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.

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.)