Overview

"A vibrant account of how measurement has invisibly shaped our world, from ancient civilizations to the modern day. From the cubit to the kilogram, the humble inch to the speed of light, measurement is a powerful tool that humans invented to make sense of the world. In this revelatory work of science and social history, James Vincent dives into its hidden world, taking listeners from ancient Egypt, where measuring the annual depth of the Nile was an essential task, to the intellectual origins of the metric system in the French Revolution, and from the surprisingly animated rivalry between metric and imperial, to our current age of the ""quantified self."" At every turn, Vincent is keenly attuned to the political consequences of measurement, exploring how it has also been used as a tool for oppression and control. Beyond Measure reveals how measurement is not only deeply entwined with our experience of the world, but also how its history encompasses and shapes the human quest for knowledge."

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"""Phenomenal...[B]risk 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."" -- ""Publishers Weekly (starred review)"" ""Quietly thrilling...The story of humans measuring things is no less than the story of civilization."" -- ""New York Times"" ""Worth its weight in gold...[M]arries infectious enthusiasm for the science with healthy scepticism about the uses human beings put it to."" -- ""The Guardian (London)"""

Author Information

James Vincent is a senior reporter for the Verge, the Vox Media site devoted to technology and society. He has also written for the London Review of Books, Financial Times, and Wired. He lives in London. James Vincent is a senior reporter for the Verge, the Vox Media site devoted to technology and society. He has also written for the London Review of Books, Financial Times, and Wired. He lives in London.

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