Book Review

by Paul Ganderton

Adam B. 1998. Timescapes of modernity. Routledge. Pp viii + 247. ISBN 0 415 16275 0.

This text takes the idea of time and applies it to the study of environmental problems created by industrial production. If landscape is the production of spatial divisions then timescapes are the production of temporal divisions. This, Adam argues is brought about by the use of time in industrial production. The structuring of time (as in, say, the railway timetable) is there for an industrial purpose. It is also out of sync with natural rhythms. By studying the way in which time is being used one can see how industrial production (and more importantly, pollution and environmental change) is changing how we work and react. The book's 7 chapters are divided into two sections. The first of these examines the conceptualisation of time from the industrial age onwards. The second section Adam studies the effect of time on modern social and industrial practices. One example, the timelag between BSE discovery and reporting in the media is one instance which shows how we operate (or fail to) in our use of the environment. This is a very closely argued text clearly requiring a good deal of background knowledge to grasp the nuances of the author. Given these conditions it is also stimulating - drawing out ideas in a novel and refreshing way.