Measure for Measure: The Story of Imperial, Metric, and Other Units [Hardcover]

Alex Hebra (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 2003

From the cubit used by Noah to build the ark to the angstrom in spectroscopy, units of measure have been integral to science and engineering. Throughout history, countless systems of measurement have been devised and then discarded as more precise and more logical systems have come along. While most of the world has adopted the metric system, the United States -- with the curious exception of soda bottles -- adheres to the imperial system, even though the country has officially been a metric nation since 1893, when Thomas Corwin Mendenhall declared metric prototypes the country's "fundamental standards of length and mass." The convenience of the base-ten metric system is undeniable, and so are the costs associated with not converting to metric. Yet, Americans still cling to inches, quarts, and ounces. Clearly, there is more to measurement than logic.

In Measure for Measure, Alex Hebra offers a delightfully engaging and instructive history of measurement systems from ancient times to the present, exploring how and why such units as the stadium, the span, and the parsec first came about. Tracing civilization's various efforts to calculate distance, volume, mass, energy, and time, he explains how units of measurement are applied in such fields as mechanical engineering, physics, optics, and astronomy. In particular, Hebra focuses on the development of the metric system, arguing that even the United States will eventually join the worldwide metric community. Deeply informed and imaginatively told, Measure for Measure chronicles humanity's imperfect search for the perfect system with which to quantify reality.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The field of measurement is known for producing engaging histories; most recently, Ken Alder's The Measure of All Things [BKL S 1 02] recounted how the meter was defined. Hebra also touches on the meter story, but he ventures into more complicated territory that will draw readers interested in recreational math. Hebra emphasizes how quantities are defined and derived from basic units, and converted from one system to another. This involves much algebra and trigonometry, and the author presumes that readers will share his joy in equations. Hebra's touch is playful, however; after an opening run through ancient counting systems, he salts his ensuing narrative with numerous anecdotes, such as how to establish a common measurement system with extraterrestrials. Substantively, Hebra demonstrates that it is not too hard to learn how to speak the concrete language (in either metric or FPS [foot-pound-second] dialects) of Newtonian inertia and motion; light; heat; electricity; and fluids. Good fun for the numerically minded. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Will draw readers interested in recreational math. Hebra emphasizes how quantities are defined and derived from basic units, and converted from one system to another... Hebra's touch is playful, however; after an opening run through ancient counting systems, he salts his ensuing narrative with numerous anecdotes, such as how to establish a common measurement system with extraterrestrials. Substantively, Hebra demonstrates that it is not too hard to learn how to speak the correct language (in either metric or FPS [foot-pound-second] dialects) of Newtonian inertia and motion; light; heat; electricity; and fluids. Good fun for the numerically minded.

(Booklist April 2004)

Informed and scholarly history of imperial, metric, and other units of measurement, blending science, engineering, and human discovery.

(Library Bookwatch June 2004)

This slim, detailed volume is unique in concept, deceptively simple in its outline, and highly readable, with the author using deft humor to point out the degree to which measures and their creation were driven by both human necessity and the demands of mathematics and the sciences.

(Robert B. Ridinger E-Streams )

The integration of math and engineering history is not easy to do, and in my opinion Hebra has successfully carried it off. The book is well-organized and written in a delightful, dry wit.

(Paul Nahin, author of The Science of Radio and Duelling Idiots and Other Probability Puzzlers )

Measure for Measure is a charming book, packed with delights, in which Hebra guides us from Ancient Egypt and Babylon to the present day. It is filled with anecdotes and historical facts that illuminate and enliven his account of the way that scientists and engineers have come to agreement on how to define the basic units for physical quantities and how they are related. Alex Hebra has written a book that is both informative and fun.

(John Charap, author of Explaining the Universe )

Alex Hebra's extraordinary book shows how units of measurement are woven inextricably into the fabric of science and history. There is no escape from the need for units -- ancient or modern, they are everywhere. Step into the hotel bar and you could still be offered a hogshead (that's more beer than you can drink) or a jeroboam (that's more champagne than you can afford), although a gill or a quart is more likely. From ancient Babylon to biochemistry, from Archimedes to Jefferson, from cubits to Angstroms, units have a story to tell. If you have ever wondered about the distance between Alexandria and Aswan in camel-days or how fast a Martian canal boat can go, then this is the book for you.

(Neil A. Downie, author of Vacuum Bazookas, Electric Rainbow Jelly, and 27 Other Saturday Science Projects )

A useful book for anyone wanting to know more about units of measurement and their role in science (especially physics). Many of the examples would make for excellent assignments for students, and the many illustrations are very helpful.

(Fernando Q. Gouvêa MAA Reviews )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press; 1St Edition edition (June 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801870720
• ISBN-13: 978-0801870729
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,301,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great little science book, August 28, 2003

By 

K. Thorp "enginerd1959" (Charleston, SC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Measure for Measure: The Story of Imperial, Metric, and Other Units (Hardcover)

I was not the best student in high school or college, but now that I'm a "mature grownup" I enjoy reading science journals and books - as long as they're not too dry or massive. Who has time to plow through a 600 page tome?

I enjoyed reading Measure for Measure. Mr. Hebra uses lively text, formulas and plenty of clear drawings to help explain the subject matter. In every chapter I found fascinating details. Like how close we came to adopting a metric clock (10 hours per day, 100 minutes per hour) or that the great Thomas Edison electrocuted stray dogs to prove how dangerous AC electricity was, compared to DC. Yikes!

As with all disputes, the opposing sides of the metric vs. "standard" debate can sometimes be very polarizing and shrill. Mr. Hebra does not try to sway us one way or another but instead explains the logic and history behind our systems of measurement. He sometimes strays off the subject, but that's part of this book's charm. Hebra's anecdotes are amusing and help put a human face on the evolution of science and measuring systems.

If you want to learn a little more about and how mass, size, heat and time are all related and measured I strongly recommend picking up a copy of Measure for Measure.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The whole nine yards (8.23 meters), August 26, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Measure for Measure: The Story of Imperial, Metric, and Other Units (Hardcover)

The great science myth is that all scientists use metric units. In this marvelous little book, which is thoroughly enjoyable to read, Hebra shows that they don't. Astronomers have parsecs, particle physicists use barns, and engineers and mathematicians often don't use units at all. To prove his point, Hebra shows us how to instruct space aliens to build a hydroelectric dam, without knowing what fluids they may use, how big their planet may be, how strong its gravitational force may be, etc.

Along the way, there are some fascinating anecdotes about hogsheads and jereboams, the thirteen-month year proposed by the League of Nations, and the size of Noah's ark.

I now have a far greater appreciation of the scientists and engineers who struggled so hard, and for so long, to come up with a standard system of units. I wish I could have read this book when I was taking physics in college. It's entertaining and breathes life into the science of measurement.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very Promising But a Little Disappointing, December 18, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Measure for Measure: The Story of Imperial, Metric, and Other Units (Hardcover)

I just love books like this. They guide the reader through various physical concepts using simple calculations, often to arrive at interesting conclusions. The author of this book has attempted to do this in an accessible way while mixing in historical snippets to add to ones reading pleasure. Unfortunately, I must agree with the prior reviewer who commented on the fact that the book was very poorly edited. There are, indeed, too many errors and typos, especially in the equations, and many explanations lack the clarity and completeness that one would expect in such a book - things that may discourage neophytes and induce feelings of impatience and mistrust in the minds of the initiated. But because of the interesting topics discussed, a thorough, proper and careful revision of this book, including careful re-thinking and re-writing of some of the discussions would easily make it five-star material. Such a revised version would be an asset to popular science literature.