Beyond Measure

We take measurement for granted. We track rainfall, check radiation levels, gauge the distances between stars, count calories and daily steps, and even try to quantify happiness and pain. James Vincent asks how measuring came to reach almost every corner of modern life, when people first picked up scales and rulers, and what gives the practice its authority over so much of how we live.

Vincent follows the centuries-long hunt for trustworthy knowledge in a world that rarely cooperates. Along the way he introduces a cast of mavericks and visionaries, and recounts adventures and surprising turns. He combines history, science and first-hand reporting to show how the pursuit of exact, dependable numbers unfolded.

His central argument is that measurement has done more than help us build the world we inhabit. It has also shaped the people who do the measuring, changing how we see ourselves and our place in the universe.