Michael Downing is obsessed with Daylight Saving, the loopy idea that became the most persistent political controversy in American history. Almost one hundred years after Congressmen and lawmakers in every state first debated, ridiculed, and then passionately embraced the possibility of saving an hour of daylight, no one can say for sure why we are required by law to change our clocks twice a year. Who first proposed the scheme? The most authoritative sources agree it was a Pittsburgh industrialist, Woodrow Wilson, a man on a horse in London, a Manhattan socialite, Benjamin Franklin, one of the Caesars, or the anonymous makers of ancient Chinese and Japanese water clocks. Spring Forward is a portrait of public policy in the 20th century, a perennially boiling cauldron of unsubstantiated science, profiteering masked as piety, and mysteriously shifting time–zone boundaries. It is a true–to–life social comedy with Congress in the leading role, surrounded by a supporting cast of opportunistic ministers, movie moguls, stockbrokers, labor leaders, sports fanatics, and railroad execs.

Can you save someone from something that’s already happened? Daniel’s expectations for his forced vacation with his father at the Leisure World Holiday Complex are low. He hates sports, and his father is mostly lost in drink and depression. But then he sees a strange girl swimming in the fake lake, and everything changes. Lexi has a smart mouth and a killer swim stroke, but dark secrets swirl around her. She’s got bruises and cuts that seem to be getting worse instead of better. She’s always alone. And her watch is ticking backwards. When a dark figure begins to stalk Lexi and Daniel, the truth must come out. This gripping ghost story will raise goose bumps and questions: does a traumatic past mean the future is a foregone conclusion?

Benjamin Franklin conceived of it. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle endorsed it. Winston Churchill campaigned for it. Kaiser Wilhelm first employed it. Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt went to war with it, and more recently the United States fought an energy crisis with it. For several months every year, for better or worse, daylight savings time affects vast numbers of people throughout the world. And from Ben Franklin's era to today, its story has been an intriguing and sometimes-bizarre amalgam of colorful personalities and serious technical issues, purported costs and perceived benefits, conflicts between interest groups and government policymakers. It impacts diverse and unexpected areas, including agricultural practices, street crime, the reporting of sports scores, traffic accidents, the inheritance rights of twins, and voter turnout. Illustrated with a popular look at science and history, Seize the Daylight presents an intriguing and surprisingly entertaining story of our attempt to regulate the sunlight hours.

Daylight saving time (DST) is a practice of adjusting the clocks forward an hour during the spring season and reversing it back during autumn. This alteration helps in utilizing the daylight hours more efficiently and reducing energy consumption during the evening. Daylight saving time is implemented in different countries across the world, with varying dates of implementation. Some countries also opt-out of this practice for various reasons, such as the detrimental effects on the human body due to the abrupt shift in the sleep cycle or the inconvenience caused by the constant change in the time zone. The idea of daylight saving time can be traced back to Benjamin Franklin, but the modern implementation of this practice began during the First World War. It was first introduced in Germany in 1916, and soon other European countries followed suit. The United States adopted this practice during the Second World War, and it was later standardized after the Uniform Time Act of 1966. However, the implementation and duration of daylight saving time have been subject to numerous debates and controversies, with many scientists and policymakers now questioning its effectiveness and benefits. In this book we discuss topics such as: Introduction: Brief history of Daylight Saving Time (DST), Purpose of DST, Controversy surrounding DST How DST Works: Setting our clocks forward and backward, Impact on natural light patterns, Benefits of DST, 1. Energy conservation, 2. Improved public safety, 3. Increased economic productivity, 4. Health benefits The Global Debate on DST: Countries that observe DST, Countries that do not observe DST, Reasons for differing policies on DST Impacts of DST: Agriculture and farming, Transportation, Tourism, Education, Health DST and Technology: Impact of DST on electronic devices, Time zones and international communication, The role of technology in DST policy Alternatives to DST: Permanent Standard Time, Double DST, Time Zone Changes Conclusion: Summary of the main points, Implications for future DST policy and Call to action for additional research. Quizzes are provided at the end of each section.

This history of Daylight Saving Time covers the century of confusion that swirls around this odd moment on the annual calendar.

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