Traces of Time: The Beauty of Change in Nature: An Exploratorium Book [Paperback]

Pat Murphy (Author), Paul Doherty (Author), William Neill (Photographer), Diane Ackerman (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2000

Nature tells stories that unfold over time, and the evidence is all around us—in the shape of a rugged coastline, in the growth of a tree's rings, in the beautiful banded strata of an ice cave. The latest book from The Exploratorium, San Francisco's acclaimed hands-on science museum, combines William Neill's award-winning photography with accessible scientific observation to illuminate an ever-changing world. Examining nature in segments of time ranging from a fraction of a second to millions of years, from the bloom of a plant to the carving of a canyon, Traces of Time reveals how to measure the forces of nature and the ways they affect our planet. A powerful portrait of the natural beauty of our world, this gorgeous blending of art, science, and photography offers a new perspective to anyone who has ever gazed at the world in wonder.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Pat Murphy -- senior writer and editor of the Exploratorium Quarterly for over a decade -- is also an award-winning science fiction and fantasy author. She lives in San Francisco.

Paul Doherty is currently senior scientist at the Exploratorium Center for Teaching and Learning.

William Neill is a renowned landscape photographer and winner of the Sierra Club's Ansel Adams Award for nature photography.

Diane Ackerman is the author of A Natural History of the Senses and A Natural History of Love as well as a host of her own televsions series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811828573
• ISBN-13: 978-0811828574
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,116,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Traces of Time are all about us!, November 12, 2000

By 

Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Traces of Time: The Beauty of Change in Nature: An Exploratorium Book (Paperback)

The Earth has many lessons to teach us. These lessons are written on the ground at your feet, on the mountains across the river from my house, in the rocks of a riverbed, in the trees all around us. Once you learn to read them, you'll see them everywhere.

This inspired collaboration between Photographer William Neill and the Staff of San Francisco's acclaimed science museum, the Exploratorium, Traces of Time, beautifully illustrates the effects of time on our natural surroundings.

The Exploratorium was the one place in the Bay Area where I could take my chickadees for an entire day & know we would all be learning things that were both strange & curious about everyday objects & events. It is the only hands-on museum where you never hear a discouraging word & are invited to play. There are now over 650 exhibits which people can investigate with impunity.

This is a gloriously illustrated, thoughtfully written introduction to how the passing of time can be seen in the moment - rushing rivers captured in the camera's lens & over the eons - geology explained.

Traces of Time will make an excellent gift that will keep on giving. For my full review do check out: [my website].

5.0 out of 5 stars Nature has so much to teach us, February 19, 2003

By 

iljc82 (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Traces of Time: The Beauty of Change in Nature: An Exploratorium Book (Paperback)

Two very good friends of mine bought me this book last November and I can't get tired of it at all!

The book is systematically grouped into categories such as Desert landscapes, ancient landscapes etc which necessarily makes it an easy read for a light reader or those who love pictures.

Most of the pictures depict natural features in the U.S.A. and some from Canada and islands in the Indian Ocean. Even though many, such as the Delicate Arch, are very well-photographed, the lively colors seem to want you to pay attention to the pictures again. For example, Delicate Arch was taken with a backdrop of a brewing thunderstorm. Due to the presence of other comparable features behind or near the main focus, one will be kept intrigued, truly appreciating the sheer size of each of the features and marveling at the wonderful hand of God.

The captions are informative, and I would say, rather detailed - so much so they can pass for simple Geographic text. Some even add a sense of humor, describing huge corestones on the Bowling Balls Beach to have "roll[ed] over to join its companion".

My only complaint is that there are too few photos. There should be more on Grand Canyon, and other beautiful features not covered such as Big Horn Canyon, Gates of the Mountains, Yosemite Falls, Crater Lake, Shoshone in Wyoming and Niagara Falls, whose histories can be equally alluring.