Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd

The Time Paradox

There are plenty of hours in the day, but time is one thing we never seem to have enough of. In The Time Paradox: The New Psychology of Time That Will Change Your Life Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd argue that the way we think of time plays an important part in how we live our lives.

The book introduces various time perspectives - do we think mostly about the future, the present or the past, and are our thoughts about them positive or negative? The authors give advice on what you should do to gain a better perspective on time - try to get a future perspective, but don't let it dominate your life. Zimbardo describes how he followed a future oriented university career, and on retirement realised that he should think of enjoying the present more.

The trouble is that the more I thought about what the authors were saying, the more problems I saw with it. Frenetic activity isn't necessarily due to thinking about the needs of the future. And much of what it thought of as present hedonism -overeating or gambling for instance - isn't so much about being happy in the moment as not knowing what will make you happy. The problems of boredom are hardly touched upon at all. In conclusion, the book has some interesting ideas and useful advice, but I don't think it lives up to its revolutionary claims.

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Paperback 368 pages
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Paperback 400 pages
ISBN: 1416541993
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Product Description
Your every significant choice -- every important decision you make -- is determined by a force operating deep inside your mind: your perspective on time -- your internal, personal time zone. This is the most influential force in your life, yet you are virtually unaware of it. Once you become aware of your personal time zone, you can begin to see and manage your life in exciting new ways. In The Time Paradox, Drs. Zimbardo and Boyd draw on thirty years of pioneering research to reveal, for the first time, how your individual time perspective shapes your life and is shaped by the world around you. Further, they demonstrate that your and every other individual's time zones interact to create national cultures, economics, and personal destinies. You will discover what time zone you live in through Drs. Zimbardo and Boyd's revolutionary tests. Ask yourself: • Does the smell of fresh-baked cookies bring you back to your childhood? • Do you believe that nothing will ever change in your world? • Do you believe that the present encompasses all and the future and past are mere abstractions? • Do you wear a watch, balance your checkbook, and make to-do lists -- every day? • Do you believe that life on earth is merely preparation for life after death? • Do you ruminate over failed relationships? • Are you the life of every party -- always late, always laughing, and always broke? These statements are representative of the seven most common ways people relate to time, each of which, in its extreme, creates benefits and pitfalls. The Time Paradox is a practical plan for optimizing your blend of time perspectives so you get the utmost out of every minute in your personal and professional life as well as a fascinating commentary about the power and paradoxes of time in the modern world. No matter your time perspective, you experience these paradoxes. Only by understanding this new psychological science of time zones will you be able to overcome the mental biases that keep you too attached to the past, too focused on immediate gratification, or unhealthily obsessed with future goals. Time passes no matter what you do -- it's up to you to spend it wisely and enjoy it well. Here's how.

Product Description

Your every significant choice -- every important decision you make -- is determined by a force operating deep inside your mind: your perspective on time -- your internal, personal time zone. This is the most influential force in your life, yet you are virtually unaware of it. Once you become aware of your personal time zone, you can begin to see and manage your life in exciting new ways.

In The Time Paradox, Drs. Zimbardo and Boyd draw on thirty years of pioneering research to reveal, for the first time, how your individual time perspective shapes your life and is shaped by the world around you. Further, they demonstrate that your and every other individual's time zones interact to create national cultures, economics, and personal destinies.

You will discover what time zone you live in through Drs. Zimbardo and Boyd's revolutionary tests. Ask yourself:

• Does the smell of fresh-baked cookies bring you back to your childhood?

• Do you believe that nothing will ever change in your world?

• Do you believe that the present encompasses all and the future and past are mere abstractions?

• Do you wear a watch, balance your checkbook, and make to-do lists -- every day?

• Do you believe that life on earth is merely preparation for life after death?

• Do you ruminate over failed relationships?

• Are you the life of every party -- always late, always laughing, and always broke?

These statements are representative of the seven most common ways people relate to time, each of which, in its extreme, creates benefits and pitfalls. The Time Paradox is a practical plan for optimizing your blend of time perspectives so you get the utmost out of every minute in your personal and professional life as well as a fascinating commentary about the power and paradoxes of time in the modern world.

No matter your time perspective, you experience these paradoxes. Only by understanding this new psychological science of time zones will you be able to overcome the mental biases that keep you too attached to the past, too focused on immediate gratification, or unhealthily obsessed with future goals. Time passes no matter what you do -- it's up to you to spend it wisely and enjoy it well. Here's how.

Too much time required to learn about our attitudes toward Time ****
The authors argue that Time is the most valuable thing in the world since it is irreplacable. They provide an analysis of different kinds of people according to their orientation to Time. They provide tests by which the reader can assess themselves. I learned from the book the non- surprising information that future- oriented people tend to be more successful than past or present oriented people. In general however I would agree with another reader who suggested that the book is too long, and too time- consuming for what it gives.

Too much time required to learn about our attitudes toward Time ****

The authors argue that Time is the most valuable thing in the world since it is irreplacable. They provide an analysis of different kinds of people according to their orientation to Time. They provide tests by which the reader can assess themselves. I learned from the book the non- surprising information that future- oriented people tend to be more successful than past or present oriented people.
In general however I would agree with another reader who suggested that the book is too long, and too time- consuming for what it gives.

Solid Groundwork For A Fascinating New Subject ****
This is my first psychology book on the subject of time, so unfortunately, I have nothing to compare it to, in terms of subject matter. Contrary to some of the other reviewers, I did not find it difficult to read this book. It felt extremely similar to all other psychology books I've read, (if anything, more simplistic than most) and don't think anyone well-read in non-fiction science books will have any problems getting through it in a relatively short amount of time. However, I didn't particularly like the writing style of the authors. It felt very ''political'', in the sense that the authors seemed to be trying to convince their readers that, ''You need to be worried about this, and luckily, we have all the answers''. Quite frequently I felt that the authors were trying to qualify themselves, their knowledge, and their research, just in case the readers wouldn't automatically submit to their authority on the subject. I also think that it could have been shorter, and found myself scanning through & flat out ignoring some of the trivial content. I also became slightly annoyed at the constant injections of their personal & religious beliefs and political opinions, as well as how stereotypical and black & white they were on categorizing how people think about time. Maybe I'm just feeling some resentment because of how well I fit into a few of the categories :) All of that being said, I am still fairly pleased with their knowledge of the subject. Just focusing on the subject of time seems to have many practical advantages, and I am glad that I read the book. If I was writing on this subject, I would have approached it a little differently, but I think this book lays solid groundwork for others to improve & expand upon, hopefully in a more detailed and scientific way. I commend the authors for taking the time share their knowledge about this fascinating subject with us all.

Solid Groundwork For A Fascinating New Subject ****

This is my first psychology book on the subject of time, so unfortunately, I have nothing to compare it to, in terms of subject matter.

Contrary to some of the other reviewers, I did not find it difficult to read this book. It felt extremely similar to all other psychology books I've read, (if anything, more simplistic than most) and don't think anyone well-read in non-fiction science books will have any problems getting through it in a relatively short amount of time.

However, I didn't particularly like the writing style of the authors. It felt very ''political'', in the sense that the authors seemed to be trying to convince their readers that, ''You need to be worried about this, and luckily, we have all the answers''. Quite frequently I felt that the authors were trying to qualify themselves, their knowledge, and their research, just in case the readers wouldn't automatically submit to their authority on the subject. I also think that it could have been shorter, and found myself scanning through & flat out ignoring some of the trivial content.

I also became slightly annoyed at the constant injections of their personal & religious beliefs and political opinions, as well as how stereotypical and black & white they were on categorizing how people think about time.

Maybe I'm just feeling some resentment because of how well I fit into a few of the categories :)

All of that being said, I am still fairly pleased with their knowledge of the subject. Just focusing on the subject of time seems to have many practical advantages, and I am glad that I read the book. If I was writing on this subject, I would have approached it a little differently, but I think this book lays solid groundwork for others to improve & expand upon, hopefully in a more detailed and scientific way.

I commend the authors for taking the time share their knowledge about this fascinating subject with us all.

Would have benefited from a heavy-handed editor **
While a lot of ground is covered, I find it reminiscent of a survey of cognitive psychology as it is taught in university classrooms. The discussion of hedonism is a central theme, and I found this to be insightful...for a few pages. In short, this book shares some good perspectives, but as a cohesive work, it fails to draw a reader in...and thus, the book is ultimately unremarkable.

Would have benefited from a heavy-handed editor **

While a lot of ground is covered, I find it reminiscent of a survey of cognitive psychology as it is taught in university classrooms. The discussion of hedonism is a central theme, and I found this to be insightful...for a few pages. In short, this book shares some good perspectives, but as a cohesive work, it fails to draw a reader in...and thus, the book is ultimately unremarkable.

Excellent book *****
Phil Zimbardo is the current granddaddy of social psychology. I heard him speak at a conference and ever since then, wanted to get the book. It is very helpful in understanding my patients, my friends...and myself. The copy I received was in excellent condition.

Excellent book *****

Phil Zimbardo is the current granddaddy of social psychology. I heard him speak at a conference and ever since then, wanted to get the book. It is very helpful in understanding my patients, my friends...and myself.

The copy I received was in excellent condition.

Frustratingly Biased and Distorted Book *
This is a poorly-written book about psychology memories that has little to do with the "time" element mentioned in the title. Instead of focusing on better using time, it's a book that promotes a psychological agenda while condemning those that don't match the author's subjective interpretations. It is filled with distortions and New Age biases that the authors fail to acknowledge, while making a couple of great points along the way. If only they would stop preaching their biased gospel, such as their claim that heart disease and cancer "stem from unhealthy time perspectives." It's hard to know where to start, there is so much wrong with this book. The writers have created a "test" that supposedly is a "yardstick" about a person's attitude toward time. This test is so narrow-minded and lop-sided that while you are taking it you are completely aware of how your answer will be misinterpreted (take it online at the time paradox site). They then categorize and stereotype you based on the test results, but do almost no interpretation of those results. So you are stuck finding out that you have "present-hedonistic time perspective" but know virtually nothing about what that means except for a couple of paragraphs that label you "hedonistic Hedley" or "negative Ned." The results are not only worthless, but they will raise anxiety in people wondering why they don't measure up to the "ideal" scale that the authors have set online. Of course the book's author Philip Zimbardo, who created this Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, scored a perfect score on his own test for have past positive memories! So we must conclude that the test is actually geared toward his own past biases and how he interprets things as being positive or negative. Anyone who doesn't score as highly as he did has something wrong about how they interpret their past. What this false memory stuff has to do with time is hard to say because they do such a poor job explaining it. Then they include other really subjective studies without questioning the results. In one major study from 1977 (yes, most of the studies quoted are old and outdated--it seems like this was a manuscript written decades ago but only published in 2008), seminary students getting ready to present a speech on the Good Samaritan were either told to rush over because they were late or were told they had a lot of time to make it--then along the way there was a planted person coughing and in need of help. When most of those who were late didn't stop to help, the authors of this book interpret it as meaning that their attitude toward time proves they are "less helpful," while those who moseyed on over slowly were "more helpful." But it proves no such thing! These late students were keeping a group of people waiting and, as students, were worried about those waiting and their own grade--so they chose to prioritize the needs to those waiting and their own needs over the single stranger coughing. That doesn't prove they are less helpful--just that they have a strong sense of priorities in that specific circumstance. And those that helped the stranger had virtually nothing else to do--so who knows how they would respond if under stress? One of the major flaws in the book is the lack of current data or stories--most everything is steeped in the past, yet life has changed so much in the Internet age that the authors fail to address how use of digital media change a person's orientation toward time. (There are only six pages that mention the Internet in the entire 319 pages.) The authors then include a study of the most "helpful" cities (again dated, from 1997) based on the "pace" of the city--namely a faster-paced city is interpreted as less helpful. But that was measured by "returning a pen that someone dropped," "giving change for a quarter" and "donating to the United Way." Seriously? That's how they measure helpfulness? Donating to the United Way says little about a person's helpfulness (many choose to not give because United Way deducts administrative costs and the giving person can actually do better by donating the money directly to the non-profit group) and it says absolutely nothing about time. The authors (who live in California) then support the claim that Los Angeles is "slowest of all" by writing in a footnote, "Possible explanations include the geographic proximity to Mexico and the large immigrant population in Los Angeles." Did they really write such a biased and unmeasured stereotype? The entire book is filled with this type of bigoted interpretation, such as their claim that the U.S. has a pattern of disregarding the clock that's called CPT, which stands for "colored people's time." They state this a unashamed fact instead of pointing out the offensiveness of the phrase. So the book ends up being a mish-mash of bad research with biased interpretations from know-it-all psychologist authors. They toss in Freud, raise questions about religion (really pushing Buddhism as the perfect time management religion), spend a large amount of time giving retirement advice (which makes no sense in the context of the rest of the book) and even interpret fairy tales! It's a complete mess written by two Ph.D.s who lack cohesive writing--they just like to hear themselves talk. There are a few valid and interesting points that you can find by wading through all of this, but it's like sitting through a really bad college lecture that never seems to end.

Frustratingly Biased and Distorted Book *

This is a poorly-written book about psychology memories that has little to do with the "time" element mentioned in the title. Instead of focusing on better using time, it's a book that promotes a psychological agenda while condemning those that don't match the author's subjective interpretations. It is filled with distortions and New Age biases that the authors fail to acknowledge, while making a couple of great points along the way. If only they would stop preaching their biased gospel, such as their claim that heart disease and cancer "stem from unhealthy time perspectives."

It's hard to know where to start, there is so much wrong with this book. The writers have created a "test" that supposedly is a "yardstick" about a person's attitude toward time. This test is so narrow-minded and lop-sided that while you are taking it you are completely aware of how your answer will be misinterpreted (take it online at the time paradox site). They then categorize and stereotype you based on the test results, but do almost no interpretation of those results. So you are stuck finding out that you have "present-hedonistic time perspective" but know virtually nothing about what that means except for a couple of paragraphs that label you "hedonistic Hedley" or "negative Ned." The results are not only worthless, but they will raise anxiety in people wondering why they don't measure up to the "ideal" scale that the authors have set online.

Of course the book's author Philip Zimbardo, who created this Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, scored a perfect score on his own test for have past positive memories! So we must conclude that the test is actually geared toward his own past biases and how he interprets things as being positive or negative. Anyone who doesn't score as highly as he did has something wrong about how they interpret their past. What this false memory stuff has to do with time is hard to say because they do such a poor job explaining it.

Then they include other really subjective studies without questioning the results. In one major study from 1977 (yes, most of the studies quoted are old and outdated--it seems like this was a manuscript written decades ago but only published in 2008), seminary students getting ready to present a speech on the Good Samaritan were either told to rush over because they were late or were told they had a lot of time to make it--then along the way there was a planted person coughing and in need of help. When most of those who were late didn't stop to help, the authors of this book interpret it as meaning that their attitude toward time proves they are "less helpful," while those who moseyed on over slowly were "more helpful." But it proves no such thing! These late students were keeping a group of people waiting and, as students, were worried about those waiting and their own grade--so they chose to prioritize the needs to those waiting and their own needs over the single stranger coughing. That doesn't prove they are less helpful--just that they have a strong sense of priorities in that specific circumstance. And those that helped the stranger had virtually nothing else to do--so who knows how they would respond if under stress?

One of the major flaws in the book is the lack of current data or stories--most everything is steeped in the past, yet life has changed so much in the Internet age that the authors fail to address how use of digital media change a person's orientation toward time. (There are only six pages that mention the Internet in the entire 319 pages.)

The authors then include a study of the most "helpful" cities (again dated, from 1997) based on the "pace" of the city--namely a faster-paced city is interpreted as less helpful. But that was measured by "returning a pen that someone dropped," "giving change for a quarter" and "donating to the United Way." Seriously? That's how they measure helpfulness? Donating to the United Way says little about a person's helpfulness (many choose to not give because United Way deducts administrative costs and the giving person can actually do better by donating the money directly to the non-profit group) and it says absolutely nothing about time.

The authors (who live in California) then support the claim that Los Angeles is "slowest of all" by writing in a footnote, "Possible explanations include the geographic proximity to Mexico and the large immigrant population in Los Angeles." Did they really write such a biased and unmeasured stereotype? The entire book is filled with this type of bigoted interpretation, such as their claim that the U.S. has a pattern of disregarding the clock that's called CPT, which stands for "colored people's time." They state this a unashamed fact instead of pointing out the offensiveness of the phrase.

So the book ends up being a mish-mash of bad research with biased interpretations from know-it-all psychologist authors. They toss in Freud, raise questions about religion (really pushing Buddhism as the perfect time management religion), spend a large amount of time giving retirement advice (which makes no sense in the context of the rest of the book) and even interpret fairy tales! It's a complete mess written by two Ph.D.s who lack cohesive writing--they just like to hear themselves talk. There are a few valid and interesting points that you can find by wading through all of this, but it's like sitting through a really bad college lecture that never seems to end.

Time and Money Squandered *
I probably should have read the blurb more carefully. I foolishly thought (or was I misled?) this was going to be a genuinely stimulating and informed academic, if popular, study of time and or psychology. Instead, this is just another pseudo-psychological, American self-help book. Academic "apercus" are swamped by happy quotes from all and sundry (especially sundry), whacky checklists and all that wadding. If that's what you like, then you might give this volume more time; if not, your time will remain in your own possession.

Time and Money Squandered *

I probably should have read the blurb more carefully. I foolishly thought (or was I misled?) this was going to be a genuinely stimulating and informed academic, if popular, study of time and or psychology.

Instead, this is just another pseudo-psychological, American self-help book. Academic "apercus" are swamped by happy quotes from all and sundry (especially sundry), whacky checklists and all that wadding. If that's what you like, then you might give this volume more time; if not, your time will remain in your own possession.