Interesting how he has no similar view on the UK version of the Amazon site, isn't it?
Is it because he kows that he is unlikely to get away with such statements on the UK site? Intresting indeed. Congratulations on the book by the way! ----- Original Message ----- From: John Frewen-Lord To: U.S. Metric Association Cc: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 6:08 PM Subject: [USMA:50574] Re: Unfortunately...... Mr Humphreys is proving himself to be a bit of a liar in his anti-metric campaign (to the point that I might even consider suing him for libel...). I have a book published on Amazon's Kindle site - "Metric Made Me Sick (But I'm Better Now)". There is a US version on Amazon.com, and a UK version on Amazon.co.uk. Now Mr Humphreys must have been trawling the Amazon websites and come across both these versions. He has NOT bought the book, NOR has he even previewed it (let alone actually READ it.) Yet he feels qualified to leave the following 1-star (out of 5) review (on the US website ONLY, not on the UK site): "The text says implies that the UK is almost fully metric. Ask someone from the UK about that. So on this mistake, and assuming that the rest of the book follows the same line, I'm out. " Now my book's description on the Amazon US website says: "A lighthearted and humorous look at how to get used to dealing with metric units in our everyday world. Lots of funny pictures - this is NOT some dry old textbook." Nothing about the UK in that description, and certainly nothing that can be described as a mistake. On the Amazon UK website, the book's description is as follows: "Think metric's hard and that it would just go away? Then this book is for you! The world is metric whether we like it or not. Learn how I survive - and occasionally even prefer - in what was an alien metric world when the UK switched to predominantly metric measurements. Lots of anecdotes make this an interesting read, not a boring old textbook." Now I did NOT say, or even imply, as Humphreys said, "that the UK is almost fully metric.". What I did say was that the UK is predominantly metric - which it is. Our manufacturing, our construction industry, our land registry based on Ordnance Survey, our retail, etc etc is virtually entirely metric, so the use of the word 'predominant' I believe is truthful. Yet Humphreys had to put in the 1-star negative review, without, I emphasize, even reading it. Is there no depth to which Humphreys and his cohorts at the BWMA will not sink to? For those interested in verifying this, visit http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NSV16M for US listing, http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004EEPNZU for UK listing. John F-L ----- Original Message ----- From: [email protected] To: U.S. Metric Association Cc: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2011 11:45 PM Subject: [USMA:50567] Re: Unfortunately...... The point I take from this is that many stores and small traders continue to contribute to the metric muddle in the UK by promoting and keeping visible Imperial units in their advertising, store signs (other than shelf labels), and Imperial scales (even if only for show). This makes it all the harder for the populace to complete the mental shift to 100% metric. -- Ezra ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephen Davis" <[email protected]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, June 7, 2011 9:46:09 AM Subject: [USMA:50566] Unfortunately...... .....although Mr Humphrey's has moved the goalposts on this debate, (yet again) I'm afraid it is correct that there is metric AND imperial signs in certain supermarkets in the UK. However, I hasten to add, this is for loose fruit and veg ONLY! I don't know how widespread it is and I have no reason to believe that the experience of certain USMA members shopping in the UK wasn't totally correct - that is supposing that they weren't confused by Mr Humphreys mentioning only IMPERIAL on shelf edging. Of course, this would be totally illegal, as he well knows. Signs for the selling of loose fruit & veg in certain stores in the UK have both metric and imperial. There are often scales as well to weigh in either metric or imperial but, as I keep saying, these scales are mainly for show anyway, The loose goods are weighed electronically in metric at the store checkout. To recap, I am unaware exactly how many supermarkets in the UK actually do this, but it is certainly true that a number of them do this..
