Empire of the Sum

Reviews

"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