I think of the senses as being part of the great panorama of consciousness. Sometimes babies are given an article of clothing belonging to their parent to comfort them if they are going into surgery. When a woman breaks up with a man or their spouse dies, it is typical for her to go into the closet and take a shirt of his and press it to her face. It helps keep the memory alive of our loved ones. Also, blindfolded people can smell the difference between roses by its smell.
Men seem to like cinnamon spice and pumpkin pie types of smells more than others.
Maybe this is because this is the way people are socialized. I've never met a woman that didn't like the smell of vanilla. It sounds like you have an interesting profession. How wonderful it is to be surrounded by different smells. I don't have one book that comes to mind now.