Empire of the Sum

""The book provides a breezy mathematical history tour through the development of number systems, slide rules, mechanical calculators and microchips. "" -- Jeffrey M. Perkel - Nature ""Houston's sprightly history aims to give the calculator the recognition it deserves as a stepping stone to the digital era... He makes a convincing case, in sum, for the significance of the calculator. "" -- The Economist ""Houston's narrative is full of oddballs, many of them brilliant..."" -- Alexander Nazaryan - The New York Times Book Review ""Starting from the seemingly simple task of recounting the history of the pocket calculator, Keith Houston unfolds a complex and fascinating history of numeracy, the evolution of technology, and the human desire to push our capabilities ever further. Deep,"" -- Cal Newport, The New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and A World Without Email ""Everywhere and nowhere at once’ is how Keith Houston describes the pocket calculator, a machine that is so intimately intertwined with human history that it is impossible to imagine our lives deprived of its influence. In Empire of the Sum, Houston takes us on a journey that spans centuries and reaches across the universe, always coming back to humanity’s craving for calculating machines in all their diverse forms. I dare you to reach the end of this book and not be irresistibly charmed by both the pocket calculator and Houston’s witty, gregarious prose."" -- Natalia Holt, The New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls ""[An] enlightening history"" -- Pablo Scheffer - The Times Literary Supplement