Metrication: action of making it metric (the word does not exist in French). La grande metrication is the story of the invention, by the generous and enthusiastic French revolutionists of 1789, of a system of uniform and universal measurements, the decimal metric system; of the difficult acceptance of the new units in France; of the circumstances that lead to the adoption, for political, economical or social reasons, of the metric system by a few advanced nations; of its generalization all over the world - with a few exceptions; and of the resistance in some business sectors, because of tradition, professional peculiarity, or snobbism. A fascinating story...
A story which I narrated in a 210 page book, published by France Europe Editions (ISBN 2-913197-74-4). The book is available in bookshops and from e-booksellers such as FNAC and Chapitre. It can also be ordered directly from the publisher. In case of difficulty, please contact me.
What follows is a summary of the book and a few significant excerpts.
