A Geography of Time: On Tempo, Culture, and the Pace of Life

Social psychologist Levine has drawn on a wide range of genres--travel writing, self-help books, empirical research, history--to illustrate his point: that every culture keeps time differently, and that these differences have a considerable impact on people's lives. His approach results in a fragmented work with sections of varying strengths. Some chapters, like ""A Brief History of Clock Time,"" can be engaging. Here, Levine traces the development of ways to measure time, from sundials to wristwatches, chronicling reactions to each new instrument as it was introduced. Like the Roman playwright Plautus, who resented the way a sundial hacked up his days, the author resists being held too closely to the clock. Other chapters are weaker. The chapter ""Time Literacy"" offers advice for people traveling from our own ""time is money"" culture to places where time may be measured differently (as in Burundi, where appointments are made based on the daily routine of the cows), but the advice is too often obvious: ""Don't criticize what you don't understand,"" Levine admonishes readers. Despite its flaws, however, the book is peppered with anecdotes that make for a diverting read. Like the impromptu picnic the author joins as he waits for some unattainable train tickets in New Delhi, the story's interludes show that an endeavor doesn't always have to be successful to be enjoyable. (June)