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snowcrash 's review for:
The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World
by Simon Winchester
The art and science of precision. My dad spent a number of years in the metrology business, so this sounded like a fun book when I found it on the library shelf. A word of caution, as I'm someone who loves popular science books that give a window into the technical world around us.
The author uses the concept of tolerance levels to create chapters. He does a great job to bring the characters of the precision world to life. And they are characters.
I didn't know that the engineering world could measure down to a millionth of an inch around the mid-1800's. With a set of screws and gears, measuring such tight tolerances was possible. This gave me a better appreciation of the ingenuity of the day.
What I also found interesting was the tying of all measurement to time. Even weight, which I hadn't known before. I was well aware of the reference weights and distance rods in France. I also know about the atomic clocks that anchor the time of the world. But to get away from the problems inherit of precise weight of an object, that is pretty cool. (There is the problem of the atoms of the weights shedding off over time, which isn't a good thing) By making everything about time, it is easier to have the references in many parts of the world and verifiable.
This isn't a dry tome about engineers driving towards smaller and smaller tolerances. It is a fun romp through the precision world, where the reader can gain an appreciation of how it impacts the world around them.
The author uses the concept of tolerance levels to create chapters. He does a great job to bring the characters of the precision world to life. And they are characters.
I didn't know that the engineering world could measure down to a millionth of an inch around the mid-1800's. With a set of screws and gears, measuring such tight tolerances was possible. This gave me a better appreciation of the ingenuity of the day.
What I also found interesting was the tying of all measurement to time. Even weight, which I hadn't known before. I was well aware of the reference weights and distance rods in France. I also know about the atomic clocks that anchor the time of the world. But to get away from the problems inherit of precise weight of an object, that is pretty cool. (There is the problem of the atoms of the weights shedding off over time, which isn't a good thing) By making everything about time, it is easier to have the references in many parts of the world and verifiable.
This isn't a dry tome about engineers driving towards smaller and smaller tolerances. It is a fun romp through the precision world, where the reader can gain an appreciation of how it impacts the world around them.