World Famous Comics: The Secret Pulse of Time: Making Sense of Life's Scarcest Commodity
The Secret Pulse of Time: Making Sense of Life's Scarcest Commodity
By: Stefan Klein Publisher: Da Capo Press Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: Da Capo Press Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 368 Publication Date: November 15, 2007
Popular science at its very best, The Secret Pulse of Time awakens us to and empowers us with the idea that time is far more at our disposal than we have previously realized. Award-winning journalist Stefan Klein— whose previous book, The Science of Happiness, is a longtime international bestseller—here provides what are essentially “operating instructions” for time. Through a combination of original investigation and reportage, personal revelation, and a commanding presentation of scientific research (among disciplines including brain physiology, social psychology, philosophy, and Einsteinian physics), The Secret Pulse of Time teaches readers not only to better master time but also to understand why they so often fail to do so.
Not as Good as The Science of Happiness I read Stefan's other book, The Science of Happiness, and greatly enjoyed it. I thought that book was a great retelling of scientific research in a readable, popular science form.
I did not enjoy The Secret Pulse of Time nearly as much. I found the structure of it to be confusing and disorganized. For instance, finishing the book on a very basic overview of new scientific theories did not fit in with the rest of the book, which was about time perception. Also, Stefan threw in a few poorly-thought criticisms of video games and other cultural advances that struck me as completely lacking in insight, and insulting.
The core of the book is a reasonable overview of the psychology of time, but much of the book i found to be a waste of time.
How do humans perceive time? Klein explores the question of how we experience time throughout our lives, touching upon how we make and evolve our memories, how our bodies are regulated by millions of biological clocks, how our thoughts and our level of perceptiveness affect the way that time flows for us, and what time really is from a physics standpoint. His book is an enjoyable, well organized pop-sci read filled with tons of fascinating anecdotes.
Providing advice on how we can better make use of time is only one of Klein's secondary aims, so in that respect the book jacket is misleading. The few glaring editing oversights don't really interrupt the flow - the translator has done a fine job.
Keep Reading: It May Grow On You TIME is a neuropsychological book written by a reporter. Thus, despite the intriguing topic, it can be wordy and lacking in depth at times.
I started TIME, grew tired of the style, put it aside... then found myself thinking about various issues raised in the book. After telling several friends "not to bother" reading TIME, I found myself reading it, drawn in by the subject matter.
So the book grew on me.
More, I'm not aware of other neuropsychological books that address this topic head-on. Our brains have co-opted movement modules to tackle "time." Wow. Now there's a thought to chew on. Time -- for me at least -- certainly does seem longer and richer when I hike or spend 6 hours cycling a century than when I surf the web.
Drawn in my "time" and the psychology of time? You could do a lot worse than TIME. And if you know there may be "style issues" upfront, perhaps they won't trouble you.
Dr. Kirtland Peterson
Great content, poorly written I'm closing in on finishing this book, and I have to say that its got it's pros and cons. Many of the pros have already been mentioned here. My personal opinion is that the material is very interesting, and that it can be applied to your life as you read it, which makes the pages turn quickly.
On the downside, this is one of the most poorly edited books I've ever read. Grammatical errors are everywhere, including spelling, punctuation, and tense. I suppose this is more a complaint towards the editors, but it made for some very distracting reads. Some of the authors examples, in addition, felt trivial or poorly thought out. An example: "No matter what lies behind us, we throw a big party when we reach the age of fifty. After another ten or fifteen years at the most, we retire, even if our health would easily allow us to remain on the job." It's nit picky, I know, but the "at most" type writing is everywhere. Generalizations stated as facts left and right.
Now that my rant is over, I want to again stress the fact that the topics covered are very interesting, and that the author covers them in ways that make them understandable. I recommend reading it for anyone interested in the subject of time, but don't go in expecting to read top-notch writing.
To hear the sound of one's own drummer This book is rich in information on the way human beings experience Time. There is a repetition of much well- known and common-sensical material( When you enjoy it flies, when you are in anxious waiting- it stands still) But there is a buttressing of such information with interesting anecdotal and experimental evidence. I especially enjoyed the small section in which Klein talks about 'flow' the concept popularized by Mikhaly Csikszentmihalyi. This refers to the focused, concentrated state- of- mind in which tasks have the exact right level of difficulty- neither too easy or too hard. In this situation mind and perception are we feel in our control and our complete attention in the present means past and future do not disturb us. This state of mind comes when we are engaged in a certain activity. Klein also explains why the rich despite their ability to delegate all kinds of life tasks to helpers of various kinds feel more pressed for time than most others. The answer is that they have many more options. They are more in Toffler's Future Shock pressured all the time by the many good things than they can give their time to and get. In his concluding section Klein mentions six areas in which it might be possible for us to improve our lives in relation to 'time'. These involve in some way moving away from the tyranny of the clock and imposing both at the personal and global level better ways of integrating our own circadian rhythms and mechanisms of human perception of thought. He speaks about the importance of reducing stress, of living in harmony with our own body rhythms, achieving balance and relaxation, having a more conscious perception of the present, actively shaping available time and not simply being passive victims of circumstance. All these involve using our freedom to use our time more wisely.Efforts of concentration, of honing our powers of perception, of learning to truly take time out and relax, In arguing for a new culture of time Klein says we cannot escape the clock and calendar but need not be obsessed with them. In effect he tells us to follow the advice of Thoreau and 'walk to the sound of our own drummer' to find the personal rhythm of our life which is right for us.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
