World in the Balance

Know about the book -

World in the Balance is written by Robert P Crease and published by National Geographic Books. It's available with International Standard Book Number or ISBN identification 0393343545 (ISBN 10) and 9780393343540 (ISBN 13).

“Shows that the story of metrology . . . can in the right hands make for a riveting read.”—The Economist Millions of transactions each day depend on a reliable network of weights and measures. But achieving such a network was anything but easy, as Robert P. Crease, physicist and philosopher, demonstrates in this endlessly fascinating, always entertaining look at just how this international system evolved. From the link between musical pitch and distance in the dynasties of ancient China and the use of figurines to measure gold in West Africa to the creation of the French metric and British imperial systems, Crease takes readers along on one of history’s greatest philosophical and scientific adventures.