Time Paradox

THE TIME PARADOX:
THE NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF TIME
THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE
by Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd,
Free Press, 2008

OUTLINE OF BOOK'S
FACTS & IDEAS
1-20-16

PUBLISHER'S QUESTIONS = You will discover what time zone you live in through the book's revolutionary tests. Ask yourself:

[1] Does the smell of fresh-baked cookies bring you back to your childhood?

[2] Do you believe that nothing will ever change in your world?

[3] Do you believe that the present encompasses all and the future and past are mere abstractions?

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

[5] Do you believe that life on earth is merely preparation for life after death?

[6] Do you ruminate over failed relationships?

[7] 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 book has 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 and future.

No matter what your time perspective is, you will 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 obsessed in an unhealthy way with future goals.

Time passes no matter what you do -- it's up to you to spend it wisely and enjoy it well.

PART 1 --- THE NEW SCIENCE OF TIME --- How time works (1-186)

1) Why time matters (3-27)

2) Time --- A retrospective on time perspectives (29-69)

3) The past --- How you see yesterday through the lens of today (71-98)

4) The present --- An instant for all that is real (99-133)

5) The future --- Tomorrow through the lens of today (135-160)

6) The transcendental future --- New time after death (161-186)

PART 2 --- MAKING TIME WORK FOR YOU (187-319)

7) Time, your body, and your health --- More than your biological clock is ticking (189-213)

8) The course of time --- Life choices and money in balancing the present and the future (215-243)

9) Love and happiness (245-264)

10) Business, politics, and your time (265-293)

11) Resetting your psychological clock --- Developing your ideal time perspective (295-311)

12) Out of time --- Making your time matter (312-320)

NOTES (321-339)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (341-342)

INDEX (343-354)

ILLUSTRATION CREDITS (355-358)

AUTHORS AND
BOOK DESCRIPTION

ABOUT THE AUTHORS = Philip Zimbardo, Ph.D., a professor emeritus at Stanford University and past president of the American Psychological Association, designed and narrated the award-winning PBS series Discovering Psychology. He has written more than fifty books, including the New York Times bestseller The Lucifer Effect, and lives in San Francisco.

John Boyd, Ph.D., received his doctorate in psychology from Stanford University, where he worked closely with Philip developing the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory. His professional experience includes director of scientific affairs at Alertness Solutions, director of research at Yahoo!, and, currently, research manager at Google. He lives in Dublin, California, with his wife, Nancy.

BOOK DESCRIPTION = Now in paperback, this breakthrough book on the new psychological science of time by one of the most influential living psychologists—the New York Times bestselling author of The Lucifer Effect — and his research partner launched on the front page of USA TODAY "Lifestyle" with a Time Survey and on CBS Morning Show.

This is the first paradox of time: Your attitudes toward time have a profound impact on your life and world, yet you seldom recognize it. Our goal is to help you reclaim yesterday, enjoy today, and master tomorrow with new ways of seeing and working with your past, present, and future.

Just as Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences permanently altered our understanding of intelligence and Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink gave us an appreciation for the adaptive unconscious, Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd’s new book changes the way we think about and experience time. It will give you new insights into how family conflicts can be resolved by ways to enhance your sexuality and sensuality, and mindsets for becoming more successful in business and happier in your life.

Based on the latest psychological research, The Time Paradox is both a "big think" guide for living in the 21st century and one of those rare self-help books that really does have the power to improve lives.

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.

PROFESSIONAL BOOK REVIEW

FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY = Time is our most valuable possession: we are obsessed with schedules and multitasking to save time, say the authors of this insightful study of the importance of time in our lives. Yet people spend time less wisely than money. Zimbardo (The Lucifer Effect), professor emeritus of psychology at Stanford, and Boyd, research director for Yahoo!, draw on their two decades of research to explain why people devalue time. They blend scientific results into a straightforward narrative exploring various past-, present- and future-oriented ways of perceiving time and argue against becoming imprisoned or obsessed by any one of these. Zimbardo and Boyd have cogent insight into all of time's elements and show how they can be used for success, better health and greater fulfillment. For instance, understanding the role of time in investment can lead to wiser financial decisions, and a relationship will not work if one partner is focused on today's pleasure while the other wants to plan for the future. This is a compelling and practical primer (filled with quizzes and tests) on making every moment count.

BOOK REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

[1] "Phil Zimbardo, a master at making complex ideas and discoveries in psychology (including his own), not only intelligible but fun and personally relevant for nonspecialists, has done it again, this time with the fascinating topic of time perspective. Bravo!" -- Walter Mischel, Ph.D., Columbia University Niven Professor of Humane Letters in Psychology.

[2] "If you are a decision maker, then you need to read this book. It informs about the central problem of how to discriminate between immediate rewards and future payoffs. The book is comprehensive, admirably clear, and a delightful read." -- Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan.

[3] "The book explores a very important topic from a fresh, practical, and entertaining perspective. Since time is limited for all of us, this book is well worth your time." -- Daniel Amen, M.D., author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and Healing the Hardware of Your Soul.

[4] "The book reveals how to better use your most irreplaceable resource, based on solid science and timeless wisdom." -- Martin Seligman, author of Authentic Happiness.

[5] "Informed by the world's foremost expert on the psychology of time, the book combines solid science, compelling stories, and crisp prose to illuminate how time, like the oxygen we breathe, pervades every aspect of our lives. Reading this book will yield insights into your own motivation and behavior and help you be happier, healthier, and more successful. It will also help you understand the source of many of the world's greatest triumphs and most pressing problems -- from terrorism to homelessness, from religion to love, from the successes and failures of CEOs to those of marriages. Zimbardo and Boyd have hit a home run." -- Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness.

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