The Secret Pulse of Time: Making Sense of Life's Scarcest Commodity [Paperback]

Stefan Klein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 3, 2009

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. A witty, engrossing journey through the science, culture, concept and nature of time, the latest from German science journalist Klein (The Science of Happiness) is a treatise on temporality brimming with insight. Exploring the extensive research on time perception-from Michel Siffre subjecting himself to months alone in a pitch-dark cave to the burrowing behavior of single-celled euglena-Klein amasses hard evidence, amusing anecdotes and unlikely consequences of the enormous disparity between time as we perceive it (inner time) and time as we conceptualize it (i.e, clock time). For example, an investigation into the slippery idea of "the present" indicates that "The Now is an Illusion," synthesized by the mind from disparate, often non-simultaneous sensory elements: "The brain can delay the present by up to a half-second" in order to compensate for the relative speed of, say, sound over sight. Klein's suggestions for slowing down arise seamlessly throughout the book from the biological and physical data (well documented in chapter notes and a thorough bibliography), and the epilogue pares them down to six individual steps. Sure to give readers fresh perspective on their everyday lives, Klein's concepts are well illustrated in copious examples from literature and popular culture, and Frisch's fluid, flawless translation makes his text as captivating as it is enlightening.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"The author of the best-selling Science of Happiness now tackles time, approaching the topic from many angles: physiology of circadian rhythms, psychology of memory and perception of time, and physics of relativistic time. His epilog then moves toward self-help by applying the points made in the book to propose some tips for time management. Despite the breadth with which Klein addresses the subject, there is still depth to his discussions, which are well supported by cited research. There is a substantial body of work on time management and commentary on the increasing speed at which we live, but this title is unique in addressing questions such as how we perceive time and why we often feel we don't have enough of it. Recommended for all general science collections." -- Library Journal

"Time [has] new meaning in this book based on aspects of all the sciences." -- Desert Morning News

"Time is a fundamental component of the mind and the brain. Our experience of the passing of time varies dramatically, and yet precise timing is crucial for communication between nerves in the brain. In this book Stefan Klein presents a most engaging account of the latest research on all these aspects of time. We all want to use our time better. Reading this book would be a good start to this endeavor." -- Chris Frith, author of Making up the Mind

"[Klein's] scientific approach is an important difference between The Secret Pulse of Time and pop psychology books that simply tell one how to think and behave. What we're getting here is good advice validated by cutting edge data and research...Klein's book won't stop time's assault, but it's a good bet that The Secret Pulse of Time will encourage readers to fight back." -- Providence Journal --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books; Reprint edition (February 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738212563
• ISBN-13: 978-0738212562
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #614,028 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating book, January 13, 2008

By 

Atheen M. Wilson "Atheen" (Mpls, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Secret Pulse of Time: Making Sense of Life's Scarcest Commodity (Hardcover)

The Secret Pulse of Time is a very informative and interesting book. It is in part a discussion of what time is and what it isn't, part a discussion of how humans perceive and measure time, and part self help book.

I've read books on the physics and philosophy of time before and certainly found this to be accurate to the extent that I understood the more complex books on the topic. For those who would like an introduction to the "problem" of time, this one is very lucid with respect to what is known about the physics of the phenomenon. It will surely surprise anyone who has not read anything on the topic to learn what is believed by qualified scientists about it. I know it was to me.

Much of what Stefan Klein writes about our personal perception of time, what it is, how it "flows," why it seems to be unidirectional, is very well researched. Certainly his explanation of the various "times" that our body senses seems logical once contemplated. It was very interesting, not to mention unsettling, to read about the experiments into how the body perceives the passage of time even in an unfamiliar environment without direct resort to the sun and its clues regarding it. Taking our biological cues, even down to cellular level and specific brain regions, the author shows the reader just how we know the various times that dictate our behavior. He also reflects on how the concept of it and the degree to which it is narrowly specified has changed as technology and our cultural needs have changed over the millennia. From what he tells us even the need to measure it has evolved considerably since the 15th century and the Age of Exploration.

At times I found the author's concepts of the expansion and contraction of experienced time somewhat confusing. Feeling the need myself to play with it, I found his suggestions at first difficult to put into practice; however after a reflection on my own experiences in the past with "delaying" or "hastening" its passage, I found what he suggested made a good deal of sense. Some of the issues in my own situation will definitely benefit from his self-help section!

A fascinating account.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great content, poorly written, July 15, 2008

By 

John (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Pulse of Time: Making Sense of Life's Scarcest Commodity (Hardcover)

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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice primer on a dense topic, March 17, 2008

By 

Charlie "Librarian" (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Pulse of Time: Making Sense of Life's Scarcest Commodity (Hardcover)

About: A primer on everything you wanted to know about time and how humans use and perceive it.

Some things I thought were cool:

Time flies when we're having fun because we don't pay attention to time cues
Every cell in our body has its own "clock"
City dwellers move, speak and react faster than country folk
Humans are very poor judges of long lengths of time
After 200mg of caffeine, people judge time durations as 50% shorter than usual
Racers start with a shot because we react more quickly to sound than light
Humans are very, very poor at multitasking as our brains are not adept at switching gears
Taught time management techniques normally don't stick for a long time

Pros: Very interesting and makes difficult concepts mostly easy to follow. Highlights include spatial hearing, why folks are night owls or morning people, how time is related to stress, memory and attention.

Cons: Dense. A few topics can get confusing.

Grade: B+