good Housekeeping, and Apartment Therapy.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
35 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

EOD
5.0 out of 5 stars Why Can't We Lick Museum Exhibits Anymore?
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2017
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As a former student of history I was so SO pleased with this book - my concentrations were never in French history or the Enlightenment but now, how I wish they were! Exploring the history and popular thinking on every one of the senses, reading about how people could trust more their sense of touch or smell over eyesight, for example, or how they used to explore their world around them in different ways from now (shopping in the dark! licking exhibits in museums!), has actually changed the way I am absorbing my world today. Do I view color as showy or exotic? Do I prefer a sanitized base on my world, for smells to come through clearly? Do I avoid eating exotic animal meat and prefer my sausages conveniently wrapped in plastic? There might be a reason for that. Look to the The Enlightenment for background. Written with humor and respect for her historian forbears, this is a great read for anyone who loves the senses - who loves fashion, texture, music, food, perfumery, or philosophy. Or simply read it so you can collect excellent quirky facts from history that will make you the most fascinating person at your next cocktail party. You can thank Carolyn Purnell for that.
5 people found this helpful
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MrsRami
5.0 out of 5 stars An academic book that reads for the above - average ...
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2017
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An academic book that reads for the above - average, but non -academic reader. I'm typically not the type to read an academic book and certainly not the foreward to one, but just a few pages in I realized this wasn't your typical academic novel. The author takes the overlooked topic of senses and turns them into something you can't wait to know more about. The historical references are enthralling and surprising. It really made me consider how I'm engaging the world around me with my senses on a daily basis. Definitely worth the read!
3 people found this helpful
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Rachel A
5.0 out of 5 stars A go-to gift for smart friends.
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2017
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Have you ever listened to the public radio podcast "The Dinner Party Download"? It's the one that purports to help you "win your next dinner party" – cocktail recipes based on historical tales, absurd etiquette quandaries, and obscure playlists created by hip celebs – all narrated by savvy, witty hosts. It's kind of my favorite thing, and reading Carolyn Purnell's book was a comparable experience: it educates, entertains, and occasionally shocks with its tales of antiquated beliefs, bizarre creations and how our assumptions have changed over time.
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Clayton
5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging historical literature for non-history buffs
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2018
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I am by no means a history buff or knowledgeable about the period this book was written about; however, Purnell's writing style and approach to a very scholastic topic quickly drew and maintained my interest throughout this book. The Sensational Past reads like an ongoing roll call of highly interesting historical tidbits while thoroughly painting a vivid and captivating image of life during the Enlightenment period. I can't recommend this book highly enough for productive, educational leisure reading.
2 people found this helpful
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MK
3.0 out of 5 stars Witty?
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2018
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It's described as "witty"; I didn't like the tone of unwarranted superiority.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars I’m learning all sorts of funky tidbits about 18th century history – the parts that bring history to life (and make you look sma
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2017
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I’ve just started the book and I’m already engrossed. I’m learning all sorts of funky tidbits about 18th century history – the parts that bring history to life (and make you look smart and interesting when you mention it at a dinner party!) No, really—where else are you going to learn about cat pianos and blind night markets in Paris?!? There are even footnotes to all of these tidbits, in case you want to learn more. Happy reading!
3 people found this helpful
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Bee
5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and entertaining!
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2017
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What a fun, informative read! Ms. Purnell takes us on an entertaining and educational journey into examining our senses. I loved the short vignettes describing parts of history, trends in senses, especially tastes and smell! It really made me think about how I perceive parts of my world. I hope to remember many of these snippets to liven up some dinner party discussion. Grab your favorite beverage (as the author suggests!) and enjoy!
One person found this helpful
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FrenchTurk
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great read. It's geared to the amateur historian and ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2017
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This is a great read. It's geared to the amateur historian and casual reader, but contains lots of valuable historiographical references (always in clear jargon-free language) to the works of top historians in the field. Purnell knows her stuff; this is a great piece of history!
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