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A fascinating and mind-bending journey through the science of time perception

About the Author

Claudia Hammond is a writer, broadcaster and psychology lecturer. She is the voice of psychology on BBC Radio 4 where she is the presenter of All in the Mind and Mind Changers. She is the author of one previous book, Emotional Rollercoaster, and is also a part-time member of faculty at Boston University in London. Hammond won the British Psychological Society's Public Engagement and Media Award in 2012, Mind's Making a Difference Award in 2011, the Society of Personality and Social Psychology's Media Achievement Award in 2012 and the Public Understanding of Neuroscience Award from the British Neuroscience Association in 2012. Time Warped won the 2013 British Psychological Society's Book Awards Popular Science category. www.claudiahammond.com Follow @claudiahammond on Twitter

Reviews

* A fascinating and at times mind-boggling book that will change the way you think about time -- Carl Wilkinson Financial Times * [A] lively account of our perception of time -- Robin McKie Observer * With an engaging, light touch, [Claudia Hammond] describes the ingenious experiments psychologists have devised to explore how our brains construct - and warp - time -- Richard Webb New Scientist * A serious, journalistic attempt to analyse existing research into the human perception of time -- Nick Curtis Evening Standard * Engaging throughout, Time Warped will give you a better idea of your personal measurement of time. It covers complex ideas...without any reduction of scope -- Ben Critchley We Love This Book * She weaves a beautifully constructed story out of the puzzles that preoccupy us about the way we experience time, and the cutting-edge science that tries to make sense of it -- Raymond Tallis Mail on Sunday * A fascinating new book... Time Warped is highly engaging and accessible -- Doug Johnstone Big Issue * Engagingly written and thoroughly accessible Good Book Guide * An engaging, well-paced ride through the worlds of psychology, biology and neuroscience. Claudia Hammond's style balances in-depth analysis with absorbing anecdote Top Sante Magazine * It is my hope that science writers take a leaf out of Hammond's book and learn to treat their subjects with the humour, sensitivity and warmth that here emanate from every page. -- Dylan Evans Guardian, on Emotional Rollercoaster * An entertaining, informed guide to the responses that drive and colour our lives Independent on Emotional Rollercoaster * Hammond summaries a formidable array of current research, weaving this gently between personal anecdotes, detailed accounts of some of the more lurid and entertaining experiments and nuggets of hard fact. Sunday Telegraph on Emotional Rollercoaster * Hammond's style is accessible and anecdotal, and her refusal to romanticise emotions is bracing. Financial Times on Emotional Rollercoaster * Recommended ... Hammond's conversational style is lively and entertaining, and her eagerness to ground theory in real-life examples hooks the reader from the outset ... An entertaining yet comprehensive overview of emotions research ... Emotional Rollercoaster is a most enjoyable journey ... bound to appeal to a wide audience. The Psychologist on Emotional Rollercoaster

Whether you conceive of time as a "breeze" or a "crushing weight," Hammond's book is worth yours. Focusing on the experience of time rather than its "objective reality," the award-winning science writer and BBC broadcaster demonstrates how the timely coordination of brain, nerves, and muscles is essential for everything from reading time tables to understanding spoken language. But, as everyone knows, time rarely seems to pass at a constant rate-it seems to slow when you are stressed, and go too fast while you are in vacation mode. As such, Hammond explores how time perception (or "mind time") is "elastic"; investigates the various ways in which people conceive of time in spatial terms; and examines the various causes for the experience of distended or contracted time-depression, ADHD, chemical processes in the brain, and even temperature can fool us into the belief that time is speeding up or slowing down. Along the way, readers are introduced to curious characters like Bob Petrella, whose hyperthymesia makes it impossible to forget anything, and Michel Siffre, a French speleologist who spent months living underground to determine whether humans have an internal clock. This lively introduction to the psychology of time perception is an intriguing take on the fluidity of reality. Agents: David Miller, the Garamond Agency; Will Francis, Janklow & Nesbit (U.K.) Ltd. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Radio host Hammond explores various phenomena related to the perception of time by drawing on research from the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and biology. She investigates why time seems to pass more quickly as one ages, and passes more slowly during fearful situations and/or following social rejection, and how subconscious time perception plays a critical role in everyday tasks. This is an ideal read for those looking for science-based theories of time perception without the scientific jargon, and will appeal to readers with a curiosity about the role of time in their everyday lives. Hammond suggests time perception is altered among individuals with depression or ADHD; this insight also makes the book valuable for psychologists and counselors. Managers or professionals concerned with time management will also benefit. VERDICT Despite the common belief that time moves at a constant pace, Hammond demonstrates how life's circumstances can make minutes seem an eternity and decades the blink of an eye.-Ryan -Nayler, Native Counselling Svcs. of Alberta, Canada (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.