The primary focus is on the measurement of time in relation to geology. Author Charles Hepworth Holland devotes chapters to geologic time measurements such as geochronometry, stratigraphy and radiometric dating. Other chapters include information on the solar system, cosmology, and a brief history on the development of clocks and calendars. A series of shifts in perspective allows the author to discuss everything from the scientific aspects of time to time related to human perception, child development, death, philosophy and the arts. His transitions eventually lead the reader back to the scientific aspects of time.
Chapters are concise, but cover ample amounts of information.
Each one is highlighted with illustrations and photos as well as quotations from classic works in literature and philosophy. Chapters dealing with time in relation to death, human perception, art, and philosophy are presented more like literature reviews than an analysis of time itself. The Idea of Time is a fascinating work dealing with various aspects of time and their interpretation. It is as much a scientific work as it is a review of literature related to the study of time. Its purpose becomes cloudy at times, as Holland alters his focus from geology to the humanities and back to geology, yet the facts presented are well documented.