About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks

It makes you think differently about time. Fascinating to think how we are ruled by time and the connection to it. Well worth the read.

This unusual book is part a collection of the thoughts and journeys of a clock-lover and historian, and part retelling of certain events in history, told with a focus on clocks and time keeping. The book has twelve main chapters, and about 226 pages in the digital version, not including the Notes sections.Each chapter uses a specific clock as the centerpiece for a discussion about the civilizations surrounding them. From to ancient Rome to 1970s Japan, Rooney discusses how the clocks changed the lives of the people, and how they were sometimes used to control certain aspects of society. The chapters in the book are structured in chronological order, although the author jumps around a bit throughout each chapter.I learned quite a bit from this book, as it has a great deal of historical information. Some of the chapters focus on periods of time that are not often written about, and there were interesting perspectives about the effects of introducing clocks that I hadn't considered before. I did feel like a few sections wandered off into territory that was probably only of interest to fellow clock-lovers, but overall this was a unique and interesting history book.

Presenta una análisis muy original de los movimientos de izquierda costarricenses.

The author’s concept is a good one, but he fails to develop it to a level beyond what seems to be general musings about time, to the point where I question what level of expertise he even has with both horology and history. The Hands of Time by Rebecca Struthers blows this out of the water and is what this book could have and should have been.

This isn't just about time, it's about politics, power, religion, art, and human civilization itself. If that sounds like A LOT... it is! But the author David Rooney puts it all together in a captivating way. The research is world-class, and the writing is fast-paced, informative and entertaining. Highly recommended!