Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses

Under the aegis of the Goddess of Love, Isabel Allende uses her storytelling skills brilliantly to evoke the delights of food and sex.

After considerable research and study, she has become an authority on aphrodisiacs, which include everything from food and drink to stories and, of course, love.

Readers will find recipes from Allende's mother, poems, stories from ancient and foreign literatures, paintings and personal anecdotes.

There are fascinating tidbits on the sensual art of food and its effects on amorous performance, tips on how to attract your mate and revive flagging virility, passages on the effect of smell on libido, a history of alcoholic beverages and much more.