Measure for Measure: The Story of Imperial, Metric and Other Units (Hardcover)

"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

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

"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

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.

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