WEIGHING THE WORLD: How Mapmaking Became a Science recounts the quest to discover an enigmatic natural force – the curious capability that mountains have to bend gravity – and of an extraordinary experiment that transformed our understanding of the world. Ed Danson unravels this saga of eighteenth century science triumphing over great adversity.

Better known today as the "deflection of the vertical" or "Bouguer’s anomaly," the phenomenon produces small gravity variations within the Earth’s crust that affect the direction of the vertical, making it appear as though gravity is being bent. As an abstract phenomenon, it was first hypothesized by Isaac Newton in his Principia. The surface of the Earth as defined by the deflection of the vertical is known as the geoid and today is very well mapped. But without a thorough understanding of this strange effect, accurate maps, as we understand them today, could never have been made, airplanes could never have crossed the Atlantic in safety, satellites could never have been launched, Neil Armstrong would never have gone to the Moon and cruise missiles would be less precise than artillery shells.

Danson’s first popular history was Drawing the Line: How Mason and Dixon Surveyed the Most Famous Border in America (Wiley, 2000). He has also co-authored two other technical books and writes extensively for surveying, geodesy and other technical and business periodicals. An expert on survey and geodesy matters and the history of the science, Danson is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors. His breadth of experience has enabled him to unravel many lost secrets and bring to WEIGHING THE WORLD: How Mapmaking Became a Science the flavor and hardship of pioneering survey and map making. His first book was widely and favorably reviewed. Philip Bridle on BBC Radio said: "Bill Bryson meets Indiana Jones in this superbly researched book that cuts a swathe through the fields of surveying, astronomy and adventure ... an excellent read ... in content and style this book delivers at all levels. Congratulations Mr. Danson, I look forward to your next book with anticipation." Historian Charles Royser wrote: "A fast moving story, a human drama, and a clear account of surveying in the era of George Washington. An intriguing interaction of politics and science." Science News said: "Danson's tale reads as an adventure story enhanced by details about the development of geodetic science and its instruments."

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