About Time

Each chapter is largely self-contained, is intelligent and accesible, and manages not to patronise - a flaw of so much of the popular science genre. The scientist biographies are there of course, as are the obligatory Feynman diagrams, but what sets this apart from similar books are the chapters on perception. "What time is now" is superbly thought-provoking, as it explores how our minds perceive each moment of time... novel and just a little frightening


Excellent look into how time is understood in physics   March 11, 2002
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

Out of the 4 Paul Davies books I have read, while they all have been enjoyable this is probably his best. It is not a good place for new comers in popular physics to start but those with some basic knowledge will really enjoy this book.
It deals mostly with trying to explain Einstein's concept of time and space and the importance it has on understanding our world. It does, however, deal a lot with time in the quantum world, which is where the book is at its best, this is of course seperate from Einstein's own dislike for many of the concepts (such as total randomness) used in Quantum physics. That said it is Davies' intention to show the importance of spacetime in all aspects of the universe.

For anyone interested in what exactly is meant by spacetime, and what this implies, this is definately the book for you.


Mostly great   January 9, 2002
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

This book is fascinating. The Author has done a great job of explaining some quite tricky concepts, and the book is really easy to read. The one complaint I have is that the last few chapters seem to get a bit bogged down - I think thats the nature of the subject though. Will definately confuse you, but in a good way.


An enthralling summary of a centuries work on time   August 23, 1999
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

As an A-level student I found this book a great insight into the world of theoretical physics - expressed in lay terms. It doesn't take a great deal of scientific knowledge to understand the principles that Davies tries to convey, making this a very enjoyable and fascinating read.

His explanations of Einstein's Special and General Theories of Relativity are concise and explained rigorously using conceivable scenarios. I enjoyed this very much and hope that others will enjoy this book as much as I did.


This is a brilliant treatment of a very difficult subject.   June 28, 1999
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

In this book Paul Davies provides a comprehensive, brilliant discussion of the nature of time. Beginning with Einstein's revolution which abolished the classical view of absolute time and space, Davies ranges widely into the scientific and philosophical ramifications of relativity. The bottom line is that our "common sense" notions of past, present, and future and our perception of time as flowng from present into future are distortions of reality. Instead of a flowing time that moves from present to future, time is actually a block of past, present, and future that is simply "there." The common sense notion of past, present, and future must be discarded if we are to understand the nature of time.Davies' discussion of time is exhaustive. And, while the book is difficult, particularly to a non-scientist like me, Davies has a gift for explaining very complex ideas in a way that a layperson can comprehend (but with effort; this is not casual reading!). Davies' prose is elegant and clear. He provides interesting insights into the lives of major scientific figures, particularly Einstein. And, he has a likable sense of humor. This book was a JOY TO READ.