100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders πŸš€

Curious History of Weights & Measures, The

3.75 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 12 ratings, 5 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Curious History of Weights & Measures by Claire Cock-Starkey delves into the fascinating past of how measurements have evolved throughout history. It explores the quirky stories and surprising facts behind standardising systems of weights and measures, revealing how these methods have shaped trade, culture, and civilisation. This engaging journey through time uncovers the human adaptations and innovations in defining quantities across various societies.
Read More
Format: Hardback
$3499
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're fascinated by the peculiar and quirky aspects of history, particularly the evolution of weights and measures. This engaging exploration reveals the oddities and cultural stories behind how people have quantified the world, making it perfect for history enthusiasts with a penchant for the unusual.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

0

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

How long is an ell? What is the largest size of champagne bottle?

How do you measure the heat of a chilli pepper? Why is the depth of water measured in fathoms? And what is a cubit?

The Curious History of Weights & Measures tells the story of how we have come to quantify the world around us. Looking at everything from carats, pecks and pennyweights to firkins and baker's dozens through to modern science-based standards such as kilograms and kilometres, this book considers both what sparked the creation of myriad measures and why there were so many efforts to usher in standardisation.

Full of handy conversion charts and beautiful illustrations, The Curious History of Weights & Measures is a treasure trove of fun facts and intriguing stories about the calculations we use every day.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Curious History of Weights & Measures by Claire Cock-Starkey is described as a delightful book filled with intriguing and surprising facts on each page. It has been praised for being thoroughly enjoyable by readers such as Wynn Wheldon from The Spectator.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781851245796

Publisher: Bodleian Library

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 17 February 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bodleian Library

Illustration: 24 Illustrations, black and white

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 118.0mm

Height: 184.0mm

Weight: 376g

Pages: 192

About the Author

Claire Cock-Starkey is a writer and editor. Recent books include Hyphens and Hashtags (2021) A Museum Miscellany (2019) and The Real McCoy and 149 Other Eponyms (2018).

Also by Claire Cock-Starkey

View all
  • Lore of the Deep
    Discover the world beneath the waves with this magically illustrated treasury of folklore from the ocean deeps. Do you know the story of the ghost ship Mary Celeste? Or the myths behind seaquakes and tsunamis? Have you heard of Nanaue, the Hawaiian King of the Sharks? For millennia, humans have lived on and around the sea, relying on it for...
    Hardback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Mythology Land
    Explore the magical worlds of myth and fable with Mythology Land, and open the gates to the stories and adventures of cultures from all over the world. Mythology Land is a collection of expertly retold legends and stories that are perfect for bedtime, with each story adorned with its own illustrated map of its mythical setting. Travel to Midgard and...
    Hardback
    $4500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Lore of the Land
    Unearth the secrets of our natural world with The Lore of the Land, a richly illustrated compendium of folklore and wisdom from the land, skies, and seas. From thundering rivers to shady groves, flickering marshes to lightless caves, and from snow-capped mountains to the depths of the ocean, discover the folklore of Earth's wildest places. Stories and spirits abound in...
    Hardback
    $3699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Hyphens & Hashtags*
    In our digital world, we owe much of our ability to communicate to the punctuation marks, mathematical symbols, and other glyphs that hover on the edges of our keyboard. Without these symbols, it would be impossible to convey meaningβ€”our words would run in endless unbroken lines of letters and numbers. These marks, which have their origins in the earliest written...
    Hardback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Lore of the Stars
    Look up at the skies in wonder with this mystically illustrated treasury of folklore from above and beyond. Did you know that people used to read the future in the flight of birds? That the constellations were thought to be mythological beings set in the sky? And that eclipses were seen as demonic omens? For millennia, humans have looked to...
    Hardback
    $3699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Lore of the Wild
    See nature in a whole new light with this enchantingly illustrated treasury of natural folklore and wild wisdom from around the world. Did you know that people used to believe that rabbits' ears would twitch in the direction of a thunderstorm? That lily of the valley flowers were formed from fairies' drinking cups? And that taking dandelions into the house...
    Hardback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Real McCoy and 149 other Eponyms
    The English language is rich with eponyms – words that are named after an individual – some better known than others. The Real McCoy and 149 other Eponyms uncovers the intriguing tales of discovery, mythology, innovation, and infamy behind these everyday words. The book is a perfect addition to any wordsmith's bookshelf. Encompassing eponyms from medicine, botany, invention, science, fashion,...
    Hardback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Museum Miscellany, A
    Bursting with quirky facts, intriguing statistics, lists, and legendary curators, this is the perfect gift for all those who love to visit museums and galleries. Which are the oldest museums in the world? What is a cabinet of curiosities? Who haunts Hampton Court? What is on the FBI's list of stolen art? A Museum Miscellany celebrates the intriguing world of...
    Hardback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Bodleianalia
    Which is the smallest book in the Bodleian Library? Who complained when their secret pen name was revealed in the library's catalogue? How many miles of shelving are there in the Book Storage Facility? What is the story behind the library's refusal to lend a book to King Charles I? And, what is fasciculing? The answers to these questions and...
    Hardback
    $4499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • A Library Miscellany
    What can be found in the Vatican's Secret Archive? How many books did Charles Darwin's library aboard the Beagle hold? Which library is home to a colony of bats? Bursting with potted histories, quirky facts and enlightening lists, this book explores every aspect of the library, celebrating not only these remarkable institutions but also the individuals behind their awe-inspiring collections....
    Hardback
    Sold Out

More from History & Military

View all
  • Saving Elli
    One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Spy and the Traitor
    The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Suicidal Empathy
    The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Man's Search For Meaning
    Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the author’s groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Betrayal
    β€˜Tom Bower is the Inspector Morse of investigative biographers, a fluent, phlegmatic storyteller and a master of intricacies.’ Sunday Times The British Crown is in crisis, with constitutional threats at home and abroad. At a landmark moment in royal history, can King Charles overcome the scandals that blight the Royal family? Can the broken bonds between the Houses of Sussex...
    Paperback
    $3499
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Signed
    New Release
    The Chief and the Empire
    The Chief and the Empire uncovers the extraordinary true tale of Te Tai Tokerau rangatira Te Pahi - the first influential Māori leader to cross the Tasman - whose curiosity about the Pākehā world forged alliances, saved lives, and ultimately cost him his own. On a visit to Sydney in 1805, Te Pahi was feted as a celebrity, building close...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Discipline
    Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...
    Paperback
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Shattered Lands
    'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' – PETER FRANKOPAN 'This book is a revelation … both original and important' – MISHAL HUSAIN A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and...
    Paperback
    $3699
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Goliath’s Curse
    Goliath’s Curse by Luke Kemp offers a radical retelling of human history through the lens of collapse, delving into what this means for our uncertain future. This narrative spans from the dawn of our species to the urgent existential threats of the twenty-first century and beyond. It's grounded in the latest research and a comprehensive database of more than 440...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    The Good Settler
    β€˜Where once I saw a view as I drove around the Taranaki coast along State Highway 45, I now see confiscated land from an invasion road. The creation story I used to subscribe to, the one in which hard-working people came here and settled the land, now jars. Weirdly, even the lawn looks different. The form of things just won’t...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Banjara
    A powerful literary debut from an astonishing new Kiwi voice, focusing on the Indo-Fijian indenture system and how it affected generations across the Pacific.Rajasthan 1888: Avani Rathod, a nomad of the Banjara community, is summoned to teach a blue-eyed colonial officer the trees of her region, but instead is misled into indenture to the sugarcane plantations of Fiji. While on...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • This Way Up
    The debut book from the YouTube sensation and all-round cartographical nerds, The Map Men! In their long-awaited debut, YouTube’s Map Men bring their highly infectious enthusiasm for everything map-related to the printed page for the very first time, in a brilliantly entertaining and eye-catching tome. Packed with humour and fascinating facts, This Way Up takes a deep dive into the...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.