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”[An] enlightening history” – Pablo Scheffer - The Times Literary Supplement“Fascinating […] a cre­ation story of tech breakthroughs begetting first-of-their-kind digital calculators.” – Belinda Lanks - The Wall Street Journal“Houston’s narrative is full of oddballs, many of them brilliant…” – Alexander Nazaryan - The New York Times Book Review

Keith Houston is the author of Face with Tears of Joy, Empire of the Sum, Shady Characters, and The Book. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and on Mental Floss, BBC Culture, and Literary Hub. He lives in Linlithgow, Scotland.