Few of us have any conception of the enormous timescales in our planet’s long history, and this narrow perspective underlies many of the environmental problems we are creating for ourselves. The passage of nine days, which is how long a drop of water typically stays in Earth’s atmosphere, is something we can easily grasp. But spans of hundreds of years—the time a molecule of carbon dioxide resides in the atmosphere—approach the limits of our comprehension. Our everyday lives are shaped by processes that vastly predate us, and our habits will in turn have consequences that will outlast us by generations. Timefulness reveals how knowing the rhythms of Earth’s deep past and conceiving of time as a geologist does can give us the perspective we need for a more sustainable future.
Marcia Bjornerud shows how geologists chart the planet’s past, explaining how we can determine the pace of solid Earth processes such as mountain building and erosion and comparing them with the more unstable rhythms of the oceans and atmosphere. These overlapping rates of change in the Earth system—some fast, some slow—demand a poly-temporal worldview, one that Bjornerud calls “timefulness.” She explains why timefulness is vital in the Anthropocene, this human epoch of accelerating planetary change, and proposes sensible solutions for building a more time-literate society.
This compelling book presents a new way of thinking about our place in time, enabling us to make decisions on multigenerational timescales. The lifespan of Earth may seem unfathomable compared to the brevity of human existence, but this view of time denies our deep roots in Earth’s history—and the magnitude of our effects on the planet.
Awards and Recognition
- Shortlisted for the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, Phi Beta Kappa Society
- Finalist for the 2019 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Science & Technology
- Winner of the 2019 PROSE Award in Popular Science & Popular Mathematics, Association of American Publishers
- Longlisted for the 2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Prize for Literary Science Writing Award, PEN American Center
- One of EcoLit Books' Best Environmental Books of 2018
- A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year
"[Timefulness is] a profound meditation on the richness, depth and entanglements of geologic time . . . elegantly condensing the landmark tomes of geology, from James Hutton’s Theory of the Earth . . . to John McPhee’s Annals of the Former World."—Robert M. Thorson, Wall Street Journal
"In this trenchant study, Bjornerud calls for a new geological literacy to instill deeper knowledge of planetary rhythms and processes."—Barbara Kiser, Nature
"Timefulness is a delightful and interesting read. The author’s cadence and the illustrator’s aforementioned figures made me feel as though I was having a glass of wine with a friend who was explaining geologic history while sketching on a napkin."—David R. Wunsch, Science
"With Timefulness . . . [Bjornerud] delivers a brisk biography of Earth. Aside from charting the rise of mountains and the transformation of the atmosphere, she shows us why–given an uncertain future–taking the long view is more critical than ever before."—Matt Huston, Psychology Today
"Timefulness is a charmer and makes a strong case for thinking like Bjornerud."—Heather Smith, Sierra
"It is always a challenge to make geology accessible to a popular audience, but Timefulness is never impenetrable and is sparing in its use of jargon. New Scientist readers will have little difficulty following the heartfelt narrative. Bjornerud’s book is a manifesto for humanity – but on a very long timescale."—Mick O'Hare, New Scientist
"Bored? Anxious? Busy? Try considering time as a geologist would—in segments of years, or hundreds of years. Understanding the rhythm and pace of the planet we live on is what Bjornerud calls ‘timefulness.’ It all seems unfathomable, until we begin to fathom it—and realize that thinking on this scale might be the only way we can truly understand (and save) the world."—Emily Temple, Literary Hub
"Being timeful, in [Bjornerud’s] formulation, means allowing ourselves to be daunted by events and landscapes whose scale strains the imagination; it means seeing Earth, and not our own short-lived species, as the main character in the story."—Geoff Manaugh, WIRED
"[Timefulness] is an antidote to the new climate report (not to mention raging fires and floods around the world) that seems bereft of hope for humanity’s future. . . . Bjornerud argues that if we all can change the way we view our world and our place in it, adopting an approach grounded in ‘timefulness,’ we’ll be able to create a more sustainable future not just for ourselves and the next generation but for many generations to come."—Sarah Rothbard, Zócalo Public Square
"One of the most important books of recent times."—Marcus Smith, host, BYU Radio's Constant Wonder
"We need to understand the Earth more intimately than ever now, Bjornerud argues, as we change it in unprecedented ways (a fact that only becomes more terrifying the more you know about Earth’s long history). A more grounded view of time—zooming out and looking at the Earth’s entire life thus far from a remove—practically begs for saner, longer term decision-making for the future. And this perspective is something we can only get from acquainting ourselves with geology, Bjornerud posits, because ‘fathoming deep time is arguably geology’s single greatest contribution to humanity.’"—Chelsea Leu, Bay Nature
"Bjornerud’s lucid writing gives geology an energy it rarely has in popular imagination, with just enough warm autobiographical moments to make a personal connection. In both content and prose, she skillfully makes the case that this sort of knowledge (even using the what more than the how) offers us great opportunity to think about our contemporary situation, particularly regarding climate change."—Justin Cober-Lake, Englewood Review of Books
"Clear, well-paced, [and] witty."—John Wilson, First Things
"Marcia Bjornerud’s book tells the story of the deep history of Earth, a history that’s been punctuated by cataclysmic and unfathomable violence. Oddly, I found comfort in learning about the processes by which this little ball of rock has evolved into a habitable planet and, despite our best efforts, will continue to be so for billions of years to come."—Stephen Sparks, co-owner of Point Reyes Books,, Literary Hub
"Bjornerud’s vision of Earth science is poetic and lovely. . . . [Timefulness] feels essential and timely. It encapsulates the mismatch between the long-term sense of who we are and where we came from with the short-term-thinking that dominates our election cycles and our stock markets. Recommended to all."—Callan Bentley, Mountain Beltway
"Timefulness transforms geological phenomena, from atmospheric carbon molecules to ancient mountains, into a meditation on life itself."—Alistair Scrutton, Anthropocene
"In reading Timefulness, one encounters a clear, engaging text grounded in years of teaching, thinking, and conversations about the struggles of humans to relate themselves to geologic time."—J. S. Lackey, Pomona College
"Bjornerud has made sure that her message reaches audiences without being crippled by jargon."—Ishan Kukret, Down to Earth
"[Timefulness] offers the reader the underlying science in sufficient detail to develop an understanding and perhaps an opinion on the challenges before us."—Ben van der Pluijm, Holocene
"[Bjornerud] positions geology as a field of study ready to tackle the larger philosophical questions being posed by climate change experts."—Jennifer Ferng, Leonardo Reviews
"One of the most interesting and informative books I have read for a long time."—Jane A. Michael, Proceedings of the Open University Geological Society
"[Timefulness] must cause us to pause and reflect on the sudden speed at which we are undoing processes that have taken millennia to evolve."—Paul Sorensen, International Journal of Environment Studies
"This is, frankly, the most poetic rendering of geology I have read since Darwin’s Origin of Species. "—Christiana Zenner, America Magazine
"I fear I cannot give justice to this eloquent presentation of how important geologic knowledge is to an intellectually healthy society. I thoroughly enjoyed Timefulness and, more importantly, have been affected by this book. Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World has pushed to the front of my mind the importance of looking after the environmental health of my grandchildren and their grandchildren. It is now my desire to find a way to influence people to be environmentally involved and what should be done to assure a healthy planet for our current and future well-being."—Roy Van Arsdale, Environmental & Engineering Geoscience
“Bjornerud gives lyrical voice to the rocks that tell the story of our wondrous planet. Engaging and eloquent, Timefulness reminds us that the present is only a link between past and future, a reality too often forgotten in the modern world’s obsession with the here and now.”—Ruth DeFries, author of The Big Ratchet: How Humanity Thrives in the Face of Natural Crisis
“A passionate and timely plea for the urgency of geo-literacy.”—David R. Montgomery, author of Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations and Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life
“This book is a masterpiece of superb writing and accurate, up-to-date science. It places modern climate change in a geological context and makes an eloquent plea for action. Timefulness is one of the best science books I have ever read.”—James Lawrence Powell, author of Four Revolutions in the Earth Sciences: From Heresy to Truth
“This succinct and engaging book covers the history of Earth from its birth some 4.5 billion years ago to the problem of human-induced climate change. Bjornerud’s message is that we need to understand geological time to appreciate—and deal with—the impact we are having on our planet.”—Simon Lamb, author of Devil in the Mountain: A Search for the Origin of the Andes
