Diane Ackerman

Diane Ackerman (born 1948) is an American poet, essayist, and naturalist. She is widely known for her lyrical, science-infused nonfiction that explores the natural world and human perception. Ackerman gained broad recognition with *A Natural History of the Senses*, a bestselling work that examines how sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing shape experience. She later reached an even wider audience with *The Zookeeper’s Wife*, a narrative of wartime courage centered on the Warsaw Zoo during World War II. Across genres, her writing blends curiosity, vivid imagery, and accessible scientific insight.