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Beyond Measure
- Narrated by: James Vincent
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
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Summary
We measure rainfall and radiation, the depths of space and the emptiness of atoms, calories and steps, happiness and fear. If we could not measure then we could not observe the world around us; we could not experiment, learn, and co-operate. But why did this urge to measure flourish? And when did measurement become ubiquitous?
It is an incredible story that spans hunter-gatherer societies to ancient Egyptians, the French Revolution to the relentless quantification of the 21st-century self. It is a tale that tracks humanity's search for dependable truths in a chaotic universe. Full of mavericks and visionaries, adventure and breakthroughs, 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.
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What listeners say about Beyond Measure
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Karl
- 14-06-22
Fascinating and sharp
Full of insight, charm and knowledge, and guided deftly by the author himself. The best bit is when pirates steal the kilogram.
3 people found this helpful
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- Bruno
- 06-06-22
A fascinating listen
An in depth investigation into a fascinating area of life. A subject whose reach goes beyond the obvious deftly considered by a writer in control of his craft. Written with humour, integrity and a huge amount of research, the reader is made to think about her or his life and the effects of measurement on it. Highly recommended.
2 people found this helpful
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- IanRobinson
- 29-11-22
Fantastic book
I loved this. Both the content and the delivery. A book of the year list certainty.
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- veyza
- 24-11-22
Multidimensional
Explores many diverse themes topics and weaves different genres of writing building to a profound conclusion.
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- Reilsky
- 26-07-22
Would have been a great book if the editor took the finger out
Really interesting subject matter but marred by too many contemporary political side-quests that trail away for too long, far from the subject matter. It makes the book too long.
Very well written in general, but unfortunately full of clunky similes that distract rather than illuminate, like a catwalk model wearing a Victoria sponge on her face.
Shame really because I loved parts of it.
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- Fernando Monteiro Ribeiro
- 12-01-23
A book worth listening, but…
As a nerd I wished there had been more technical information about the current standards, how the kilogram is made, for example. But I did enjoy the book and would recommend it.