Vous voulez voir cette page en français ? Cliquez ici.

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Empires of Time: Calendars, Clocks and Cultures
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

Empires of Time: Calendars, Clocks and Cultures [Paperback]

Anthony F. Aveni (Author)

Available from these sellers.


Formats

 Amazon Price New from Used from
Hardcover --   -- --
Paperback CDN $18.24   -- --
Paperback, April 18 2000 --   -- --

Product Details

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

A linear sense of time may be well suited to our hectic, clock-watching society, but the timekeeping systems of ancient or "primitive" peoples are no less valid, suggests Aveni. Writing as both an astronomer and an anthropologist, he finds parallels between Einstein's concept of space-time and an Aztec "world diagram" which charts a 52-year calendar-round pegged to the passage of the constellation Pleiades overhead. For the semi-nomadic Nuer tribe of Sudan, "eco-time" connects people to their environment. In this wide-ranging, intriguing journey across centuries, Aveni traces the modern calendar's roots back to Greek pastoral poetry and prehistoric African bone markings, then compares Western, Chinese, Maya, Inca and tribal time systems. He also fathoms our division of time into days, weeks, months, seasons and years for clues to our psychology and worldview. He notes that scientists who believe that previous universes existed before the Big Bang echo the Maya and Aztec view of time as cyclical. Illustrations.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Aveni is the author or editor of a number of books and articles about time measurement in America; in this work, his coverage is worldwide and extends from 20,000 B.C. to the present. Following a relatively brief discussion of biorhythms and of some philosophical views on the nature of time, Aveni outlines the development of the Western calendar from ancient times to today's world. Both technical details and intellectual/religious attitudes toward time are discussed. The latter half of the volume is devoted to time-keeping systems of the ancient Mayans, Aztecs, Incas, and Chinese, including some comparisons between these varied cultures and the views of modern Western civilization. This is not fully satisfactory as a study of the subject of time, but the discussion of meso-American calendars is quite interesting. Recommended for college and public libraries.
- Jack W. Weigel, Univ. of Michigan Lib., Ann Arbor
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

Customer Reviews

There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.ca
5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:  2 reviews
17 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Fascinating Mar 18 2003
By James D. Brush - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Aveni's book is a fascinating portrait of the rhythms and roles of time keeping in a variety of cultures including the Aztec, Inca, Maya, and ancient Chinese. A fascinating exploration of a topic we all too often don't bother to consdier.
Comprehensive Well-Informed and Entertaining Jan 21 2012
By T. A. Olsen - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
This book provides comprehensive and in-depth knowledge about the History of and present day time keeping. It is very knowledgable while being a breeze to read. We are well pleased

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject














i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?