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Synopsis
The epic story of the invention of a global network of weights, scales, and instruments for measurement.
Millions of transactions each day depend on a reliable network of weights and measures. This network has been called a greater invention than the steam engine, comparable only to the development of the printing press.Robert P. Crease traces the evolution of this international system from the use of flutes to measure distance in the dynasties of ancient China and figurines to weigh gold in West Africa to the creation of the French metric and British imperial systems. The former prevailed, with the United States one of three holdout nations. Into this captivating history Crease weaves stories of colorful individuals, including Thomas Jefferson, an advocate of the metric system, and American philosopher Charles S. Peirce, the first to tie the meter to the wavelength of light. Tracing the dynamic struggle for ultimate precision, World in the Balance demonstrates that measurement is both stranger and more integral to our lives than we ever suspected. 35 black-and-white illustrations
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About the Author
Robert P. Crease is the chairman of the philosophy department at Stony Brook University and the author of several books on science, including The Quantum Moment and The Great Equations. He lives in New York City.
Review
By any measure, this book is a delight. — Natural History
[A] fascinating book. — New Scientist
A colorful tale of global conquest driven by kings, revolutionaries, polyglots and privateers. — Science News
Takes the seemingly mundane questions we unthinkingly ask dozens of times a day and reveals them to be thrillingly profound. — Richard Panek, author of The 4% Universe
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- PublisherW. W. Norton & Company
- Publication date2011
- ISBN 10 0393072983
- ISBN 13 9780393072983
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages320
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World in the Balance : The Historic Quest for a Universal System of Measurement
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Norton & Company, Incorporated, W. W., 2011
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ISBN 13: 9780393072983
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