The Time Paradox

We’re pleased to share the following praise for The Time Paradox:

“The Time Paradox: The New Psychology of Time That Will Change Your Life, by Philip Zimbardo, PhD, and John Boyd, PhD, makes the intriguing case that each of us has a unique time personality. Some people tend to live hedonistically in the moment; others are fixated on past sorrows or future agendas. The book contains a quiz to determine your own time zone and suggestions for exploring its benefits and pitfalls—the goal being to help you make the most of the time you have.”
—O, The Oprah Magazine, August 2008

What can explain the behavior of suicide bombers, successful investors, and depressives? According to psychologists Zimbardo and Boyd, it’s their attitude regarding time—past, present, and future. Here, Zimbardo, a past president of the American Psychological Association renowned for his 1971 Stanford Prison Experiments, and research partner Boyd describe six major time perspectives. Through a questionnaire called the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, readers can determine whether they are primarily driven by concerns with the past, the present, or the future as well as whether they view each time period positively or negatively and how that perspective might be influencing their behavior. The authors further explore what has been learned to date about how to achieve a set of perspectives that seems most likely to help people become happy and successful. So little self-help material based on real science is published that, when something like this comes along, we owe it to our patrons to make sure it is readily available. For all public and most
—Mary Ann Hughes, Neill P.L., Pullman, WA

“Boyd and Zimbardo have set the new gold standard for books about time. The Time Paradox is a provocative, informative treatise that combines cutting edge research with practical, hands-on guidance for self-change. In the hands of these two experienced scholars, time
becomes a tool for helping us understand and better control nothing less than the way we live our lives.”
—Robert V. Levine, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, California State University, Fresno and author of Journeys in Social Psychology: Looking Back to Inspire the Future and A Geography of Time

“’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.
—Publisher’s Weekly review

“This book would change Silicon Valley if we only took the time to read it. As such, you will gain a significant competitive advantage if you read it, so fork over the price and get going.”
— Guy Kawasaki, co-founder of Alltop and author of The Art of the Start

“Time is to humans as water is to fish: Pervasive, essential and almost entirely overlooked. In this important book, Zimbardo and Boyd call our attention to this invisible force shaping our lives. They explain the profound effect that our attitude toward time has on our habits, our happiness, our likelihood of success … and offer key advice on shifting perspectives. It’s one of those rare and illuminating books that can change the way you think. And quite possibly the way you live.”
—June Cohen, producer, TED Conference

“If you are a decision maker, then you need to read this book. It informs about the central problem of how to defer between immediate rewards and future payoffs. The Time Paradox is comprehensive, admirably clear, and a delightful read.”
—Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan

“The Time Paradox reveals how to better use your most irreplaceable resource, based on solid science and timeless wisdom.”
—Martin Seligman, author of Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment

“Phil Zimbardo, a master at making complex ideas and discoveries in psychology, including his own, not only intelligible but fun and personally relevant for non-specialists, 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

“At long last we have been offered this essential book, The Time Paradox, which is not only an examination but an understanding of our many human conceptions and enterprises of what we conceive, and construct, as time. Uniquely, Zimbardo and Boyd offers genuine insights into how time is personally experienced, with the impact of affecting and memorable personal narratives. Further, we reap the benefits of the authors’ expertise on human wellbeing and the many applications of the mystery and power of time’ in our thoughtful, emotional, and powerful human enterprises. It’s not only a must-read, it’s a must-know. I’m so happy at last to know that the spark that prompted my own doctoral writing decades ago has inspired such gifted researchers and writers, who have given all of us what at least some of us have long to comprehend.”
—Ann L. Weber, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, UNC at Asheville

“Informed by the world’s foremost expert on the psychology of time, The Time Paradox 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 that of marriages. Zimbardo and Boyd have hit a home run.”
—Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want

“Time Paradox opened my eyes to the effect of time on society’s 
psyche.  Starting from the beginnings of time, cultures from our past 
have all had their own interpretations of time and we still follow 
some of those today.  Today, dealing with time is more important than 
ever as Zimbardo and Boyd show that our own personal issues can be 
helped simply by shifting our perception of what time means to us, 
which then leads to some of society’s ills being addressed as well. 
We all need a better understanding of time in our lives, and Zimbardo 
and Boyd in Time Paradox provide the perfect framework for us to use 
time as a more effective force in our lives.”
—David Shen, David Shen Ventures, LLC (Previously, Vice-President of User Experience & Design, Yahoo!)
http://www.davidshenventures.com