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 readers 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.
| ISBN: | 9781324035855 |
| Publication date: | 18th September 2026 |
| Author: | James Vincent |
| Publisher: | W.W. Norton and Company an imprint of W. W. Norton & Company |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 432 pages |
| Genres: |
Social and cultural history Mathematics History of mathematics History of science |
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 readers 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.
Beyond Measure features in the following genres: Social and cultural history, Mathematics, History of mathematics, History of science
Hardback, Paperback, Ebook. £21.59, down from the £23.99 cover price. Not Available.
Beyond Measure was written by James Vincent and published by W.W. Norton and Company an imprint of W. W. Norton & Company
Beyond Measure has 432 pages
£21.59, reduced from £23.99. Not Available.