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The Time Nature Keeps: A Visual Guide to the Cycles and Time Spans of the Natural World
With stunning infographics on every page, this riveting visual guide reveals the mind-bending marvels of nature’s timescales both large and minuscule
“This work broadens our perception of time by looking at it through natural cycles . . . . The visuals seamlessly enhance the text, making for an impactful learning experience.”—Booklist starred review
Take a visual journey of discovery through the animal and plant kingdoms—and uncover the extraordinary rhythms of nature! Here are the answers to all kinds of curious questions,
How long do eggs take to hatch?
Do dogs really need more sleep than humans?
What are the world’s fastest- and slowest-growing plants?
And many more!
These infographics shed light on the truly remarkable range of the natural world—how plants and animals grow and age, sleep and migrate, and reproduce and die. Spanning ideas both big and small—from evolution to animal behavior—The Time Nature Keeps is a visual trove of nature’s clocks that brings the world’s cadences to life before our eyes.
“This work broadens our perception of time by looking at it through natural cycles . . . . The visuals seamlessly enhance the text, making for an impactful learning experience.”—Booklist starred review
Take a visual journey of discovery through the animal and plant kingdoms—and uncover the extraordinary rhythms of nature! Here are the answers to all kinds of curious questions,
How long do eggs take to hatch?
Do dogs really need more sleep than humans?
What are the world’s fastest- and slowest-growing plants?
And many more!
These infographics shed light on the truly remarkable range of the natural world—how plants and animals grow and age, sleep and migrate, and reproduce and die. Spanning ideas both big and small—from evolution to animal behavior—The Time Nature Keeps is a visual trove of nature’s clocks that brings the world’s cadences to life before our eyes.
213 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 18, 2023
12 people are currently reading
260 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 7, 2023
This was a really cool book. I loved the visualizations throughout, and the graphics were compelling. The structure of the book was also well done and I think this would be a great book for any history enthusiast or otherwise nature/ecology enthusiast.
April 21, 2023
The Time Nature Keeps is a stunning visual guide that focuses on time and the role it plays in the natural world and cycles. In this book, Helen Pilcher introduces the different types of time spans present in the natural world; evolutionary, ecological, life, growth, behavioral, and biological. One thing I think this book does very well includes providing lots of interesting facts and topics in an accessible and unintimidating way. I learned lots of new concepts, which I am excited to explore further (the further recommended reading is also something to explore if you like this book). I recommend this book to individuals wanting to start reading science books but are unsure where to start or feel overwhelmed. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
December 6, 2023
From the moment we are born, we are all affected and measured by the passage time. Every living thing lives by its own timeline, and its success is measured by its ability to pass on its genes within this timeframe. However, each creature's timeline is completely unique, depending on resource availability, competition, habitat, or physiology. Despite these factors, each species finds success or adapts to do so, and each timeline can then be cross compared to give a unique perspective into how life on Earth has progressed.
In how nature keeps time, Helen Pilcher explains how time is connected to all living things, by drawing on various aspects of biological and environmental research and how they all intertwine. The writing style is insightful and free of fancy jargon, making it accessible for all ages. Additionally, the text is complemented with bright and calming graphics which draw in the eye and help summaries the information presented without overwhelming the reader.
The book covers a wide range of topics to explain how various aspects of life, such as evolution, behavioural adaption, and organism growth can be tracked using time. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on ecological spans, which discussed the ebb and flow of an ecosystem and how it affects flora and fauna within their habitats. For example, the book delves into how changes that appear devastating at the time, such as the aftermath of a bushfire, can have long-term benefits, and investigating the benefits of reintroducing keystone species, which can alter the entire surrounding landscape and pave the way for other life to return.
In conclusion, How Nature Keeps Time is a book that educates and inspires a deeper appreciation of the intricacies of life on Earth. Whether you are a seasoned naturalist or a curious newcomer to science and conservation, this book is a must-read!
In how nature keeps time, Helen Pilcher explains how time is connected to all living things, by drawing on various aspects of biological and environmental research and how they all intertwine. The writing style is insightful and free of fancy jargon, making it accessible for all ages. Additionally, the text is complemented with bright and calming graphics which draw in the eye and help summaries the information presented without overwhelming the reader.
The book covers a wide range of topics to explain how various aspects of life, such as evolution, behavioural adaption, and organism growth can be tracked using time. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on ecological spans, which discussed the ebb and flow of an ecosystem and how it affects flora and fauna within their habitats. For example, the book delves into how changes that appear devastating at the time, such as the aftermath of a bushfire, can have long-term benefits, and investigating the benefits of reintroducing keystone species, which can alter the entire surrounding landscape and pave the way for other life to return.
In conclusion, How Nature Keeps Time is a book that educates and inspires a deeper appreciation of the intricacies of life on Earth. Whether you are a seasoned naturalist or a curious newcomer to science and conservation, this book is a must-read!
April 1, 2023
The Time Nature Keeps is not just through a clock. Time and events are also recorded by the fossils in the earth, the rings inside a tree, and the earwax of a whale.
Just as we perceive time moving slower when in a stressful situation, animals and insects perceive time differently than we do. A cat feels time moves 1.4 times slower than we feel it. Dogs are even slower perceivers at two times our perception speed. But house flies take the record because time moves 6.8 times slower for them, which is great since they only live a few weeks on average. Many marine animals feel time passing faster than humans. A Blacknose Shark sense of time is 2.2 times faster than ours and a Leatherback turtle is a comparatively brisk 2.7 faster.
The book is filled with a treasure trove of little facts like these. For example, pollution caused an English moth to change colors. When the pollution was reduced, the moth’s descendants returned to their original color. The book uses illustrations and timelines very effectively as in the graphic showing how, and why, a dog-sized creature evolved into the modern-sized horse. While it was comforting to see that non-human-caused global warming impacted the Earth multiple times in the past, it was shocking to see that even now between 30 and 150 species become extinct every day!
If you like science, nature or learning unusual facts you may never need or use again, pick up a copy of The Time Nature Keeps. It makes for an entertaining read or a great coffee table book. 4 stars!
Thanks to The Experiment and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.
Just as we perceive time moving slower when in a stressful situation, animals and insects perceive time differently than we do. A cat feels time moves 1.4 times slower than we feel it. Dogs are even slower perceivers at two times our perception speed. But house flies take the record because time moves 6.8 times slower for them, which is great since they only live a few weeks on average. Many marine animals feel time passing faster than humans. A Blacknose Shark sense of time is 2.2 times faster than ours and a Leatherback turtle is a comparatively brisk 2.7 faster.
The book is filled with a treasure trove of little facts like these. For example, pollution caused an English moth to change colors. When the pollution was reduced, the moth’s descendants returned to their original color. The book uses illustrations and timelines very effectively as in the graphic showing how, and why, a dog-sized creature evolved into the modern-sized horse. While it was comforting to see that non-human-caused global warming impacted the Earth multiple times in the past, it was shocking to see that even now between 30 and 150 species become extinct every day!
If you like science, nature or learning unusual facts you may never need or use again, pick up a copy of The Time Nature Keeps. It makes for an entertaining read or a great coffee table book. 4 stars!
Thanks to The Experiment and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.
April 18, 2023
A fun and informative collection of infographics about all things time and nature.
This book includes a collection of infographics covering a variety of topics surrounding time and various aspects of nature. These are organized into collections of related topics, such as evolution or lifespans. Readers can learn about how plants and animals grow and age, sleep and migrate, and reproduce and die.
Overall, I thought the infographics were well-designed and very informative. I learned a lot of fun facts that made me think about how time is relative for every organism based on a lot of different factors. Although you don't get to learn very much about any of the individual topics, the little bite-size tastes are interesting on their own and also invite you to explore particular areas of interest in more detail.
Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for providing an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
This book includes a collection of infographics covering a variety of topics surrounding time and various aspects of nature. These are organized into collections of related topics, such as evolution or lifespans. Readers can learn about how plants and animals grow and age, sleep and migrate, and reproduce and die.
Overall, I thought the infographics were well-designed and very informative. I learned a lot of fun facts that made me think about how time is relative for every organism based on a lot of different factors. Although you don't get to learn very much about any of the individual topics, the little bite-size tastes are interesting on their own and also invite you to explore particular areas of interest in more detail.
Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for providing an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
August 29, 2023
Infographics galore!! I love a good infographic, and this book is absolutely saturated with them. The graphic design effort for this book is phenomenal. Every page is a beautiful stand alone infographic that is pleasing to the eye. Plus, it's jam packed with fun facts. It took a while for me to get through because I kept stopping to share the fun facts with my partner, and then looking up more on some of the facts.
I'm a big fan of fun facts and info graphics, so this book was absolutely perfect for me.
I'm a big fan of fun facts and info graphics, so this book was absolutely perfect for me.
netgalley-tbr
April 19, 2023Thanks to Netgalley and The Experiment for the ARC of this!
This was super interesting and the visuals really helped my brain to process the numbers being talked about. I learned a lot of new facts, but none of it felt overly complex or academic. A fun one if you are interested in nature (especially animals) and numbers
This was super interesting and the visuals really helped my brain to process the numbers being talked about. I learned a lot of new facts, but none of it felt overly complex or academic. A fun one if you are interested in nature (especially animals) and numbers
December 27, 2023
Cool graphical display of information related to time. The book is organized around time as context. Beginning with the widest, evolutionary spans of time. Then ecological and life spans of animals, fungi, and plants, continuing on to growth, behavioral, and biological.
October 10, 2023
This enjoyable book is educational and fun to read. Photos, graphs and diagrams accompany the well-organized information.
January 13, 2025
Fascinating. Loved the illustrations and visuals. Learned a lot of fun facts.
April 10, 2023
Reading this book was extremely educational and enjoyable. Although it discusses complex scientific topics and cycles, it's written in a way that is extremely easy to understand. The illustrations and infographics were both aesthetically pleasing and informational. The way this book was structured, starting from evolutionary spans to ecological spans to many other spans, made this an easy read. Anyone who has an interest in ecology, evolution, or zoology would enjoy having this beautiful book in their collection.
November 28, 2023
Een boeiend boek met mooie tekeningen, over hoe verschillende organismen zich gedragen door de afmeting van tijd ,
Waarbij ik me afvraag hoeveel verschil zou er zijn tussen onderlinge soorten bv ademhaling per minuut , alligator 2-7. , paard. 10-14 , mens 12 -16 , muis 80-230 , …. In rust kom ik meer rond 8-9 waarbij ik dan meer ingedeeld zou worden bij de giraffen en beren ,
Een mooi boek met leuke weetjes 5 sterren voor natuur/biologie leespubliek ,
Waarbij ik me afvraag hoeveel verschil zou er zijn tussen onderlinge soorten bv ademhaling per minuut , alligator 2-7. , paard. 10-14 , mens 12 -16 , muis 80-230 , …. In rust kom ik meer rond 8-9 waarbij ik dan meer ingedeeld zou worden bij de giraffen en beren ,
Een mooi boek met leuke weetjes 5 sterren voor natuur/biologie leespubliek ,
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews