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Description
This book describes the role of the seasons in timekeeping, the ways ancient peoples kept time, the calendars of different religions and cultures, early and modern clocks, as well as geologic time, space-time, and the fourth dimension.
Quick Summary
If you've got a kid who's ever asked "how did people tell time before clocks existed?" or "why do we have different calendars?", this is exactly the book for them. Bennett takes something we all take for granted time and shows just how wild and creative humans have been in tracking it, from ancient sundials to the Mayan calendar, from religious calendars to atomic clocks. What makes this one memorable is how it connects everyday things like why we have seasons or why a minute has 60 seconds to the bigger universe, including a surprisingly accessible intro to Einstein's space-time and the fourth dimension. It's perfect for curious middle graders who love trivia, kids who enjoy "how things work" explanations, or reluctant readers who might get hooked by the weird facts. Parents should know it's purely educational with no concerning content just lots of fascinating ways to think about time. If your kid devours this, they might also like "A Short History of Nearly Everything" for more science fun.