Pre-Owned Time: Its Origin, Its Enigma, Its History (Hardcover) 0786707674 9780786707676

The agile narrative in this extraordinarily informative and always entertaining book examines the mysteries of time and chronicles the human struggle to measure, utilize, understand, and explain it. The cast of characters in the tale ranges from the primitive homo erectus to modern time explorers, from Zeno to Caesar to Pope Gregory, Galileo, Einstein and Stephen Hawkings; and their stage is the world, the universe, the galaxy.

Starting with the creation, when time began -- perhaps with a big bang, maybe in a garden called Eden -- the book records the flops and follies, triumphs and fears, crackpot theories and wondrous discoveries that have shaped the way we today conceive of time and tell it. And with atomic clocks, the author notes, we can tell it with an accuracy that loses only a second every 316,000 years. On the other hand, no one noticed for ninety-nine years that a sundial in ancient Rome was recording time incorrectly.

Calendars, eons, minutes, eternity -- no clement of time is overlooked in this enlightening book that is as rich in anecdote as it is comprehensive in knowledge.Good Condition: Minimal damage to the cover, dust jacket may not be included, minimal wear to binding, most of the pages undamaged(e.g., minimal creases or tears), highlighting / underlining acceptable on books as long as the text is readable and markings are not excessive, no missing pages. May be a former library book, with usual treatments(e.g., mylar covers, call stickers, stamps, card pockets, barcodes, or remainder marks). Extra components, such as CDs, DVDs, figurines, or access codes are not included. ISBN: 9780786707676 ISBN10: 0786707674 Contributors: Waugh, Alexander,