Anyone who is in the habit of reading a book can tell how much he likes the different smell in the middle of an old book. This scent is so popular among the students that now perfumes have been made to match the scent of old books. But the question is , where does this smell of old books come from ? Individuals interpret this odor individually. To some, it just smells like old paper. For some, this smell brings old memories. But what does science say ? There are hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) behind this fragrance . Book paper , ink , glue are all contained in these volatile substances. Over time, these chemicals break down and the odor spreads in the air. But there is a kind of smell in the middle of the new book. After buying the book, you can see by dipping your nose in its pages. But there is a big difference with the smell of the old book. If you make a book using different types of VOC , the smell will be different. If benzaldehyde is used in making books , its aroma will be much like that of almonds , vanillin will be like vanilla. The sweet scent comes from toluene and ethyl benzene , and the floral fragrance comes from 2-ethyl hexanol. Not only that , if the book is ever wet in the rain , in the smoke of the fire or in the middle of it dried flowers and herbs , then the smell will be completely different. Not only sound education but his alertness and dedication too are most required . The smell indicates that there is a fear that the old book will perish quickly. One study found that there are 15 VOCs that can cause books to spoil very quickly.