Reviews
Academic but accessible to the general reader.
Well written, entertaining, and informative.
Henshaw has a remarkable ability to explain complex mathematics in a manner accessible to general readers.
Clear and well written.
A common thread throughout is the interrelationship of knowledge and measurement, an interrelationship that can both mislead and educate. Along the way, Henshaw does a great job of tossing in historical anecdotes, raising philosophical concerns, identifying social issues, and providing interesting factoids.The book is fun to read.
Best of 2006.
It is easy to read, and Henshaw has a pleasant style of throwing himself into the action.
Sometimes a number is helpful, but at other times misleading, leading to discussions of when we should not be using numbers to make expensive decisions.
I enjoyed this book very much. The author's goal is to highlight the use (and misuse) of measurement in everyday life, a question I have pondered myself on many occasions. Indeed, many of his points were personally engaging to me.
Book Details
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Of Love and Luminescene: What, Why, and How Things Get Measured
2. Doing the Math: Scales, Standards, and Some Beautiful Measurements
3. The Ratings Game: ''Overall''
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Of Love and Luminescene: What, Why, and How Things Get Measured
2. Doing the Math: Scales, Standards, and Some Beautiful Measurements
3. The Ratings Game: ''Overall'' Measurements and Rankings
4. Measurement in Business: What Gets Measured Gets Done
5. Games of Inches: Sports and Measurement
6. Measuring the Mind: Intelligence, Biology, and Education
7. Man: The Measure of All Things
8. It's Not Just the Heat, it's the Humidity: Global Warming and Environmental Measurement
9. Garbage In, Garbage Out: The Computer and Measurement
10. How Funny Is That? Knowledge Without Measurement?
11. Faith, Hope, and Love: The Future of Measuremen—and of Knowledget
References
Index