This author’s diary (in French), written over a period of a year, describes his peregrinations between the offices of Hèrmes in Paris to the Nile, where he is inspired by a green mango. It gives a sense of what it really is like working in the perfume industry as a perfumer. One of the most fascinating parts of the book, near the end, are formulas for fruits, flowers and other substances that require no more than four ingredients and usually fewer. The writing is charming.