Chandler Burr, the New York Times perfume critic, has written an engrossing tale of two perfumes: Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely by Coty and Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, created by Hermes in-house perfumer, Jean Clause Ellena. The book follows the two fragrances from concept to release, giving readers an engrossing look at the secretive and lucrative—but risky—perfume business.

Make no mistake: while perfume making is an art, it is also a huge, $31 billion international commercial business. Burr, who was given unprecedented journalistic access to both perfume houses gives his readers lots of information about perfume ingredients, synthetic and natural, and celebrity/designer involvement (or lack thereof) in the creation of their scents. He deconstructs various fragrance myths and makes the point that the perfume buying public might be more interested in purchasing perfume if they knew more about the industry. You can make up your mind on that point, but I think this book is simply a must read for anyone who ever fell in love with a perfume and wondered what was behind all the advertising hype.

Available at most bookstores and at Amazon.