The Measure of All Things: The Seven-Year Odyssey and Hidden Error That Transformed the World
by Ken Alder | History | This book has not been rated.
ISBN: 074321675X Global Overview for this book
ISBN: 074321675X Global Overview for this book
2 journalers for this copy...
Picked up at an estate sale in Great Falls, VA. Registered in Centreville, Virginia, USA.
This is the true story of two French scientists who triangulated their way up and down the meridian crossing France - during the French Revolution, no less - in order to determine a precise length for the meter. The author, in researching all of this, discovered that not only was there an error in their measurements - rather than being a set one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole, the first meter was about 200 micrometers too short to meet that definition - but that they had known about it and covered it up. This should be a fascinating book, but to be honest, it was dry almost to the point of being unreadable. I kept having to go back and reread paragraphs over and over again. Finally, a few chapters in, I gave up.
Journal Entry 3 by 
Melydia
at Noodles & Co., Mt Vernon Plaza in Alexandria, Virginia USA on Saturday, August 18, 2018
Melydia at Noodles & Co., Mt Vernon Plaza in Alexandria, Virginia USA on Saturday, August 18, 2018
Released 5 yrs ago (8/19/2018 UTC) at Noodles & Co., Mt Vernon Plaza in Alexandria, Virginia USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Taking to the BCinDC meetup. If no one claims it, I'll leave it in a Little Free Library in the area.
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Thank you so much for picking up this book. Please make a journal entry here on this page if you haven’t already done so to let me know that this book has found a good home. You may choose to remain anonymous or to join (it is entirely free). If you choose to join, please consider using any previous reader of this book, or me, melydia, as the member who referred you.
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Welcome to BookCrossing!
Thank you so much for picking up this book. Please make a journal entry here on this page if you haven’t already done so to let me know that this book has found a good home. You may choose to remain anonymous or to join (it is entirely free). If you choose to join, please consider using any previous reader of this book, or me, melydia, as the member who referred you.
I really hope you enjoy the book you found! When you’re done reading it, you can make another journal entry with your comments here to let me know what you thought of it. You can keep the book forever and ever or pass it on to someone else. If you’re giving it to someone directly, make another journal entry saying so. If you choose to leave it somewhere “in the wild” for anyone to catch, make release notes that indicate where you left it. If you register, you will be alerted by e-mail each time someone makes another journal entry. It’s all confidential (you’re known only by your screen name and no one is ever given your e-mail address), free, and spam-free. Then you can track this book as it goes on its journey!
I brought this one home from a BookCrossing meetup over the weekend. It looks fascinating, but Melydia's comments give me pause. I'll give it a try. If it doesn't appeal to me, I'll release it into my Little Free Library so it can find a more appreciative reader.
