Story of Time [Hardcover]

Kristen Lippincott (Author), Umberto Eco (Author), E. H. Gombrich (Author), National Maritime Museum (Compiler)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003

Multi-disciplinary and cross-cultural, The Story of Time is published to mark the millennium and examine the very quality that gives the millennium its meaning.'

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Just in time for the new millennium comes this enormous, amply illustrated compilation of 23 essays on aspects of time from experts in various disciplines, among them history and historiography, music, geology, literary criticism, anthropology, religion and the history of engineering. The venerated art historian E.H. Gombrich contributes a compact "History of Anniversaries," from the so-called "jubilee" of the Hebrew Bible through a famous 1769 "Shakespeare Jubilee" and on to our present glut of commemorations. John MacDonald's intriguing "Inuit Time" explains how traditional cultures of the North American Arctic taught their children to wake up early in the morning, and how newly Christian tribal communities (who had to know which day was the Sabbath) grappled with the alien concept of weeks. Lorne Campbell describes some temporal problems of portraiture, as when a slow-working painter finds that her subject's appearance has changed over multiple sittings. Jonathan Betts outlines "The Growth of Modern Timekeeping: From Pendulums to Atoms." And Umberto Eco zips from St. Augustine to the modern philosophy of language to the Millennium Bug in a typically provocative foreword. Three hundred color pictures and photos, many with long explanatory blurbs, portray such time-related items as Renaissance sundials and klepsydras (water-clocks), the Hindu god Vishnu (creator and destroyer of world and time) and a bizarre French clock from 1795, which indicated not only 60-minute hours and 24-hour days, but also the short-lived revolutionary system of decimal time, whose 10 hours a day had 100 minutes each. The entire enjoyable and visually impressive volume is timed to coincide with an exhibit at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, where the year 2000 will officially begin. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Prepared in conjunction with an international exhibition sponsored by the Royal Observatory at Greenwich and the National Maritime Museum, this handsome and informative volume is filled with dozens of enticing perspectives on the subject of time--certainly an appropriate topic at a time of millennial madness. Essays by Eco, John MacDonald, Anthony Aveni, Ken Arnold, E.H. Gombrich, and others are organized into categories that focus on the creation, measurement, depiction, experience, and end of time. Within each section, there is much to learn about the impact of time on almost every aspect of existence--from calendars and timepieces, to major civilizations and their rituals, to art, music, science, and prophecy. In addition to many perspectives on our relationship to time, there is also a rich education in history, philosophy, and world culture here. The captions that accompany the many superb color photos and art reproductions are particularly informative. Essential for academic and humanities collections.
-Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Merrell Publishers (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1858940729
• ISBN-13: 978-1858940724
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #163,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Italian
  • #33 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Physics > Time

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An illustrated Encyclopedia of Time, May 29, 2001

By 

Walter O. Koenig "Amoxtli" (San Diego, California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Story of Time (Hardcover)

This beautifully designed and printed book was actually the catalogue of the exhibition "The Story of Time" which was hosted by the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. Already from the introductions of the directors of these institutions, as well as a Preface Essay entitled "Times" by Umberto Eco, the reader will be aware of the high standard of this publication. It is an attempt to depict the human experience with time in all its forms.

The catalogue is divided into five main sections: 1.) "The Creation of Time": A brief survey of early concepts of time in different cultures, for example, Biblical, Hindu, Native American, and Maori. 2.) "The Measurement of Time": The different modes of measuring time beginning with early calendars in different cultures, progressing to early european mechanical clocks, and culminating with chronometers and radio controlled clocks. 3.) "The Depiction of Time": In Painting, Sculpture, Calligraphy and Allegory. From Breughel to Chinese Sculpture this chapter shows the obsession of depicting time in art and in symbolizing it. 4.) "The Experience of Time": Here other ways of experiencing time are discussed, in music, historical time, human time and time in culture. 5.) "The End of Time": A brief chapter in which different conceptions are shown how it would be possible for time to end (and when) and different historical and contemporary depictions are shown.

Sections 2.) and 3.) are by far the largest, which is obvious from their subject matter, and the fact that this is an exhibition catalogue. Interspersed in all five sections are interesting essays on different aspects of time and its influence and pre-occupation on human beings, by well known scholars such as E.H. Gombrich. These range from "Inuit Time" to "Time in the History of Medecine". Most fascinating are the hundreds of excellent illustrations, mostly of time keeping devices and time in art representing many cultures and time periods. The book is handsomely bound, well printed and presented and the illustrations are clear. This book is encyclopedic in its scope and is fascinating to read. It is reasonably priced and highly recommended.

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Beautiful Volume, December 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Story of Time (Hardcover)

A varied and comprehensive tome on time and what it does to us. The illustrations are organized in such a way that one feels as if one is swimming in a treasure chest of global artifacts. I ADORE IT!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating content and art, a big overwhelming!, October 4, 2005

By 

Suzanne Amara (MA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Story of Time (Hardcover)

I wish I had more time to read and read this book! It is huge, and contains a giant mish-mash of material---many, many pieces of artwork with a connection to time, many essays about the role of time in various cultures, lots of photos of timepieces through the ages---even all sorts of words from many languages for days of the weeks and months, running along the page bottoms! I read the book not being aware it was really a catalog for an exhibition, and knowing that now, it makes more sense, as I did start to wonder when reading it why there was such a huge emphasis on physical objects representing or measuring time. Time itself is such an abstract concept that it seemed odd to represent it so visually, but it's very interesting, and some of the artwork was amazing. I most loved looking at a series of pictures of one couple in front of their Christmas tree taken over 45 years---seeing how they aged was really compelling. I do think I would have liked a little more of an organized feel to this book. It seemed like I was walking randomly around a museum---not a bad feeling, but a little overwhelming! I'd also have liked a little more about the scientific side of time rather than just the cultural, as the title implies this is a comprehensize work. However, certainly a fascinating work and one I would love to just look over for days and days!