The olfactory experience of truffles can stick with you. One intoxicating whiff might ignite an insatiable fascination with, and pining for, the fragrant fungi that knows no bounds. Coiled up in the smell of this culinary gem, journalist Rowan Jacobsen says, is an emotion akin to love—an experience that you can’t stop thinking about, and that makes you stupid and invigorated at the same time. In his new book Truffle Hound: On the Trail of the World’s Most Seductive Scent, with Dreamers, Schemers, and Some Extraordinary Dogs (Bloomsbury), out next week, he investigates why these strong-smelling nuggets appeal to the many noses they might encounter before they’re gobbled up.