Review of Zucco, G. S., Herz, R. S., and Schaal, B. (eds.). 2012. Olfactory Cognition. From Perception and Memory to Environmental Odors and Neuroscience (Advances in Consciousness Research—AiCR, Volume 85), John Benjamins Publishing Company, Amsterdam Philadelphia

摘要

Olfactory cognition was conceived as a tribute to Prof. Trygg Engen, one of the founders of psychophysics in olfaction, and as such is a gem. Significantly, the readable dedication section at the end of the book starts with the words: "The scientist who made colleagues to grow." The book contains 14 chapters written by leading experts in their respective fields and is thoughtfully organized in four academic sections addressing special topics of Trygg Engen's research interests. To divide research in olfaction into two major paradigms, simplified by the terms "bottom-up" approach (molecular biology, physiology) and "top-down" approach (psychology, psychophysics), Trygg Engen clearly has been an outstanding representative of the latter one. This volume thus contains reviews, written by congenial successors of Trygg Engen, covering exclusively "top-down" approaches in four areas of olfactory research: "perception, psychophysics and odor environment," "learning and memory," "neuropsychology and olfactory dysfunction," and "odor hedonic perception and development."