The country with the fastest pace of life was Switzerland and the slowest was Mexico. In between Switzerland and Hong Kong were, in order, Ireland, Germany, Japan, Italy, England, Sweden, Austria and the Netherlands. Each place was rated on three measures - walking speed, work speed and the accuracy of public clocks.

In the annals of human history, the idea of being a slave to time is a recent phenomenon. The Industrial Revolution made accurate timekeeping a necessity, but it was not until the mid-19th century that clocks became widely available. Wristwatches were popularised during the first world war when they were issued as standard military equipment.

However, not all societies paid as much attention to 'clock time', Professor Levine wrote. Some countries subscribe to the concept of 'event time', which occurs when 'activities are allowed to transpire according to their own spontaneous schedule'.

For example, someone who arrives late for an appointment because he felt like stopping to smell the roses is operating on 'event time'. Ditto the person whose priority is lingering in conversation with a friend rather than meeting a deadline.

'Clock time' is more common in industrialised societies with high economic rewards, while 'event time' features more strongly in less developed countries. In his book, Professor Levine said 'clock-time' people focused on one thing at a time, starting and completing tasks in a linear sequence. 'Event-time' people are more inclined to do several things at once as the spirit moves them.

'Event-time' people are characterised by a strong involvement with people, according to Professor Levine. 'They emphasise the completion of human transactions rather than keeping to schedules,' he added.

As the pace of life in 'clock-time' cultures ratchets up with endless e-mails and mobile phones that keep people in touch with their jobs, a backlash has been spawned.

The Slow Movement got its start in Italy as a protest against fast food, and is spreading around the world. It now includes slow food, slow travel and slow shopping, to name a few.

The message is that slowing down helps people enjoy life more. In his book, Professor Levine said a particular segment of industrialised society was drawn to this new attitude towards time. 'Curiously, it is often people who have been successful, often as a result of working hard and fast, who are most attracted to these slow movements,' he said.

'Clock-time' cultures do not always result in unhealthy amounts of stress.

Japan, for example, has a fast pace of life but a low rate of coronary heart disease. A few people have worked themselves to death in extreme cases, yet the workaholic culture of Japanese workers is largely mitigated by cultural factors that help to reduce stress.

These include a mentality that promotes a collective effort on the job and strong emotional bonding among workers.

Professor Levine said the relationship between coronary disease and time urgency strengthened when the latter was combined with hard-driving competitiveness and hostility.

The secret to mastering time is twofold, according to Professor Levine. 'When 'event-time' people learn to accelerate to a clock-driven pace of life, they open doors to unobtainable wealth and achievements,' he said.

'And when 'clock-time' people adapt to slower cultures - well, what could be so painful about entering a consciousness where personal relationships come before accomplishment, in which events are allowed to take their own spontaneous course?'