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 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. ( )

I enjoyed the concept of this book, though the execution at times felt a little distracting.
Time affects every human on the planet, but the ways in which it does so have changed over the centuries. Keeping time to the minute? It's a relatively recent innovation. The invention of trains and time tables had a lot to do with it. That discussion I found fascinating, as well as contemporary descriptions of how people felt about the hurrying up of their lives after trains became mainstream. I also enjoyed the segments on watchmaking.
Had the book stayed in the vein in which it started--the changing view of time relative to human activity, and the technological innovations that keep altering that--I would have stayed focused and on board. But some chapters wandered quite a bit and brought in lengthy extraneous information and stories that failed to keep my attention.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy to review. ( )

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 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. ( )

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 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. :) ( )

Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

This book is one man’s fixation on time through the ages, something that neither diminishes his interesting stories and bits of time-related histories, nor prevents the discovery of fascinating notes begging to be shared. I also appreciate how the impact on different classes of people is not neglected though this is lost in the thought of time as the great equalizer. It fails to recognize how the wealthy do buy extra time by outsourcing routine tasks to others, who still have to do their own tasks as well.

Whether it’s the planned community of Poundbury that turns back time or a 24-hour movie formed of clips such that any clock on screen is matched to the movie run time, if it has to do with our relationship to time, Timekeepers has a word or two about the topic. The precision placement of watch gears moves to the precise timing of an automobile assembly line and on to the obsession with time management. Nor is perception neglected as the author explores the extended minute that occurs in an accident or at the last stretch of a race.

Did you know every village or town in England used to have its own time zone? They set the time by their clock tower, regardless of the times set for their neighbors. Train schedules brought this tradition to a halt though acceptance came grudgingly and took a while. The trains ran on railway time rather than addressing the local time because too far a variance in the drivers’ watches could result in collisions.

Timekeepers is the perfect blend of interesting tidbits and an overarching theme. It has come up in numerous conversations since I started reading the book, and another reviewer recommended it for the same reason. Garfield’s intent is to demonstrate how time has become a key element, and sometimes the only element, by which we organize our lives and judge our worth, along with why this is problematic.

Ultimately, the book is a sometimes-chaotic exploration of the relationship between time and humanity. It contains many fascinating anecdotes, interviews, and portrayals of key people in the narrative, covering everything from watch mechanics to the imposition of false and stressful urgency with a touch on pretty much in between.

Timekeepers is the kind of book to prompt discussion and the urge to share some factoid the reader just learned. I don’t remember my expectation in starting the book beyond my own fascination with geared watches, but I’m pretty sure it had little in common with the reality, a fact I do not regret.

Whether you’re obsessed with time or merely governed by it, Timekeepers is likely to expand your understanding while offering a fair amount of entertainment along the way.

P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review. ( )