Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
Canongate US
Description
"Not so long ago we timed our lives by the movement of the sun. These days our time arrives atomically and insistently, and our lives are propelled by the notion that we will never have enough of the one thing we crave the most. How have we come to be dominated by something so arbitrary? The compelling stories in this book explore our obsessions with time. An Englishman arrives back from Calcutta but refuses to adjust his watch. Beethoven has his symphonic wishes ignored. A moment of war is frozen forever. The timetable arrives by steam train. A woman designs a ten-hour clock and reinvents the calendar. Roger Bannister becomes stuck in the same four minutes forever. A British watchmaker competes with mighty Switzerland. And a prince attempts to stop time in its tracks. Timekeepers is a vivid exploration of the ways we have perceived, contained and saved time over the last 250 years, narrated in Simon Garfield's typically inventive and entertaining style. As managing time becomes one of the greatest challenges we face in our lives, this multi-layered history helps us understand it in a sparkling new light."--Dust jacket flap.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Welsh_eileen2
A very informative and interesting history of time from its beginnings - how each country measured time differently to today's co ordinated way with time.
The anecdotes sprinkled through the book give an added dimension also.
Great read and very highly recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this
The anecdotes sprinkled through the book give an added dimension also.
Great read and very highly recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this
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book by the publisher Cannongate Books via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review. Show Less
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
I really ought to know better by now. I made the fatal error, yet again, of allowing myself to be too gullible, and letting the publisher’s blurbs on the cover of the book sell me the dummy. I had read, and enjoyed, a couple of Simon Armitage’s books before.
Indeed, I had found his ‘The last
Garfield has established a reputation as an accomplished popular historian. He clearly conducts meticulous research and establishes a sound understanding of his subject matter. He does, however, have a tendency to try to be funny, and while he may be good at the history, he is not a comic. Unfortunately, in this book I found I had reached, and passed, my tolerance for his attempts to be laconic.
That is not to say that the book was not interesting. He identifies some fascinating aspects about humans’ boundless preoccupation with measuring time. Along the way he gives the reader some well-crafted insights into the development of the calendar (including some developmental cul-de-sacs that, fortunately, were never brought to lasting fruition, such as the French Revolutionary Calendar). He also explains how it was only the dawn of the railway age that led to the adoption of nationally standardised time, to allow for the preparation of a viable timetable.
Further apostrophes chronicle the development of the vinyl long player (LP), and then, in turn, of the compact disc, flagging up the unexpected consequence that the limitations of the medium had a marked impact on the evolution of the content. Until the introduction of the LP in 1948, records played at 78 revolutions per minute only really allowed for about four and a half minutes per side, severely constricting for any classical pieces.
On balance, however, I found that the tone of the writing inhibited my enjoyment of the book. It still intrigued, and occasionally entertained me, but it struck me most forcibly as a missed opportunity. It could have been so much better than it was.
Indeed, I had found his ‘The last
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Journey of William Huskisson’, simply marvellous. That book successfully combined an account of the life, and tragically premature death, of that great politician (branded by many as the most talented and accomplished Prime Minister Britain never had) with the story of George Stephenson’s construction of the Liverpool-Manchester railway line. Similarly, his ‘On The Map’ gave an entertaining account of the history of cartography, with some diverting thoughts about the future of mapping now that everyone has the world of GPS plotting available to them wherever they venture through the medium of the smartphone. It didn’t quite match up to his book on Huskisson, however, and I should perhaps have spotted some warning signs. Garfield has established a reputation as an accomplished popular historian. He clearly conducts meticulous research and establishes a sound understanding of his subject matter. He does, however, have a tendency to try to be funny, and while he may be good at the history, he is not a comic. Unfortunately, in this book I found I had reached, and passed, my tolerance for his attempts to be laconic.
That is not to say that the book was not interesting. He identifies some fascinating aspects about humans’ boundless preoccupation with measuring time. Along the way he gives the reader some well-crafted insights into the development of the calendar (including some developmental cul-de-sacs that, fortunately, were never brought to lasting fruition, such as the French Revolutionary Calendar). He also explains how it was only the dawn of the railway age that led to the adoption of nationally standardised time, to allow for the preparation of a viable timetable.
Further apostrophes chronicle the development of the vinyl long player (LP), and then, in turn, of the compact disc, flagging up the unexpected consequence that the limitations of the medium had a marked impact on the evolution of the content. Until the introduction of the LP in 1948, records played at 78 revolutions per minute only really allowed for about four and a half minutes per side, severely constricting for any classical pieces.
On balance, however, I found that the tone of the writing inhibited my enjoyment of the book. It still intrigued, and occasionally entertained me, but it struck me most forcibly as a missed opportunity. It could have been so much better than it was.
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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Fascinating, well-written, and very thought-provoking. How time drives us, and we drive time, through discussions of various technologies and events - some obvious (watches), some not so obvious (trains, CDs, movies...). Some of it is historical, some the author's adventures while researching
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(including the event, a bike crash, that triggered the notion of the book). I found the style very enjoyable - light but not fluffy. Some of the origins of words are amazing (I've been telling everyone about the origin of "commuter": someone who "commuted" - that is, shortened - their trip to work by using those newfangled trains). I don't admire watch advertisers nearly as much as he does, but it's interesting to read about, at least - every section is at least mildly interesting, some are simply wonderful. I'll definitely be looking for more by Garfield. Show Less
LibraryThing member SandraBrower
I wanted to read this book because the cover was fantastically intriguing. Like the cover the book itself was fascinating and a good read. I appreciated the fact that the book was not like other books I had read about using my time wisely. It was not a self-help book, it was factual, filled with
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interesting tidbits of history, not advice-driven. It was just great writing. I enjoyed Timekeepers by Simon Garfield. my only critique is that it might have been a little long for the average person, however, I am not the average reader. :) Show Less
LibraryThing member PDCRead
Time is one of those entities that we cannot buy nor store; it just grinds inexorably on; tick, tock; second by second, and once gone can never be had again. And yet we still never have enough of it. In the days before clocks, we timed our lives by the rising and setting of the sun, working and
Drawing together all manner of subjects on the ticking clock he tells us why the CD is the length it is, how to make a watch, how the French messed up the calendar, how the trains changed time everywhere and tries to fathom out time management systems. He gazes at some frighteningly expensive watches in the home of time, Switzerland, and learns about taking your time to eat from the slow food movement.
Garfield has a knack of getting to the very essence of a subject and has written another fascinating book, and this is no exception. Being an engineer, I particularly liked the chapters on the technology used to make a timepiece these days, just the way that they assemble these tiny mechanical marvels is particularly special. The whole book is full of curious facts, amusing anecdotes and subtle observations on the passage of time. Written in his usual entertaining style, is a delight to read as were his other books. Great stuff.
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resting as the light came and went. Even your cheapest wristwatch is incredibly accurate when compared to the timepieces 100 years ago. But in this modern age we now have access to the some of the most accurate and precise measurements of time available; an atomic clock will only lose one second every 15 billion years. Drawing together all manner of subjects on the ticking clock he tells us why the CD is the length it is, how to make a watch, how the French messed up the calendar, how the trains changed time everywhere and tries to fathom out time management systems. He gazes at some frighteningly expensive watches in the home of time, Switzerland, and learns about taking your time to eat from the slow food movement.
Garfield has a knack of getting to the very essence of a subject and has written another fascinating book, and this is no exception. Being an engineer, I particularly liked the chapters on the technology used to make a timepiece these days, just the way that they assemble these tiny mechanical marvels is particularly special. The whole book is full of curious facts, amusing anecdotes and subtle observations on the passage of time. Written in his usual entertaining style, is a delight to read as were his other books. Great stuff.
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LibraryThing member Jared_Runck
And to think it all began with a bike wreck...quite the unusual origin story for a book about time. However, for Garfield, the way in which those very few moments dilated into a perceived eternity became an instant reminder that the concept of "time" is fluid.
I think the work is mistitled: this is
As meditations, each chapter is a stand-alone unit covering a whole range of tangentially time-related topics such as the coming of the railroad, the invention of the metronome, and the origin of the British Museum (among others). If anything, Garfield successfully demonstrates how every conceivable aspect of human existence has a fundamental time-related component.
Garfield's light touch and wit keep the book moving (it feels like a "fast read"); however, I always had the sense that we were "skimming the surface" of a topic worthy of deeper reflection. Yet I couldn't imagine reading with enjoyment a book that delved into the philosophical (yea verily, theological) aspects of humanity's relation to the reality of time (i.e., a book that really delved into the "how" of our time obsession). That was largely (and ironically) so because I didn't have the time.
Was it enjoyable? Yes. Was it worthwhile? Yes, but more for the questions it raised than the answers it gave. Better, I think the answers to those questions necessarily lie outside a cultural history that links the pursuit of the "4 minute mile" to the development of the Swatch.
Perhaps the key to my dissatisfaction here is found in Garfield's choice to conclude the final chapter with a quote from Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot": "Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light," this "mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam."
While I'm all for greater humility, I couldn't help but think, as I read, of how different the Genesis creation story puts it. In that ancient Hebrew cosmology, humans ARE incredibly important and occupy the MOST privileged place in the Universe...co-regents and co-rulers of the Creator. If we follow Sagan (and Garfield), it's really difficult to gin up anything in the way of true self-worth or larger purpose ("mote of dust"???).
That's probably the missing piece for me: Garfield treats time as if it's eternal (philosophically speaking, that might very well be a confusion of categories) and humans as if they are innately temporal. In reality (at least, the way the Bible describes it), it's the other way around: humans are eternal entities existing in a time-bound reality. (Is there a better explanation for why our relationship with time is so fraught? Why are dreams and plans and ambitions always seem to outrun the clock?)
But it wouldn't be right to say I'm disappointed because Garfield "missed" this. In fact, I don't think I've ever formulated the distinction between a "secular" and a "religious" worldview in quite that way. And I couldn't have done so without taking the time to ponder with Garfield the wondrous reality of time.
I think the work is mistitled: this is
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not a book about "how" the world became obsessed with time...in fact, it works on the principle that time obsession is part of the fabric of human reality (in different ways and to different degrees, of course). Instead, it reads more like a series of meditations on the nature and expression of a time-obsession that is somehow innate to human nature. As meditations, each chapter is a stand-alone unit covering a whole range of tangentially time-related topics such as the coming of the railroad, the invention of the metronome, and the origin of the British Museum (among others). If anything, Garfield successfully demonstrates how every conceivable aspect of human existence has a fundamental time-related component.
Garfield's light touch and wit keep the book moving (it feels like a "fast read"); however, I always had the sense that we were "skimming the surface" of a topic worthy of deeper reflection. Yet I couldn't imagine reading with enjoyment a book that delved into the philosophical (yea verily, theological) aspects of humanity's relation to the reality of time (i.e., a book that really delved into the "how" of our time obsession). That was largely (and ironically) so because I didn't have the time.
Was it enjoyable? Yes. Was it worthwhile? Yes, but more for the questions it raised than the answers it gave. Better, I think the answers to those questions necessarily lie outside a cultural history that links the pursuit of the "4 minute mile" to the development of the Swatch.
Perhaps the key to my dissatisfaction here is found in Garfield's choice to conclude the final chapter with a quote from Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot": "Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light," this "mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam."
While I'm all for greater humility, I couldn't help but think, as I read, of how different the Genesis creation story puts it. In that ancient Hebrew cosmology, humans ARE incredibly important and occupy the MOST privileged place in the Universe...co-regents and co-rulers of the Creator. If we follow Sagan (and Garfield), it's really difficult to gin up anything in the way of true self-worth or larger purpose ("mote of dust"???).
That's probably the missing piece for me: Garfield treats time as if it's eternal (philosophically speaking, that might very well be a confusion of categories) and humans as if they are innately temporal. In reality (at least, the way the Bible describes it), it's the other way around: humans are eternal entities existing in a time-bound reality. (Is there a better explanation for why our relationship with time is so fraught? Why are dreams and plans and ambitions always seem to outrun the clock?)
But it wouldn't be right to say I'm disappointed because Garfield "missed" this. In fact, I don't think I've ever formulated the distinction between a "secular" and a "religious" worldview in quite that way. And I couldn't have done so without taking the time to ponder with Garfield the wondrous reality of time.
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Original publication date
2016
DDC/MDS
| 153.753 |