Fantastic book

I loved this. Both the content and the delivery. A book of the year list certainty.

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A look at how measurements evolved

Introduction: this book looks at the history of how measurement has changed and transformed our lives. Whether it be the measurement of distance, temperature, space or land, time, and a whole chapter devoted to the metric system, which helped explain why imperial measurements often use 16s, 14 and other divisions because they could be quartered and halved, as well as behaviour.
- I really enjoyed the chapter on the metric system and how that system came about. And by encompassing the history of measurement, it takes in history, science, and other disciplines to give a history of the world and how measurement has changed all our lives. Numbers may be dry, but they are the only way to tell the truth as opposed to emotional responses.
- The book begins by looking at how the measuring systems evolved, which seems to have occurred by the invention of a writing system, which had to occur for these systems to be built on. Coins or circle tubes were used to record how much could be exchanged for goods, but this required a writing system so that three-dimensional coins or cubes could become two-dimensional storage systems, which is how the first writing systems from Mesopotamia involved.
- The first measurement was the day where even in the Bible there is morning and dusk. But our own bodies have a clock and from this which was something in our subconscious mind before we had any idea of recording or measuring time, we have this embedded in our DNA such as when the hormone of melatonin occurring in our body will lead you to sleep and is in the cyclical rhythms of the nature of many animals. Following this, people knew when it would be the best time to allow seeds and crops to be planted and grow at their best, and from this evolve the seasons.
- Some of the first measurements came from the season, then people began to form 24 hour clocks and calendars began to occur by using something that was consistent and available. Then measurements began to use body parts, and we still have some measurements today, including the cubit, foot, and hand all using body parts to take measurements of the length. However, this wasn’t always consistent – people have different arm and foot lengths.
- Interestingly enough, the first one of the first measurements were also eating seeds and barley corn became the equivalent of a third of an inch in its measurement length and Henry VI or one of the Henry’s said that three of these will become an inch and this is the beginning of how Imperial measurement in the UK and America came about.
- The book then looks at more measurements that were done and designed that were not always consistent around body shapes and parts of the body regarding how we measure grains, then moves onto a much more scientific way of looking at measurements and how these include music and more consistent weights that would deem a more consistent and appropriate lengths. Man began measuring mountains, long distances, and even distances in space. The scientific laws that govern and measure, became more effective in their approach to measurements.

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Good stuff

I like this kind of nonfiction, especially for sciency-type subject matter. Combines the personal (direct experience, anecdote) with the journalistic (interviews, research expeditions, reportage, colour writing), and the historical (what happened when, narrative, linearity, thematic chapter categorisation). There's a lot of it about these days, and I see that as a good thing. It works especially well in audiobook form when the author does their own reading - as long as they have a pleasant enough voice, which this guy does.

As many of these types of book do, this takes a single question - why do we measure things the way we do? - and follows it through, via many familiar and less well known paths, to show how something we may take for granted is worth paying attention to, because the details are actually pretty interesting even if, for most of us, they don't really matter much on a day to day basis.

This is a very well done example of the genre. No complaints - except, perhaps, for lack of depth on measuring things at quantum levels, and the weird confusions brought to measuring the universe that are still bubbling around the edges of cutting-edge physics via dark matter, dark energy, and the like. Having just finished a book that was pretty good on that stuff, though, this may just have been me. After all, most things we measure are done so in comparison to other things - that goes for books as much as distance, weight or time.

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Fascinating and sharp

Full of insight, charm and knowledge, and guided deftly by the author himself. The best bit is when pirates steal the kilogram.

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3 people found this helpful

excellent book - narrator not great at speed

The books excellent, filled with fascinating facts and great stories.

And the author sounds ok at slow speeds. but as I listen to most books at 2.3 or up... i found it very frustrating to have to listen much slower with this work due to the author subtly mumbling or running his words together. This drove me nuts, and has rarely happened before, but if you listen to your books at default speed or no more than 1.5 it'll probably not bother you at all.

For me, if I hadn't been so fascinated by the topic and the writing (both excellent), I'd have given up many times due to the narration. if you think it might bother you too - try listening to the sample in the app at different speeds. it's subtle, but there and you'll definitely notice it when reading for more than a few minutes.

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A fascinating listen

An in depth investigation into a fascinating area of life. A subject whose reach goes beyond the obvious deftly considered by a writer in control of his craft. Written with humour, integrity and a huge amount of research, the reader is made to think about her or his life and the effects of measurement on it. Highly recommended.

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2 people found this helpful

Multidimensional

Explores many diverse themes topics and weaves different genres of writing building to a profound conclusion.

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Really brilliant - so much to think about!

I bought this thinking I'd be interested in the subject as an engineer, but it is so much more than that kind of book (it's that too), it is interesting on so many levels, on how measurement drives our world now but also our development as a society and even as individuals, Can't recommend this enough. Don't be put off by the perceived niche nature of the subject, it is so broad and fascinating.

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Would have been a great book if the editor took the finger out

Really interesting subject matter but marred by too many contemporary political side-quests that trail away for too long, far from the subject matter. It makes the book too long.

Very well written in general, but unfortunately full of clunky similes that distract rather than illuminate, like a catwalk model wearing a Victoria sponge on her face.

Shame really because I loved parts of it.

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2 people found this helpful