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Beyond Measure

By: James Vincent
Narrated by: James Vincent
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Publisher's Summary

THE TIMES SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR

NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

FINALIST FOR THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

We measure rainfall and radiation, the depths of space and the emptiness of atoms, calories and steps, happiness and pain. But how did measurement become ubiquitous in modern life? When did humanity first take up scales and rulers, and why does this practice hold authority over so many aspects of our lives?

Written with vim and dazzling intelligence, James Vincent provides a fresh and original perspective on human history as he tracks our long search for dependable truths in a chaotic universe. Full of mavericks and visionaries, adventure and the unexpected, Beyond Measure shows that measurement has not only made the world we live in, it has made us too.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2022 James Vincent (P)2022 Faber Audio
Mathematics History
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Critic Reviews

'A revelatory and vibrant story of measurement which will make you look at the world around you anew. 'A wildly ambitious book by a formidably talented young writer.' ROBERT MACFARLANE

'Vivid, epic, and full of curiosities. This is a book to delight and fascinate.' TIM HARFORD, bestselling author of How to Make the World Add Up

'Beyond Measure offers, with much intellectual flair and style, a bracing new history: how the once innocent urge to quantification took over our lives, our sense of ourselves and the world.' PANKAJ MISHRA

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Profile Image for Marc Fearby

Absolutely fascinating

This book was so interesting that I'm sure I'll need to listen to it every year, or something, just to learn new things all the time. It's packed full of interesting, historical tid-bits. Highly recommended.

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