Timefulness

I love the way this book brings perspective to modern issues by emphasizing the idea of “deep time” – that we are part of a long history that makes our current existence possible.

By thinking in this way, we also realize that our current predicament is one that we have the tools to address, and that by doing so, we would be honoring the miracles of nature that lie behind everything we are and do. Along the way, this book also helped me understand – and teach about – a variety of important geological processes.

I’ve been fascinated by geology since I was a teenager: I had a collection of rocks and fossils in my bedroom, including trilobites, ammonites, and crystals of “blue john” from Derbyshire.

So Marcia Bjornerud’s book about her geological perspective on time really resonated with me. She blends scientific insight with personal stories wonderfully. On one page, she is writing about the mind-expanding timescales of deep time while on the next rooting those timescales in personal, human experience.

One particular story she tells about accidentally smashing an ancient crystal in a moment of rare avarice as a young woman stuck with… show more.

Bjornerud, a geologist, goes far beyond a basic history of Earth in this philosophical little volume. She introduces the concept of timefulness, or how the world is shaped by time. By exploring topics such as the rise of mountains and the shifting of continents, she sets the stage for a deeper understanding of the changes occurring on our planet today — and how we might be better stewards of our brief moment upon the stage.

This remarkable book unfolds the story of Earth’s passage through time, from inception to its present state. The author, a geologist, illuminates the long shaping of the Earth’s natural systems with expertise and clarity. She outlines initial conceptions of Earth’s origin by early historical forefront thinkers, controversies aroused, and then charts the amazing progress gained later in momentous scientific breakthroughs aided by advancing technologies. The understanding of geologic time is stressed as an important concept.

This background, together with the book’s apt black and white illustrations, enables readers to realize Earth’s long-term behavior is a crucial learning curve for humanity.… show more.

This book is since it shows just how potent the earth is, not simply a puppet dancing to the imposed rhythm of astronomical cycles but a complex webwork in a delicate balance, where even small changes to intricate natural systems can have large and unanticipated consequences. Becoming aware of its depth in time and resonating with it organically, people can find a new awareness of being in time, which she calls timefuleness. The book encourages not just a new perspective but a different way of being in time.