melpomenestears's review against another edition
4.0
Tell me why the acknowledgments of this book made me emotional.
A fantastic introduction to the science and theories behind time, with amazingly well thought out examples and diagrams. Truly was a pleasure to read!
A fantastic introduction to the science and theories behind time, with amazingly well thought out examples and diagrams. Truly was a pleasure to read!
reelbigfish0123's review against another edition
4.0
The parts that got really in the weeds with the neuroscience were rough on me, but otherwise, there is a lot of really enjoyable stuff in here.
zosiablue's review against another edition
5.0
I had a fucking spiritual experience reading this book. It’s SO GOOD. You know those teachers who know their shit & are so passionate that they make you love the topic, too? That’s this book. It is very science and math heavy and not what I would call a popular science book, but I like my non-fiction like this. Understanding how my brain perceives time soothed me more than anything else has in a long while. I can’t explain it, really, but the concepts changed my life. Goddamn!
ropalimpia's review against another edition
It's a very dry read. I know it's a science book, but I prefer a more engaging voice when discussing scientific concepts.
joyfulme's review against another edition
4.0
I chanced on this book in my local library and found a fun read for my highschoolers- a lively layman’s tour of the intersectionality of neural, comparative, developmental, and behavioral psychology; with physics (including laws of thermodynamics and time/space theories); astronomy; the history of timekeeping technology; atmospheric presence of radioactive carbon… kind of like the meeting of Einstein and Piaget (of which there is a brief account.) I love how this will appeal to multiple disciplines that my kids love, growing their understanding without boring them.
Possible parental concerns: The effects of drugs (TSH in particular) on perception of time, and a singular mention of Darwinian theory (plus a passing suggestion of theafterlife being an invention to cope with death). No language or sexuality.
Possible parental concerns: The effects of drugs (TSH in particular) on perception of time, and a singular mention of Darwinian theory (plus a passing suggestion of theafterlife being an invention to cope with death). No language or sexuality.
elizabethbest's review against another edition
5.0
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway competition (advance reading copy). I really enjoyed reading this book; it has been very thought-provoking. The various theories are laid out clearly and objectively and it found them all very interesting. They have all been researched thoroughly, and widely. It certainly made me question 'time'. I would recommend this to anyone who likes reading to learn.
lbrex's review against another edition
5.0
Dean Buonomano is a neurobiology professor at UCLA and he's published an interesting exploration of physics, neuroscience, and the overlap between the two. I found this very readable and interesting, mostly for its insights into the brain, though Buonomano is also good at boiling down complex physics concepts to make them understandable. For the most part, the book is about how humans are able to experience "mental time travel," i.e. the ability to remember a specific experience in the past and provide it with a timestamp of sorts, and, similarly, to anticipate what we might be doing in the future. I'm not sure that the term "mental time travel" is the best term for what he's discussing, but the book is insightful nonetheless. Ultimately, the book argues convincingly for how consciousness and our conscious sense of the present are largely coherent fictions engineered by the unconscious brain, though they are often approximate and delayed in their renderings of the outside world. If you're a fan of physics or neuroscience, I think you'll find this an interesting read.