Synopses & Reviews
This fascinating book fully addresses a topic of much general interest by drawing together a wealth of diverse material on the much-trusted (and rarely disputed) phenomenon we know as the calendar. From the fundamentals of astronomy to the world's ancient time-keeping schemes, from the development of the modern-day calendar to the precise calculation of what happens when (as in, how does one arrive at the date for Easter Sunday?), this is a skillful yet approachable discussion of the calendar from both the historical and contemporary perspectives. Readers will even learn how to perform experiments and calculations for themselves by using such basic techniques as stargazing and simple mathematics.
Review
"The author's style is both precise and appealing.... Intriguing and compelling...offers...much to ponder about the relationship of calendars and culture."--Frederick Pratter,
Christian Science Monitor"Richard's compendious history of the calendar reflects the huge range of the subject, touching as it does on topics as diverse as the origin of writing, the French Revolution, Hindu astronomy and various proposals for a thirteen-month year...perhaps the most complete and lively treatise on temporal lore published this millennium."--The Sciences
Synopsis
This fascinating book draws together a wealth of diverse material on the much-trusted (and rarely disputed) phenomenon we know as the calendar. From the fundamentals of astronomy to the world's ancient time-keeping schemes, to the development of the modern-day calendar, to the precise calculation of when specific dates occur (as in how one arrives at the date for Easter Sunday), this is a skillful yet approachable discussion of the calendar from both the historical and contemporary perspectives. Readers will even learn how to perform experiments and calculations for themselves by using such basic techniques as stargazing and simple mathematics.
About the Author
Richards was Formerly a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biophysics, King's College, London
Table of Contents