"Paris Patisseries: History, Shops, Recipes" by Ghislaine Bavoillot & Christian Sarramon

My mouth waters at the image of an elegant eclair, its pate choux puffed up and golden brown, decadently glazed in shiny dark chocolate ganache. Do I dare turn the page? I do!

A vivid two-page spread of madeline cookies takes my breath away as the haunting aroma of butter tickles my nose. A figment of my imagination? I flip back to an earlier page.

A close-up photo of rainbow-hued macaroon cookies in bright raspberry pink, pistachio green, violet purple and almond cream makes me swoon.

Paris Patisseries: History, Shops, Recipes is no ordinary coffee table book. It is unadulterated pastry porn for which an accompanying cup of strong coffee is highly recommended – not to mention a Gauloise after you've shut the book's cover.

It's almost impossible not to admire photographer Christian Sarramon's gorgeous visuals of Paris' finest pastries and desserts. From Angelina, the legendary salon de the on Rue de Rivoli, to the modernistic St. Germain des Prés shop of Pierre Hermé, his photographs capture the unwavering comittment to excellence and culinary artistry found in the City of Light's patisseries. Whether focusing his lens on a tarte de tartin, a Mont-Blanc, raspberry charlottes, a Paris-Brest or chocolate croissants, the results are both reverential and lustful. Pure sin wearing a very chic halo.

Divided into three tempting sections – Cakes from our Childhood, Chocolate Magic and Contemporary Creations – alongside a foreward by Hermé and an afterword featuring recipes and favorite addresses for Parisian patisseries, the book includes plenty of words to go with the pictures. Brimming with culinary history, witty anecdotes and talk of tasty trends, the prose is the perfect pairing to the title's delectable images.

Still, it is hard to focus on reading when a close-up of crisp layers of meringue, light vanilla cream and fresh raspberries beckon. The same challenge presents itself when happening upon an image of Le Gâteau, a masterful cake which alternates pistachio sponge, jellied raspberry and a luxurious gianduja cream.

Even once you've gotten to the recipes and address sections at the back of the book, with nary a snapshot in sight, the artful and appetizing creations that grace the pages of Paris Patisseries: History, Shops, Recipes  continue to call out like a siren.

Recipes, shmessipies!  

Now that you've gotten all the way through this glorious, gluttonous journey of a book, the last thing you want to do is bake. All you can do is grab  Paris Patisseries: History, Shops, Recipes  firmly, rip out the address list, hop on a plane to Charles de Gaulle Airport and head into the city for a divine, never-ending pastry romp.

Just don't forget the strong coffee and a pack of Gauloise.