... abundantly clever.

... fascinating.

It’s to Rooney’s credit that although he clearly knows a colossal amount about clocks, he wears his learning very lightly.

... provides a fascinating look at timekeeping devices throughout history and the societal roles they’ve filled.

Readers will appreciate Rooney’s history of timekeeping, from ancient sundials, to the water clocks of imperial China, to medieval hourglasses and mechanical clocks, to the Greenwich Royal Observatory. This book discusses timekeeping in terms of scientific innovation, artistry, and political power.

... an engaging miscellany of stories and details about timekeeping technologies spanning a huge range of cultures and periods.

... insightfully explores the ramifications of electricity and the creation of standardized time, which had a controversial, even violent, cultural impact.

... rich.