Beyond Measure: The Hidden History of Measurement from Cubits to Quantum Constants
(Libby/OverDrive eAudiobook)

Science reporter Vincent (The Verge) offers a very readable history of measurement in ten chapters appropriate for nontechnical students or possibly for discussion in an Everyone Reads video. The story begins with archaeological evidence some 30,000 years old (the Moravian "Wolf bone") and culminates in present-day national and international measurement standards. Early chapters describe various natural measures--such as barleycorns (still used in shoe sizing), carats (diamond weights), and tobacco pipes (length of Ojibwe journeys). Vincent explains how standard measures became elements of civilization, evolving from the qualitative philosophy of ancient Greece to the European scientific and political revolutions that produced advanced mathematics. Chapter 4, focusing on temperature, describes how measurement assumed importance in modern science. Vincent uncovers the philosophical and political origins of the metric system--and why it's not universally used--in chapter 5 and focuses on accuracy in cartography, citing examples from national surveys, in chapter 6. Tracing the origins of modern statistics to actuarial records and 19th-century eugenics in chapter 7, the story ends with debates and realities of today's national and international standards (chapters 8 and 9). Vincent concludes by highlighting the role of measurement in contemporary decision-making. This is an excellent introduction to a range of postsecondary topics, especially for the non-quantitatively inclined. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates. General readers. --Ed Delaney, formerly, National Park Service

Measuring things is useful and, at times, essential. What is the size, speed, distance, time, or temperature of an object or occurrence? Quantification has reached new heights as people relentlessly count and track just about everything, from calories to steps and Facebook "Likes." In his investigation of metrology (the science of accurate measurement), Vincent reviews its history and effect on society. Mensuration allows us to observe, research, and organize our world, but, unfortunately, it can also be employed as an instrument of manipulation and subjugation. Readers encounter expected tools of measurement (thermometer, mechanical clock, equal-arm balance, odometer), along with some surprising items. Planck's constant, the bell curve, Egyptian pyramids, and even powdered radioactive human lung receive attention. Vincent points out how the human body long served as a sort of measuring tape--cubit (the distance from elbow to fingertip), fathom (the length of outstretched arms), and foot (the span of the tootsie)--and addresses the scientific revolution, discovery, and the development of the metric system. A solid analysis, incorporating plentiful minutiae, of the evolution, scale, and significance of measurement.

Vincent, a senior reporter at the Verge, debuts with a phenomenal exploration of measurement, the "cornerstone of cognition" that "has not only made the world we live in, it has made us too." He starts in ancient Egypt, where each year, citizens gauged the depth of the Nile River's floodwaters to ascertain whether it would be enough to support a plentiful harvest. To do so, the Egyptians developed giant rulers called nilometers that were carved into columns and walls. Elsewhere, Vincent chronicles how the metric system was developed during the French Revolution by the "country's intellectual elite," who "thought that the standardisation of weights and measures would eliminate some of the imbalances of feudal life"; argues that the ability to accurately survey land led to the expansion of the U.S.; and makes a fascinating case that measurements can be used for social control, as with the productivity quotas that are imposed on Amazon workers. Amusing anecdotes abound: for centuries, the kilogram was based on the weight of a "particular lump of metal" locked away in a French vault. Vincent's running of the rule is brisk and constantly surprising as it makes clear that all measurements derive from human choices and are thus inherently fallible. This one shouldn't be missed. (Nov.)

A survey of the history of measurement and how it has shaped human progress. As journalist Vincent points out, measurement is so ubiquitous that we often don't even think about it. His journey to the core of the science of creating accurate measurements--known as metrology--is punctuated with odd yet fascinating stops--e.g., Egypt, where, for centuries, people have measured "the bounty of the Nile, a liquid treasure metered out each year in floodwater and fertility"; the Swedish museum that houses the first Celsius thermometer; and a French vault that holds "the kilogram: what it weighs, every kilogram in the world weighs, no more and no less." The author leads us leisurely through the history of measurement, beginning with the Babylonians, who first saw the usefulness of standardization, and progressing to the Romans, who developed metrics crucial for construction. Standardization was also a tool for control, especially via taxes. Gradually, measurement pushed societies away from faith and aristocracies and toward rationality and commerce. The metric system was a product of the French Revolution, replacing arbitrary measures like "the king's foot," and Napoleon was instrumental in spreading it. Most countries have since adopted the metric system, although it has not always been welcome. In the U.S., attempts to metricize measurement have been somewhat half-hearted, and the result is a uniquely mixed system. However, as Vincent shows, in the digital age, the desire to measure things and compile statistics has never been stronger. He discusses the Quantified Self movement, "a loose affiliation of individuals whose pursuit of 'self-knowledge through numbers' shows how far we have internalized the logic of measurement." Vincent takes this no more seriously than he should and points out that standard measurements "are as much the product of accident and happenstance as careful deliberation." He finds this comforting, an essential aspect of human creativity and the magic of the world. An engaging book written with intelligence, self-awareness, and wit. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Measuring things is useful and, at times, essential. What is the size, speed, distance, time, or temperature of an object or occurrence? Quantification has reached new heights as people relentlessly count and track just about everything, from calories to steps and Facebook Likes. In his investigation of metrology (the science of accurate measurement), Vincent reviews its history and effect on society. Mensuration allows us to observe, research, and organize our world, but, unfortunately, it can also be employed as an instrument of manipulation and subjugation. Readers encounter expected tools of measurement (thermometer, mechanical clock, equal-arm balance, odometer), along with some surprising items. Planck's constant, the bell curve, Egyptian pyramids, and even powdered radioactive human lung receive attention. Vincent points out how the human body long served as a sort of measuring tape—cubit (the distance from elbow to fingertip), fathom (the length of outstretched arms), and foot (the span of the tootsie)—and addresses the scientific revolution, discovery, and the development of the metric system. A solid analysis, incorporating plentiful minutiae, of the evolution, scale, and significance of measurement. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.

Vincent, a senior reporter at the Verge, debuts with a phenomenal exploration of measurement, the "cornerstone of cognition" that "has not only made the world we live in, it has made us too." He starts in ancient Egypt, where each year, citizens gauged the depth of the Nile River's floodwaters to ascertain whether it would be enough to support a plentiful harvest. To do so, the Egyptians developed giant rulers called nilometers that were carved into columns and walls. Elsewhere, Vincent chronicles how the metric system was developed during the French Revolution by the "country's intellectual elite," who "thought that the standardisation of weights and measures would eliminate some of the imbalances of feudal life"; argues that the ability to accurately survey land led to the expansion of the U.S.; and makes a fascinating case that measurements can be used for social control, as with the productivity quotas that are imposed on Amazon workers. Amusing anecdotes abound: for centuries, the kilogram was based on the weight of a "particular lump of metal" locked away in a French vault. Vincent's running of the rule is brisk and constantly surprising as it makes clear that all measurements derive from human choices and are thus inherently fallible. This one shouldn't be missed. (Nov.)