I don’t even know where to begin with this one. This tiny nonfiction book literally blew my mind. Everything I thought I knew about time, about the world, about man’s place in the world has been shattered. In a good way.
The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli is a book about physics, but it’s written in a way that it doesn’t read like science. It is literary nonfiction at its finest. You don’t have to know or understand anything about physics to be able to enjoy this book. In fact, it’s probably better if you know very little.
Can I say that I enjoyed having my concept of the world turned upside down again and again? The more you think you know about the physical world, the more you experience these topsy turvy moments.
Perhaps the biggest revelation is that time does not exist. It’s an invention of mankind to make sense of the world from her perspective. That sounds a little woo-woo, I know, but Rovelli breaks the concept down into chunks. So you are taken on a journey to discovering this truth for yourself. You ease gently into this new way of thinking about the world.
So, as we ease our way past the winter holidays and into a new year, this book is a welcome guide. And a fun one if you enjoy the world changing before your eyes from time to… time.
