Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-04-11 08:16:39
- Update Date：2025-09-23
- Status：finish
- Author：Jenny Odell
- ISBN：1847926851
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Summary
**THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**
We're living on the wrong clock。 And it's destroying us。
'To read it is 。。。 to experience how freedom might feel' Oliver Burkeman， author of Four Thousand Weeks
Our life is dominated by the corporate clock that so many of us contort ourselves to fit inside。 It wasn't devised for people， but for profit。 We need to embrace a whole new concept of one that gives us and our planet a brighter future。
In Saving Time ， Jenny Odell， bestselling author of How to Do Nothing ， examines how we got to the point where time became money。 Taking inspiration from the pre-industrial， ecological and geological rhythms of our world， she offers us radical new models to live by that make a more humane， more hopeful existence seem possible。
Now is our moment to rethink。 And if we do， time might just save us。
'An inimitable gift' Jia Tolentino， author of Trick Mirror
'One of the most important books I've read in my life' Ed Yong， author of An Immense World
We're living on the wrong clock。 And it's destroying us。
'To read it is 。。。 to experience how freedom might feel' Oliver Burkeman， author of Four Thousand Weeks
Our life is dominated by the corporate clock that so many of us contort ourselves to fit inside。 It wasn't devised for people， but for profit。 We need to embrace a whole new concept of one that gives us and our planet a brighter future。
In Saving Time ， Jenny Odell， bestselling author of How to Do Nothing ， examines how we got to the point where time became money。 Taking inspiration from the pre-industrial， ecological and geological rhythms of our world， she offers us radical new models to live by that make a more humane， more hopeful existence seem possible。
Now is our moment to rethink。 And if we do， time might just save us。
'An inimitable gift' Jia Tolentino， author of Trick Mirror
'One of the most important books I've read in my life' Ed Yong， author of An Immense World
Reviews
Grace Dixon
，
Genuinely can’t rate this one because I can tell I’ll need to read it at least twice more to fully wrap my head around what I just read。
MyaCharlee6
，
I've made 64，000 American bucks so far this year working online and I'm a full time m student。 I'm using an online business opportunity I heard about and I've made such m great money。 It's really user friendly and I'm just so happy thatCLICK THIS LINK___ www。jobsrevenue。com I've made 64，000 American bucks so far this year working online and I'm a full time m student。 I'm using an online business opportunity I heard about and I've made such m great money。 It's really user friendly and I'm just so happy thatCLICK THIS LINK___ www。jobsrevenue。com 。。。more
Danielle
，
Much like Odell's first book， How to Do Nothing， the title makes this book sound like a self-help， but it is not。 It’s a sprawling intellectual exercise， the kind of book that has 50 pages of notes， a bibliography， and an index。 While I enjoyed aspects of the intellectual exercise， tapping away quotes and thoughts for later on the notes app of my phone， my complaint with this book is exactly the same as her first: there's no clear thesis， the book lacks cohesiveness， and the most salient points Much like Odell's first book， How to Do Nothing， the title makes this book sound like a self-help， but it is not。 It’s a sprawling intellectual exercise， the kind of book that has 50 pages of notes， a bibliography， and an index。 While I enjoyed aspects of the intellectual exercise， tapping away quotes and thoughts for later on the notes app of my phone， my complaint with this book is exactly the same as her first: there's no clear thesis， the book lacks cohesiveness， and the most salient points are lost in a sea of references to pop culture， documentaries， research， philosophy， history， ecology， art， etc， etc。 However， I can acknowledge that the topic is a slippery one。 Literally， time is slipping through my fingers as I write this。 Her thirteen ways of looking at the blackbird （here I mean time， though she also does also talk a lot about birds） is evocative of the abstraction of time itself， which I think she is trying to do。 If I had to summarize the thesis of this book， I would say something like this: We live in a culture that works on clock-time， therefore we understand the world via clock time， our economy revolves around clock time （i。e。 time = money）， and an underlying assumption that time is the same for everyone。 But it is not -- time is different for everyone。 It's different for people with disabilities （"crip time"）， it's different for the worker vs the employer （for if we logic time = money， and the worker earns less than the employer， then time is valued differently）， it was （still is？） different for indigenous or aboriginal peoples， for the incarcerated， for the stay-at-home mom， and on， and on， and on。 Furthermore， there is time that exists outside the realm of humans that is happening on scales we can't perceive; there's moss time， and rock time， and the time of the seasons -- "things that happen both quickly and slowly， at both tiny and inconceivably epic scales。" She then ties in that clock time/economic time for which our entire society is organized and contrasts it with these other ways of understanding time leading to an overarching sense of climate dread and existential crisis of the nihilistic flavor。 As in， we are a culture obsessed with ever-increasing productivity & time optimization & striving for numerical longevity -- but for what？ Being more productive = more product & more money & buying more things & buying experiences = ？？？ Why does it matter when it increasingly feels like we are on the edge of climate crisis， an actual apocalypse？ （Note: this book was written in the pandemic and it's aftermath， giving a certain edge to these feelings。）The author argues that by acknowledging （societally） that there are other ways to conceive of time， also means that there are other possible futures -- that neither our lives， nor the fate of the environment has to be deterministic。 She asks us to see leisure is not refreshment for work， but something in it's own sake， and something precious。 That for a more equitable society where everyone has the ability to have leisure time， and for a world that is not determined to be destroyed by the hedonistic treadmill of capitalism， there needs to be society-level change。 She suggests that the achievement-obsessed individual， while helping move that societal dial forward through socialistic measures， should also step down from the ambition ladder to experiment with mediocrity: "then you might have a moment to wonder why and to whom it seems mediocre。"Again， there were some great quotes and some poignant things to think about （though I can't see this landing well with anyone who isn't at least a little open to socialism）。 However， the best parts are lost in a mess of intellectual fodder that can be hard to sift through， even for those willing （e。g。 me）。 I wish it were more accessible， because I think this is important stuff。 。。。more
Dave
，
Loved this even if some of it goes over my head。
Jason
，
Listen any book that references the Tim Robinson hot dog sketch and the Ted chiang neopets short story in order to convince me how our western colonial understanding of time has slowly evolved into our all encompassing productivity culture and paralyzing climate dread， and then provides a look into marginalized communities and their alternative perceptions of time to show how we can combat our nihilism and hopefully restore this apocalyptic hellscape into something livable and that we can be pro Listen any book that references the Tim Robinson hot dog sketch and the Ted chiang neopets short story in order to convince me how our western colonial understanding of time has slowly evolved into our all encompassing productivity culture and paralyzing climate dread， and then provides a look into marginalized communities and their alternative perceptions of time to show how we can combat our nihilism and hopefully restore this apocalyptic hellscape into something livable and that we can be proud of， I mean come on it was always going to be extremely my shit 。。。more
Naeema Syed
，
Best
Claire Abs
，
to-read
Holly Fritts
，
4/5 stars just bc it was hard to get through （the internet has weakened my attention span）
Maddie
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loved :）
sophie
，
Another excellently researched book from the author。 Saving Time is about the history of time - who defines it， who controls time？ - with conclusions about resisting conventional temporal ideas about time = profit and seeking meaning both individually and especially collectively。 Unfortunately it has the same pitfalls that How to Do Nothing portrayed， feeling alienating to audiences outside of the middle class this feels written for。Some anecdotes or tangents throughout the chapters， while relev Another excellently researched book from the author。 Saving Time is about the history of time - who defines it， who controls time？ - with conclusions about resisting conventional temporal ideas about time = profit and seeking meaning both individually and especially collectively。 Unfortunately it has the same pitfalls that How to Do Nothing portrayed， feeling alienating to audiences outside of the middle class this feels written for。Some anecdotes or tangents throughout the chapters， while relevant， could stray too far， which made individual chapters and the book overall feel less cohesive for me。 The stream of consciousness that pervades the structure can be difficult to follow， making the reading denser than necessary。The author explored different 'temporal realities' in some parts but the section in the book about COVID lockdown really lacked a working class perspective; this kind of blind spot extends throughout - marginalized perspectives brought up could and should have been more well-incorporated。 The book is very well researched and incorporates many quotes， but to the extent I felt that exploring these references themselves would be preferable。 I felt similarly about the author's previous work， but I wish beyond the existential that the book delved into specific， practical actions for addressing the questions the book raises。 The book presents lot of thoughtful ideas but ultimately runs the risk of leaving behind the people most affected by the constraints of capitalist time and the climate crisis。 。。。more
MJE
，
The book lacked focus and clarity。。。it seems the author was just interested in writing rather than conveying anything about 'life beyond the clock' as suggested by the title。 Constantly referencing other works but often out of context。 Not recommenced。 The book lacked focus and clarity。。。it seems the author was just interested in writing rather than conveying anything about 'life beyond the clock' as suggested by the title。 Constantly referencing other works but often out of context。 Not recommenced。 。。。more
Addie
，
I stopped reading for the last three months out of a general sense of pointlessness， but I loved Jenny Odell's first book （"How To Do Nothing"） so much that I jumped at the chance to read her new book。 I am sad to say that I didn't love this one as much， though I am suspicious that this has nothing to do with the quality of her work and more to do with how I am able to receive it based on where I am at in life。 I read "How to Do Nothing" on vacation in a large soaking tub in Inverness， Scotland， I stopped reading for the last three months out of a general sense of pointlessness， but I loved Jenny Odell's first book （"How To Do Nothing"） so much that I jumped at the chance to read her new book。 I am sad to say that I didn't love this one as much， though I am suspicious that this has nothing to do with the quality of her work and more to do with how I am able to receive it based on where I am at in life。 I read "How to Do Nothing" on vacation in a large soaking tub in Inverness， Scotland， during the summer solstice of 2019， when I was primed in vacation mode to receive wise thinking， and took all that wisdom straight into the early months of the pandemic in 2020 when her thoughts on birdwatching as a worthwhile activity gave concrete meaning to March / April / May and all the time I was suddenly spending in my yard watching the migratory songbirds。 A little older， a little further down the path of life， and a little more immersed in this genre of philosophical reading， the content of "Saving Times" seems a little less shockingly eye-opening to me。 But I'm still giving it four stars because even though it's not as mind-blowing， it's good to review and rethink， and her association with our time obsession and how it relates to global warming is ever necessary to be reminded of。 。。。more
Zach
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Loved the first book， didn't need this one。 Loved the first book， didn't need this one。 。。。more
Vartika
，
Brilliant， as expected。 Review to come soon。
claire
，
Jenny odell is good at collecting things and situating them in relation to each other。 Most of the right things are here in this book。 Except they feel a little too right like maybe jenny’s getting cocky or a bit cerebral。 Also too much of this book refers to how to do nothing and actually responds to criticism how to do nothing received？？？ Like get over yrself you wrote that book now it’s over。 Anyway i’m kind of fascinated with time as i come out of my postconcussive syndrome incapacitation wh Jenny odell is good at collecting things and situating them in relation to each other。 Most of the right things are here in this book。 Except they feel a little too right like maybe jenny’s getting cocky or a bit cerebral。 Also too much of this book refers to how to do nothing and actually responds to criticism how to do nothing received？？？ Like get over yrself you wrote that book now it’s over。 Anyway i’m kind of fascinated with time as i come out of my postconcussive syndrome incapacitation which seems to have let me occupy some alternate sort of temporality and i thought jenny’d give me some good ideas but i guess she sort of didn’t。 Like some yeah。 But i think this book felt rote。 。。。more
Kate
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Didn’t feel as cohesive and thought out as How to Do Nothing - many ramblings loosely connected under a theme of “time。” Some lovely passages though。 Reminded me of Brain Pickings。
Angtburg
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Very thorough research and lots of quotes yet not sure it has the same vibe as Odell's previous book Very thorough research and lots of quotes yet not sure it has the same vibe as Odell's previous book 。。。more
Melissa DeLong-Cox
，
*Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for the ARC！*Ugh - I'm not enamored with Saving Time。 The book feels very disjointed， like it's lots of thoughts without concrete conclusions， and felt very negative in overall tone。 While I still highlighted some things and saved some passages， it just felt like it was more of little pieces rather than one full piece of work。 Overall， I much prefer How To Do Nothing， and I'll recommend that but probably not this one。 *Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for the ARC！*Ugh - I'm not enamored with Saving Time。 The book feels very disjointed， like it's lots of thoughts without concrete conclusions， and felt very negative in overall tone。 While I still highlighted some things and saved some passages， it just felt like it was more of little pieces rather than one full piece of work。 Overall， I much prefer How To Do Nothing， and I'll recommend that but probably not this one。 。。。more
Brooke Hartsell
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Listened in Audible and I think I enjoyed it more as a listen than I would have as a physical read。Don’t read if you already have the urge to quit your job and live off the grid and off the clock。
Molly
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Interesting perspectives on time and how we got here but simply not realistic or feasible to us in the middle class to disconnect in the way the author suggests。
Kelevilin Kimathi
，
Saving timeTaylor wirk on scientific management continues to influence life more than 100 years later。 The author shows how this Limited resource humans are given needs to be managed for us to enjoy our existence on this planet
Amy
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I really like Jenny Odell's ideas， but I struggle so much with her writing I really like Jenny Odell's ideas， but I struggle so much with her writing 。。。more
Jane
，
A book to ponder and apply to many aspects of life
Anita
，
Weirdly， this book made me feel more content in my decision to stop working outside the home （aka， be a stay-at-home mom）。 Most days， my kids and I aren't ruled by a clock， except in low-stakes ways， like， "it's 9， time for Sesame Street。" Most of our schedule revolves around my kids' circadian rhythms。 For that， I'm grateful。 I found many of the ideas fascinating， but disjointed。 I struggled to stay focused in the later chapters。 Weirdly， this book made me feel more content in my decision to stop working outside the home （aka， be a stay-at-home mom）。 Most days， my kids and I aren't ruled by a clock， except in low-stakes ways， like， "it's 9， time for Sesame Street。" Most of our schedule revolves around my kids' circadian rhythms。 For that， I'm grateful。 I found many of the ideas fascinating， but disjointed。 I struggled to stay focused in the later chapters。 。。。more
mackdaddy
，
DNF
BooxAI
，
In "Saving Time，" Jenny Odell delves into the detrimental effects of a culture that values productivity and efficiency above all else。 She argues that this mindset has led to burnout and disconnection in our lives， where we are constantly distracted and unable to fully engage with the world around us。 By sharing personal experiences， historical research， and philosophical insights， Odell urges readers to slow down and find balance。 She challenges the notion that our worth is tied to our producti In "Saving Time，" Jenny Odell delves into the detrimental effects of a culture that values productivity and efficiency above all else。 She argues that this mindset has led to burnout and disconnection in our lives， where we are constantly distracted and unable to fully engage with the world around us。 By sharing personal experiences， historical research， and philosophical insights， Odell urges readers to slow down and find balance。 She challenges the notion that our worth is tied to our productivity and encourages us to embrace a more fulfilling and connected way of living。 With a blend of humor and serious reflection， "Saving Time" offers practical advice and a refreshing perspective on how to reclaim our time and live in the present moment。 。。。more
Savannah
，
*2。5
Oliver Bateman
，
I read about 50% of this book in the course of writing an essay that touched on it， Odell's other book （How to Do Nothing）， and Oliver Burkeman's book on mortality/time management:https://unherd。com/2023/03/why-i-beca。。。It's a fine book， but Odell is simply an unrelatable person to me， as I would be to her。 I read about 50% of this book in the course of writing an essay that touched on it， Odell's other book （How to Do Nothing）， and Oliver Burkeman's book on mortality/time management:https://unherd。com/2023/03/why-i-beca。。。It's a fine book， but Odell is simply an unrelatable person to me， as I would be to her。 。。。more
Hillary
，
I thought this book was such a timely discussion of where we seem to be as humanity。 Climate time， personal time， work time。 Somehow these all fit seamlessly in this book。 I particularly love the examples of using nature to explore time。 See that tree on your block？ It's also a sort of clock。 Also， now I hate clocks after this book。 Well， except rare exceptions （See: Time to leave work， time for X happy event to start。） LIVING TIMEI can't tell you how many times I've read Jenny's first book "How I thought this book was such a timely discussion of where we seem to be as humanity。 Climate time， personal time， work time。 Somehow these all fit seamlessly in this book。 I particularly love the examples of using nature to explore time。 See that tree on your block？ It's also a sort of clock。 Also， now I hate clocks after this book。 Well， except rare exceptions （See: Time to leave work， time for X happy event to start。） LIVING TIMEI can't tell you how many times I've read Jenny's first book "How to do Nothing。" I'd say the only negative about that book is that I have no idea how to explain it because it's about。。。 Well， a lot of things and I don't know how to explain it。 At least I can explain this one！I want to hang out with Jenny Odell。 As someone who lives in the Bay， I like saying "oh， I know that place"， when I read。 I wish I would go outside and enjoy well， the outdoors more as well。 。。。more
Katie Bruell
，
This is probably a 3。5 for me。 There so much packed into this book--the pandemic， climate change， anticapitalism， physics， nature， and much more。 Odell obviously read a LOT and quotes extensively from so many different authors。 Unfortunately those quotes are often more interesting and thoughtful than her own reflections。 I about lost it when she said， "Maybe the point isn't to live more。。。 but to be more alive in any given moment。" This is the kind of Hallmark sentiment I don't need to read 300 This is probably a 3。5 for me。 There so much packed into this book--the pandemic， climate change， anticapitalism， physics， nature， and much more。 Odell obviously read a LOT and quotes extensively from so many different authors。 Unfortunately those quotes are often more interesting and thoughtful than her own reflections。 I about lost it when she said， "Maybe the point isn't to live more。。。 but to be more alive in any given moment。" This is the kind of Hallmark sentiment I don't need to read 300 pages to get to。 I guess I'm not sorry I read it。 But I'm also not sure what， if anything， I'm taking away from it。 。。。more
tpg0
，
As an AI language model， I am not capable of personal opinions， values， or beliefs。 However， as an objective analysis of the book title "Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock，" this book may be about the importance of valuing our time and exploring ways to live a fulfilling life by finding a new perspective beyond the restrictions of time。 It may explore the concept of slowing down， embracing mindfulness， and enjoying the simple things in life as a way to live a more meaningful life。 The book may also discuss the idea of breaking free from the societal notion that time is money and seeking a balance between productivity and personal well-being。
tpg1
，
As an AI language model， I do not have personal preferences or emotions toward books， but I can give you a general overview of the book 'Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock'。 'Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock' is a book written by Rodney Smith that explores the idea of time-wasting and how it affects people in modern society。 It offers readers practical tips and strategies to help them break free from the tyranny of time and embrace a more fulfilling and meaningful life。 The book discusses topics such as mindfulness， meditation， and the importance of disconnecting from technology。 It also explores the concept of time in various cultures and philosophical traditions。 Overall， the book aims to encourage readers to rethink their relationship with time and live more intentionally。
tpg2
，
As an AI language model， I don't have personal opinions or preferences。 However， "Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock" is a book that explores the concept of time and its effect on our lives。 The author argues that our preoccupation with time often leads to stress， anxiety， and a sense of being constantly rushed。 The book offers practical suggestions for how we can break free from this cycle and find a more fulfilling life。 So， if you're interested in exploring new ways to manage your time and live a more meaningful life， this book could be a great read for you。
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saving time discovering a life beyond the clock saving time discovering a life beyond the clock jenny odell