Time Warped: Unlocking the Mysteries of Time Perception

Winner of the 2013 British Psychological Society's Book Awards Popular Science category. Have you ever tried to spend a day without looking at a clock or checking your watch? It's almost impossible. Time rules our lives, but how much do we understand about it? And is it possible to retrain our brains and improve our relationship with it? Drawing on the latest research from the fields of psychology, neuroscience and biology, and using original research on the way memory shapes our understanding of time, the acclaimed writer and broadcaster Claudia Hammond delves into the mysteries of time perception. Along the way, Claudia introduces us to an extraordinary array of characters willing to go to great lengths in the interests of research, such as the French speleologist Michel, who spends two months in an ice cave in complete darkness. We meet one group of volunteers who steer themselves towards the edge of a stairwell, blindfolded, and another who are strapped into a harness and dropped off the edge of tower block. Time Warped shows us how to manage our time more efficiently, speed time up and slow it down at will, plan for the future with more accuracy and, ultimately, use the warping of time to our own advantage.

About the Author :
Claudia Hammond is a writer, broadcaster and psychology lecturer. She presents All in the Mind, Mind Changers and Case Study on BBC Radio 4, as well as the landmark series on the social history of mental health, State of Mind. Her first book, Emotional Rollercoaster was published in 2005 and was translated in to six languages.

Review :
* A fascinating and at times mind-boggling book that will change the way you think about time -- Carl Wilkinson Financial Times * [A] lively account of our perception of time -- Robin McKie Observer * With an engaging, light touch, [Claudia Hammond] describes the ingenious experiments psychologists have devised to explore how our brains construct - and warp - time -- Richard Webb New Scientist * A serious, journalistic attempt to analyse existing research into the human perception of time -- Nick Curtis Evening Standard * Engaging throughout, Time Warped will give you a better idea of your personal measurement of time. It covers complex ideas...without any reduction of scope -- Ben Critchley We Love This Book * She weaves a beautifully constructed story out of the puzzles that preoccupy us about the way we experience time, and the cutting-edge science that tries to make sense of it -- Raymond Tallis Mail on Sunday * A fascinating new book... Time Warped is highly engaging and accessible -- Doug Johnstone Big Issue * Engagingly written and thoroughly accessible Good Book Guide * An engaging, well-paced ride through the worlds of psychology, biology and neuroscience. Claudia Hammond's style balances in-depth analysis with absorbing anecdote Top Sante Magazine * It is my hope that science writers take a leaf out of Hammond's book and learn to treat their subjects with the humour, sensitivity and warmth that here emanate from every page. -- Dylan Evans Guardian, on Emotional Rollercoaster * An entertaining, informed guide to the responses that drive and colour our lives Independent on Emotional Rollercoaster * Hammond summaries a formidable array of current research, weaving this gently between personal anecdotes, detailed accounts of some of the more lurid and entertaining experiments and nuggets of hard fact. Sunday Telegraph on Emotional Rollercoaster * Hammond's style is accessible and anecdotal, and her refusal to romanticise emotions is bracing. Financial Times on Emotional Rollercoaster * Recommended ... Hammond's conversational style is lively and entertaining, and her eagerness to ground theory in real-life examples hooks the reader from the outset ... An entertaining yet comprehensive overview of emotions research ... Emotional Rollercoaster is a most enjoyable journey ... bound to appeal to a wide audience. The Psychologist on Emotional Rollercoaster