Few of us have any conception of the enormous timescales in our planet鈥檚 long history, and this narrow perspective underlies many of the environmental problems we are creating for ourselves. The passage of nine days, which is how long a drop of water typically stays in Earth鈥檚 atmosphere, is something we can easily grasp. But spans of hundreds of years鈥攖he time a molecule of carbon dioxide resides in the atmosphere鈥攁pproach the limits of our comprehension. Our everyday lives are shaped by processes that vastly predate us, and our habits will in turn have consequences that will outlast us by generations. Timefulness reveals how knowing the rhythms of Earth鈥檚 deep past and conceiving of time as a geologist does can give us the perspective we need for a more sustainable future.
Marcia Bjornerud shows how geologists chart the planet鈥檚 past, explaining how we can determine the pace of solid Earth processes such as mountain building and erosion and comparing them with the more unstable rhythms of the oceans and atmosphere. These overlapping rates of change in the Earth system鈥攕ome fast, some slow鈥攄emand a poly-temporal worldview, one that Bjornerud calls 鈥渢imefulness.鈥� She explains why timefulness is vital in the Anthropocene, this human epoch of accelerating planetary change, and proposes sensible solutions for building a more time-literate society.
This compelling book presents a new way of thinking about our place in time, enabling us to make decisions on multigenerational timescales. The lifespan of Earth may seem unfathomable compared to the brevity of human existence, but this view of time denies our deep roots in Earth鈥檚 history鈥攁nd the magnitude of our effects on the planet.
Awards and Recognition
- Shortlisted for the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, Phi Beta Kappa Society
- Finalist for the 2019 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Science & Technology
- Winner of the 2019 PROSE Award in Popular Science & Popular Mathematics, Association of American Publishers
- Longlisted for the 2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Prize for Literary Science Writing Award, PEN American Center
- One of EcoLit 快色直播' Best Environmental 快色直播 of 2018
- A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year
"[Timefulness is] a profound meditation on the richness, depth and entanglements of geologic time . . . elegantly condensing the landmark tomes of geology, from James Hutton鈥檚 Theory of the Earth . . . to John McPhee鈥檚 Annals of the Former World."鈥擱obert M. Thorson, Wall Street Journal
"In this trenchant study, Bjornerud calls for a new geological literacy to instill deeper knowledge of planetary rhythms and processes."鈥擝arbara Kiser, Nature
"Timefulness is a delightful and interesting read. The author鈥檚 cadence and the illustrator鈥檚 aforementioned figures made me feel as though I was having a glass of wine with a friend who was explaining geologic history while sketching on a napkin."鈥擠avid R. Wunsch, Science
"With Timefulness . . . [Bjornerud] delivers a brisk biography of Earth. Aside from charting the rise of mountains and the transformation of the atmosphere, she shows us why鈥揼iven an uncertain future鈥搕aking the long view is more critical than ever before."鈥擬att Huston, Psychology Today
"Timefulness is a charmer and makes a strong case for thinking like Bjornerud."鈥擧eather Smith, Sierra
"It is always a challenge to make geology accessible to a popular audience, but Timefulness is never impenetrable and is sparing in its use of jargon. New Scientist readers will have little difficulty following the heartfelt narrative. Bjornerud鈥檚 book is a manifesto for humanity 鈥� but on a very long timescale."鈥擬ick O'Hare, New Scientist
"Bored? Anxious? Busy? Try considering time as a geologist would鈥攊n segments of years, or hundreds of years. Understanding the rhythm and pace of the planet we live on is what Bjornerud calls 鈥榯imefulness.鈥� It all seems unfathomable, until we begin to fathom it鈥攁nd realize that thinking on this scale might be the only way we can truly understand (and save) the world."鈥擡mily Temple, Literary Hub
"Being timeful, in [Bjornerud鈥檚] formulation, means allowing ourselves to be daunted by events and landscapes whose scale strains the imagination; it means seeing Earth, and not our own short-lived species, as the main character in the story."鈥擥eoff Manaugh, WIRED
"[Timefulness] is an antidote to the new climate report (not to mention raging fires and floods around the world) that seems bereft of hope for humanity鈥檚 future. . . . Bjornerud argues that if we all can change the way we view our world and our place in it, adopting an approach grounded in 鈥榯imefulness,鈥� we鈥檒l be able to create a more sustainable future not just for ourselves and the next generation but for many generations to come."鈥擲arah Rothbard, Z贸calo Public Square
"One of the most important books of recent times."鈥擬arcus Smith, host, BYU Radio's Constant Wonder
"We need to understand the Earth more intimately than ever now, Bjornerud argues, as we change it in unprecedented ways (a fact that only becomes more terrifying the more you know about Earth鈥檚 long history). A more grounded view of time鈥攝ooming out and looking at the Earth鈥檚 entire life thus far from a remove鈥攑ractically begs for saner, longer term decision-making for the future. And this perspective is something we can only get from acquainting ourselves with geology, Bjornerud posits, because 鈥榝athoming deep time is arguably geology鈥檚 single greatest contribution to humanity.鈥�"鈥擟helsea Leu, Bay Nature
"Bjornerud鈥檚 lucid writing gives geology an energy it rarely has in popular imagination, with just enough warm autobiographical moments to make a personal connection. In both content and prose, she skillfully makes the case that this sort of knowledge (even using the what more than the how) offers us great opportunity to think about our contemporary situation, particularly regarding climate change."鈥擩ustin Cober-Lake, Englewood Review of 快色直播
"Clear, well-paced, [and] witty."鈥擩ohn Wilson, First Things
"Marcia Bjornerud鈥檚 book tells the story of the deep history of Earth, a history that鈥檚 been punctuated by cataclysmic and unfathomable violence. Oddly, I found comfort in learning about the processes by which this little ball of rock has evolved into a habitable planet and, despite our best efforts, will continue to be so for billions of years to come."鈥擲tephen Sparks, co-owner of Point Reyes 快色直播,, Literary Hub
"Bjornerud鈥檚 vision of Earth science is poetic and lovely. . . . [Timefulness] feels essential and timely. It encapsulates the mismatch between the long-term sense of who we are and where we came from with the short-term-thinking that dominates our election cycles and our stock markets. Recommended to all."鈥擟allan Bentley, Mountain Beltway
"Timefulness transforms geological phenomena, from atmospheric carbon molecules to ancient mountains, into a meditation on life itself."鈥擜listair Scrutton, Anthropocene
"In reading Timefulness, one encounters a clear, engaging text grounded in years of teaching, thinking, and conversations about the struggles of humans to relate themselves to geologic time."鈥擩. S. Lackey, Pomona College
"Bjornerud has made sure that her message reaches audiences without being crippled by jargon."鈥擨shan Kukret, Down to Earth
"[Timefulness] offers the reader the underlying science in sufficient detail to develop an understanding and perhaps an opinion on the challenges before us."鈥擝en van der Pluijm, Holocene
"[Bjornerud] positions geology as a field of study ready to tackle the larger philosophical questions being posed by climate change experts."鈥擩ennifer Ferng, Leonardo Reviews
"One of the most interesting and informative books I have read for a long time."鈥擩ane A. Michael, Proceedings of the Open University Geological Society
"[Timefulness] must cause us to pause and reflect on the sudden speed at which we are undoing processes that have taken millennia to evolve."鈥擯aul Sorensen, International Journal of Environment Studies
"This is, frankly, the most poetic rendering of geology I have read since Darwin鈥檚 Origin of Species. "鈥擟hristiana Zenner, America Magazine
"I fear I cannot give justice to this eloquent presentation of how important geologic knowledge is to an intellectually healthy society. I thoroughly enjoyed Timefulness and, more importantly, have been affected by this book. Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World has pushed to the front of my mind the importance of looking after the environmental health of my grandchildren and their grandchildren. It is now my desire to find a way to influence people to be environmentally involved and what should be done to assure a healthy planet for our current and future well-being."鈥擱oy Van Arsdale, Environmental & Engineering Geoscience
鈥淏jornerud gives lyrical voice to the rocks that tell the story of our wondrous planet. Engaging and eloquent, Timefulness reminds us that the present is only a link between past and future, a reality too often forgotten in the modern world鈥檚 obsession with the here and now.鈥濃�擱uth DeFries, author of The Big Ratchet: How Humanity Thrives in the Face of Natural Crisis
鈥淎 passionate and timely plea for the urgency of geo-literacy.鈥濃�擠avid R. Montgomery, author of Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations and Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life
鈥淭his book is a masterpiece of superb writing and accurate, up-to-date science. It places modern climate change in a geological context and makes an eloquent plea for action. Timefulness is one of the best science books I have ever read.鈥濃�擩ames Lawrence Powell, author of Four Revolutions in the Earth Sciences: From Heresy to Truth
鈥淭his succinct and engaging book covers the history of Earth from its birth some 4.5 billion years ago to the problem of human-induced climate change. Bjornerud鈥檚 message is that we need to understand geological time to appreciate鈥攁nd deal with鈥攖he impact we are having on our planet.鈥濃�擲imon Lamb, author of Devil in the Mountain: A Search for the Origin of the Andes
